OAS TO HOST COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PROGRAM

The Young Americas Business Trust (Ybiz), an affiliate of the Organization of American States, is teaming up with the Commonwealth Youth Programme for two events in Washington early February, focusing on youth development and youth credit initiatives.

At OAS headquarters on February 6, officials from the OAS and other organizations will discuss the role of young people in development. The day before, February 5, the Commonwealth Youth Programme will report on its Youth Credit Initiative at a luncheon at the Bank of America, to be co-hosted with Young Americas Business Trust.

According to Roy Thomasson, who heads Young Americas Business Trust, "OAS collaboration with the Commonwealth Youth Programme in OAS member states and internationally has produced positive results and this is a good opportunity to look to future areas of cooperation and learn from their experience with the Youth Credit Initiative."

Presenters at the Washington, D.C., meetings will include Commonwealth Youth Programme chief program officer Andrew Simmons, who is originally from St Vincent and the Grenadines; and Armstrong Alexis, a former Director of Youth Affairs in St Lucia, now Director of the Commonwealth Youth Programme's Caribbean Regional Centre in Guyana.

Commonwealth Youth Programme--the youth affairs division of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat--works with ministers of youth to develop national policies and programs to further youth development, participation, and empowerment.

The Programme's Caribbean Regional Centre in Guyana provides training to national youth officers in Caribbean countries and coordinates with other international organizations to further common approaches to include young people in development.