Jaevion Nakasone Nelson holds a MSc in Social Development and Communication from the University of Wales, Swansea, in the United Kingdom, where he conducted research entitled “Dialogue for Change: Homophobia, Gay Rights Activism & the Role of New Media in Jamaica.” He holds a BSc in Management Studies with special emphasis on Marketing from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

 Mr. Nelson is the Director of Advocacy, Policy, and International Affairs at the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), a youth-led leadership and advocacy organization based in Kingston, Jamaica. He is also the Program Coordinator at the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays (J-FLAG), Jamaica’s foremost gay rights lobby organization.

 Mr. Nelson is currently serving as an International Year of Youth Journalist for Advocates for Youth, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, that focuses on improving policies and programs to advance young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.  As an International Year of Youth Journalist, Mr. Nelson blogs for Amplifyyourvoice.org, a youth activist website dedicated to sexual and reproductive health and rights globally.  He reports from Jamaica, where he is based, as well as from international conferences that he attends.  In this capacity, most recently, he reported from the Bahamas at the Caribbean Regional HIV Prevention Summit and from New York at the High Level Meeting on AIDS.  Mr. Nelson also presented on a panel at each of these two conferences. 

 Mr. Nelson is  an excellent public speaker. In addition to the two conferences mentioned above, iIn September 2009, he spoke at a UNAIDS Forum that was held to raise attention to the human rights issues that affect men who have sex with men (MSM) from accessing HIV services, including prevention, treatment, care and support. In August of 2010, Jaevion served as a member of the Vienna Youth Force media and communications committee for the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria (AIDS 2010). Jaevion co-led workshops including one on global LGBT issues and presented on the issue of sexual violence and homophobia in Jamaica.

 Mr. Nelson has been awarded the Youth Musgrave Medal for distinguished eminence in the field of Information Technology and Community Development (2008), Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in the field of International Achievement (2005), and Choices Outstanding Young Achiever (2006).  He has also co-authored a publication with Advocates for Youth, entitled, Overlooked and At-Risk: Lesbian, Gay & Transgender Youth in the Caribbean.