Rise St. Lucia Inc. - Castries, Saint Lucia

RISE is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, formed in St. Lucia in 2007, dedicated to the healthy development of people, especially youth. We seek to engage and support youth as well as public and private agencies or individuals similarly minded. Our organization is primarily one of advocacy and resource mobilization and seeks to create synergy between existing efforts, to identify gaps and propose solutions. We are all-inclusive and membership can be as an individual, group, organization or agency, with the only requirement being a desire to help youth and a commitment to operate according to our defining principles:R -Respect, Reality; I-Initiative, Industry; S-Social Health, Society-building, Service; E-Education, Enterprise, Empowerment.
Our founding members are  

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Jonathan St. Rose (Entertainer); Stephen King (Pathologist) and Jacqueline Bird (Child Health Specialist).
We are guided by the Search Institute's framework of 40 Developmental Assets -- those positive experiences and personal qualities that young people need to grow up as healthy, caring, responsible youth.
RISE is about RELATIONSHIPS... with, for, and about youth... and having connections -- with youth, and with youth-supporting adults and their worlds....and we are most of all about CHANGE.....especially in one's thinking. We aim, with youth leading, to forge a new path.
Research worldwide shows that effective youth development strategies meaningfully involve young people. They, the intended beneficiaries, must be key stakeholders. They have the essential understanding of their situation. Engaging them early and meaningfully adds value to any process and its outcomes. Rather than viewing youth as needy targets for which opportunities must be found and solutions offered, young people must be engaged from the outset as the lead agents, and shown the respect they are due. Above all, participation is youth's right under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). We aim to train young people in human (especially brain) development, community organizing, peace-building and advocacy; to assist them to employ these skills and support them to create meaningful change in their communities. This youth organizing relies on the power and leadership of youth acting on issues defined by, and affecting, them and involves them up-front in the design, implementation, and evaluation of our efforts.