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October 27, 2000

OAS AND IDB SIGN AGREEMENT ON TRAINING
FOR YOUNG DEMOCRATIC LEADERS

Secretary General César Gaviria of the Organization of American States and Inter-American Development Bank President Enrique Iglesias signed an agreement for "Training for Democratic Leaders," at IDB headquarters in Washington, D.C., on October27.

The Secretary General thanked the IDB for its support, saying the project "will be a very interesting experience in the context of our mission--to work even harder to consolidate and defend democracy in the Americas."

Iglesias stressed the Bank's commitment to contributing "even more" towards the OAS' efforts to strengthen democracy, "one of the areas in which the Organization has a specific mandate, experience and a sense of mission."

Under the agreement, the IDB is to put in US$1 million towards the project, over three years. The OAS will coordinate, oversee and manage the project, to the tune of a quarter of a million dollars over a three-year period.

The OAS' Unit for the Promotion of Democracy will manage the project in conjunction with selected academic institutions around the Hemisphere. Participating institutions to organize training courses for the program. will be selected through competition.

The courses will target young leaders of major institutions engaged in democracy, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, labor unions, business establishments, schools and mass media. Courses will be intensive and interactive, and will be offered at the local and subregional levels, using an adult education format.

Courses will emphasize such issues as the operations of democratic institutions; democratic values and practices; the role different segments of society play in the democratic process; the importance of human rights and the rule of law; political organization (including political media strategy, computers, internet, analysis and mediation of political conflicts, surveys and public policy).

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