Young people make up a significant part of the population of small islands, and a new initiative, “Youth Visioning for Island Living,” facilitated by UNESCO’s Section for Youth and UNESCO’s Coastal Regions & Small Island Platform, is aiming to give young people on small islands the opportunity to articulate how they want their islands to develop in the future and how they plan to help make this happen. The Youth Visioning for Island Living initiative is organized around three broad themes:

• Life and love in islands – maintaining island lifestyles and culture;
• My island home – safeguarding island environments;
• Money in my pocket – creating economic and employment opportunities for youth on small islands.

In association with the United Nations conference on the future of small islands, small island youths have traveled to Mauritius to (1) discuss their concerns as well as participate in debates and side events, (2) share information about ongoing and planned activities and (3) shape their vision, backed up by specific proposals, for future implementation.

In support of these Youth Visioning activities, the United Nations Cyberschoolbus and UNESCO sponsored the 2004 Youth Visioning for Island Living Art Contest to give young people the opportunity to convey what is important or unique about their culture, the environmental challenges they face, what young people can do to make money, as well as their vision of how they want their islands to develop. The contest was open to children and youth (between the ages of 9-23 years old) who live on small islands. Close to 300 entries were received from small islands around the world. The selection of artwork displayed in this exhibit were chosen by a panel of judges in each of the following categories: 9-13 year olds, 14-17 year olds, and 18-23 year olds. Entries were judged on artistic expression, originality, and how well they illustrated one of the themes.