In January 2017, President Anthony Carmona swore in Nikoli Edwards, age 25, as the youngest temporary senator in Trinidad and Tobago’s history. “I have been very much involved in piecing together the puzzle when it comes to how we develop the holistic young person in Trinidad and Tobago,” said Senator Nikoli Edwards in a Wilson Center interview with Roger-Mark De Souza, a Wilson Center Global Fellow, on Edwards’s personal journey into youth advocacy and the importance of engaging young people in decision-making.

As a leading member of the Commonwealth Youth Council, Edwards champions young peoples’ voices in the creation of legislation and works to push agendas related to comprehensive sexuality education, health and family life education, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Trinidad and Tobago. As a senator, Edwards has helped to pass legislation to end child marriage and has been integral to promoting increased youth participation in policymaking and governance around issues pertaining to young people.

When asked about the major challenges facing young people in Trinidad and Tobago, Edwards answered, “I think the biggest issue is that young people are not being allowed into spaces to voice their concerns and their issues.” So we constantly have these meetings taking place on the inside, while young people are locked on the outside, he said. Ensuring meaningful youth engagement requires young people be given a seat at the table and become empowered partners in developing and implementing adolescent health programming.

In a rapidly changing and digitally connected world, young people are mobilizing and want to be a part of the conversation. “Young people are the best experts on their future and their experiences,” said Edwards. Dismantling the “they” and us” dichotomy between technical experts and young people is crucial in cultivating real youth engagement, where both sides’ voices are equally valued.   

Edwards attributes his personal passion for youth engagement to the tragic passing of his father. After escaping prison in 2015, his father’s body was found “riddled with bullets.” This experience, which Edwards described as one of his “darkest moments,” prompted him to look at criminal justice reform. Had his father been exposed to a system or environment that provided alternative dispute resolution, “his demise may not have been the way it was.” Edwards asked himself, “How could I make something positive out of this?”

His father’s death motivated Edwards to push for criminal justice reform. In response, President Carmona of Trinidad and Tobago supported and frequently engaged Edwards. “I think therein lies the answer to a lot of our problems,” said Edwards. “You need to have someone who can lend that support in positions of authority and influence.”

By inviting young people into spaces of power and decision-making, said Edwards, you’re not just investing or providing opportunities for one young person, “but rather for a generation.”