Youths from across the globe came together in Trinidad & Tobago to act as parliamentarians of a fictional jurisdiction and debate a mock parliamentary bill regarding a four-day work week.

by Khaila Gentle

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 23, 2022

The 11th Commonwealth Youth Parliament is being held this week in Trinidad and Tobago, and Belize is being represented by Kalen Middleton and Daril Avila, both of whom are members of the Young Leaders Alliance of Belize (YLAB). The five-day event runs from November 20 to 24, and this year saw the participation of some fifty-eight youths who acted as elected representatives of a fictional country.

Trinidad’s House Speaker, Bridgid Annisette-George, gave the opening remarks at the beginning of the event.

“This is a momentous event for us at the parliament, as it presents a few firsts. This is the first time we are location host for the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, CYP. This is the first in- person CYP since the COVID-19 pandemic seized the world,” she stated.

On Tuesday, participants were granted the opportunity to debate a mock parliamentary bill, the Remote Work Bill, 2022. The bill focused on the implementation of a four-day work week as well as permanent work-from-home arrangements.

Kalen Middleton, who hails from Belize City, was a government member and contributed to the fierce debate on the passing of the bill.

“In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused global CO2 emissions to plummet five percent to 34.81 billion metric tons. This is because we were forced to confine to our homes and work remotely,” said Middleton during her speech, which she says she worked on tirelessly.

Daril Avila, an athlete and youth leader, acted as a member of the Opposition, pointing out some of the bill’s flaws.

“Firstly, and very importantly, Madam Speaker, polling shows that one of the challenges faced by the population regarding working from home is that internet penetration is low on smaller islands, and where internet connectivity exists, the service is often unstable. Additionally, all five islands experience frequent disruption in power supply. Given these circumstances, it is a recipe for economic disaster for our labor force to be able to work remotely and on a shortened work week,” he said.

Avila proposed that their mock government fix infrastructural issues first before passing such a bill, since doing the opposite would be “like putting the proverbial cart before the horse.”

The Commonwealth Youth Parliament (CYP) brings together youths aged 18-29 from all over the Commonwealth, including Africa, the Caribbean, and South-East Asia, for a demonstration of their potential as future parliamentarians.

Actual members of parliament from three countries—the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago—acted as mentors for the youth parliamentarians. The annual event is organized by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), and this year’s theme is “Youth Involvement in Parliamentary Democracy”.