Current Events

• OAS Representative Presented Check to Treasury Official
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday April 19, 2013
  
  In a presentation ceremony, held at the OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and Nevis, on April 19, 2013, OAS Representative, Starret D Greene, presented a check to the Assistant Accountant General Mrs. Melicia Phillip, to cover expenses associated with the undertaking of a Secondary School Drug Prevalence Survey in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  The survey is an initiative sponsored by the Organization of American States, through its Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD). Through this initiative, the organization seeks to support the efforts of member countries in the Hemisphere as they work assiduously to address the problem of illegal drug use, particularly among college and university students and those at the secondary level as well.
  
  In the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, CICAD has been working directly with the Secretariat of the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention to conduct a Secondary School Drug Prevalence Survey in eight (8) secondary schools, six (6) in St. Kitts and two (2) in Nevis, to ascertain whether there is a problem of illegal drug use. Persons engaged in the implementation of the survey have been drawn from the relevant stakeholder groupings to include the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Ministry of Homeland Security, the Ministry of Education and Information, the Department of Statistics and the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention. This exercise involves the gathering of data, its collation, analysis and the writing of a Report that will reflect the findings. The report is likely to include recommendations and conclusions. The data gathering component of the survey is likely to be completed before the end of May 2013.
  
  Present at the ceremony were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Homeland Security, the Assistant Accountant General, Chairman of the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention, the CEO of the Secretariat of the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention and the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  It is believed that the Report, when approved, will be discussed with Stakeholders in the Federation in hope of addressing any problems or concerns contained therein
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is providing the requisite Administrative, public relations, logistical and technical support for this exercise.
  
• Implementation of Civil Registry and Identity Project Commenced in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday April 2, 2013
  
  Under the OAS Universal Civil Identity Program of the Americas (PUICA), the up-dating and modernization of the Civil Registry in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis formally began on March 18, 2013. Under this technical cooperation initiative entitled ‘Civil Registry and Identity Project’, records in the Civil Registry of St. Kitts and Nevis will be computerized, using the Caribbean Civil Registry and Identity System (CCRIS), a software that was developed through PUIA.
  
  Activities of the project included the installation of the requisite computer hardware and specialized training for data entry personnel and technicians, who will be involved in the scanning of hundreds of books containing births, marriages, deaths and adoptions records dating back, in some cases, to the seventeenth century. The creation of a Book Log to track the movement of the books from the Registry’s vault to the scanning equipment and back to the vault also forms a critical part of the process. Moreover, Data Entry Clerks, hired by the OAS for a period of 6 months, will also be engaged in the cropping of records, data entry and data verification of the said records. Additionally, training of a supervisor to do search and printing of records will be carried out as well
  
  The Organization of American States, through its Department for Effective public Management, is collaborating with the Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, through its Ministry of Health and Social Services, within which the Civil Registry falls, in sponsoring, managing and executing this project.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, who has been involved in the planning and development of this project since 2006, said that he was delighted to witness the commencement of the project for which discussions had commenced as early as 2003, if not prior. The OAS Diplomat remarked that the project was another shining example of the critical role of the OAS in helping member countries to build and strengthen institutional capacity while at the same time supporting the development of their human resource capability. Mr. Greene also noted that the project was especially important for the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in that it supported the Government’s efforts at modernization, building capacity and improving operational efficiency in its Civil Registry.
  
  OAS direct involvement in phase one (1) of the project will continue until September 2013. Phase 2 will, among other things, see the drafting and passage of new legislation that will legally authorize the printing of certificates on secure paper.
  
• OAS Launches Building Resilience to Natural Hazards Project in Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday March 12, 2013
  
  
  On Monday, March 11, 2013, and in the presence of sustainable development Stakeholders, OAS Representative, Starret Greene, joined forces with the Premier of Nevis, the Honorable Vance Amory, to launch a sustainable development project entitled, “Building Resilience to Natural Hazards, one Community at a time”, at Long Point, on the island of Nevis.
  
  The project is sponsored by the OAS, through its Department of Sustainable Development (DSD), within the Secretariat for Integral Development. Funding was provided by the US Government, through its State Department and with the cooperation of its Permanent Mission to the OAS.
  
  A grant of US$50,000 was made to Hope Nevis Incorporated under the “Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean Project, which aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations and community associations in Central America and the Caribbean to build sustainable communities within the framework of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas.
  
  According to the Chairman of Hope Nevis Incorporated, Mr. Kyle Weeks, the goal of the project is to enhance disaster risk management in five designated communities and to improve their communication strategy in disaster risk management. He said the project will train a minimum of 100 persons throughout Nevis, including at lest 20 persons from each parish, who will receive training in Community Emergency Response techniques. The Chairman said the training will focus on First Aid and CPR, fire Safety, Light Search and Rescue, Emergency Shelter Management, Vector Control, the Dangers of Sand mining and Gender Issues.
  
  In opening remarks, the OAS Representative said that the threat to many communities comes from natural disaster occurrences such as flooding, fires, erupting volcanoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. The OAS Diplomat said that in many regions of the world, the sea had made numerous encroachments on hundreds of acres of arable lands, as the level of the sea rises, due to the gradual melting of ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, resulting from warmer temperatures.
  
  The OAS Country Office has been tasked with providing the requisite administrative, logistical, technical and promotional support for the project.
  
• OAS Team held Meetings with Premier and Deputy Premier of Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday February 25, 2013
  
  
  An OAS three (3) member team, comprising of Mark Lambrides, Chief of the Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Section within the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD), Mr. Kevin De Cuba, Energy Engineer, in the DSD and Mr. Starret Greene, OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, met with the recently elected Premier of Nevis, the Honorable Vance Amory and the Deputy Premier, the Honorable Mark Brantley, on Thursday, February 21, 2013, at their offices in Charlestown, Nevis.
  
  The Team used the occasion of the visit to brief both high level officials in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on the outcomes, recommendations and conclusions of the recently concluded Prefeasibility Study of an Electricity Inter Connection between St. Kitts and Nevis and between the Federation and Puerto Rico. In this regard, the officials were informed of the Study’s findings that an inter connection between St. Kitts and Nevis was indeed feasible to the point that once sustainable geothermal resources were found on Nevis, and the requisite infrastructure were put in place, the return on investment could take as little as two (2) to three (3) years. Likewise, the team mentioned that the proposed inter connection between the Federation and Puerto Rico is a longer term prospect that may be possible under certain plausible assumptions. Additionally, the team briefed the Officials of the NIA on how the Organization of American States, working with its development partners, would support the efforts of the Administration in helping to develop the potential geothermal resources on the island.
  
  Furthermore, prospects for a regional electricity inter connection between the islands of the Eastern Caribbean were also discussed on the assumption that geothermal resources were found in sufficient quantities on several islands to include Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and St. Lucia.
  
  For its part, the Nevis Island Administration Officials heaped praise on the OAS for the work it has already done in providing the requisite technical and other support to the Government of Nevis in its quest to develop its potential geothermal resources. They committed the new Local Administration to working with the OAS and promised to move the process forward including working to resolve current legal challenges that had temporarily stalled progress in respect of harnessing, producing and distributing geothermal power to the citizens of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
• OAS Country Office Organizes Electricity Inter Connection Presentation
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday February 25, 2013
  
  
  The Staff at the OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis played an integral role in planning and organizing a Presentation of a Prefeasibility Study of an Electricity Inter Connection between St. Kitts and Nevis and between the Federation and Puerto Rico. Working with their colleagues in the OAS Department of Sustainable Development, the staff was instrumental in supporting the administrative, logistical, technical and promotional aspects of the event. The Presentation occurred at the Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI), on February 20, 2013, in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis gave the welcoming remarks to approximately thirty (30) participants representing a wide cross section of energy stakeholders, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with the portfolios of Housing, Energy, Public Utilities and Works, the Honorable Earl A. Martin. The OAS Diplomat recalled that financing for the Study came from the US Government, through its State Department. He also said that the funds were channeled to the OAS, which served as the Clearing House for the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).
  
  Participants also included High Officials from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the two power generating entities in the Federation, namely, St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) and the Nevis Electricity Company (NEVLEC), the Federal Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Physical Planning on Nevis and the Energy Bureau, within the US State Department in Washington, D.C. The Presentation of the Study was given by Mr. Jeffrey Palermo of KEMA Consulting in the United States.
  
  The study revealed that if geothermal resources were developed on the island of Nevis, it would be feasible to build an electricity Inter Connection between St. Kitts and Nevis with a return on investment within 2 to 3 years. Concerning the more long term proposal for an inter connection between the Federation and Puerto Rico the study examined a number of factors that could make the project viable. In this regard, it provided possible outcomes based on the assumption that the geothermal resources were available on Nevis in quantities of 200, 400 or 600 mega watts.
  
  With the Presentation of the Study completed, the OAS, through its Department of Sustainable Development will continue working with the Federal and Local Governments and indeed with energy stakeholders to achieve the goal of harnessing the potential geothermal resources on Nevis for the benefit of the citizens of the twin-island country.
  
• Over 40 Customs, Immigration and Border Security Officials receive Training
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday February 5, 2013
  
  training to carry out immigration, customs and border control/security functions. This became possible because of a Specialized National Workshop that was sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE). It was held at the St. Kitts Customs Training Facility, at the Customs Headquarters, during the period February 4-8, 2013.
  
  According to the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis Mr. Starret Greene, the OAS, through CICTE, joined forces with the Government of Canada to meet the costs associated with the event. Mr. Greene also said that the workshop was designed to include elements of Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP) and that there was substantial collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted police as well. The Representative was careful to mention the full collaboration and support of the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, through its Customs and Excise Department, in making the workshop possible.
  
  In his feature address at the opening ceremony, the OAS Representative told the audience that the advent of globalization had ushered into the 21st century an increase in the free movement of people, goods, services and capital across borders – and such movements had produced a small but criminal minority who were deliberately engaged in trafficking in persons, in illegal drugs and in banned substances, to include certain chemicals. Mr. Greene remarked that they were also trafficking in dangerous weapons, ammunition, exotic animals, stolen goods, fake travel documents and high technology items. The OAS Diplomat assured his audience that the OAS through CICTE understood the need to better equip customs, immigration and border security officials, so that they could detect, prevent and combat criminal activity at all points of entry in St. Kitts and Nevis and the surrounding participating islands as well. He exhorted participants to make effective use of the training, not only as a means to pave a path to the realization of their career goals, but also to develop a culture of alertness and sustained vigilance on the job.
  
  The workshop was organized by the three branches which compose the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, namely the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Department of Public Security (DPS).
  
  February 5, 2013
  
• OAS Office in St. Kitts and Nevis Participates in CFBC Career Day
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday February 5, 2013
  
  OAS Office in St. Kitts and Nevis Participates in CFBC Career Day
  
  
  The Office of the OAS General Secretariat in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis was among the leading participants in the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) Career Day and Exposition, held on January 24, 2013, on the College campus in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
  
  The Office took full advantage of the widely attended event to promote and highlight the OAS Scholarship and Training Program by distributing information on the organization’s undergraduate, graduate and post graduate scholarship offers.
  
  Visitors to its booth were provided with brochures on the organization’s interest free loan program, namely, the LEO S ROWE FUND and its Professional Development Program, administered by the FUND Secretariat and the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) respectively.
  
  The Career Day and Exposition attracted international and regional universities, business establishments operating in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and other institutions that are involved in counseling for higher education, the provision of training and employment for young people and disseminating information on career choices and career development.
  
  Mr. Winston Hanley, a member of the OAS General Secretariat Staff represented the OAS Office at the Career Day and Exposition.
  
  The Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) is an educational institution that provides instruction, conducts research and disseminates knowledge of the standard required in liberal and creative arts, business, science, technology, agriculture and other branches of learning.
  
  January 25, 2013
  
• OAS Opens its Application Process for Academic Scholarships - 2014-2015 Academic Year
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Wednesday December 19, 2012
  
  The Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC), has announced the opening of the application process that governs its scholarship program for graduate, undergraduate and postgraduate studies, for the 2014-2015 Academic Year. Qualified citizens of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis are invited to visit the organization’s webpage at WWW.EDUCOAS.ORG, where the Application Form and other invaluable details, specific to the scholarship program, can be found. Applicants are also invited to visit the OAS office in Fortlands, or call 1-869-465-2636, to obtain additional information on the application process.
  
  A maximum limit of US$30,000.00 is established on the total cost per scholarship per academic year. The benefits include: round trip ticket, tuition, mandatory fees, fixed monthly subsistence allowance, fixed annual book allowance, health insurance and administrative costs. These benefits vary according to the modality and length of the scholarship.
  
  According to the OAS Country office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, applicants have until February 28, 2013, to complete and forward their applications to the OAS, via online. For vetting purposes, applicants are also required to submit copies of their applications to the Department of Human Resource Management, at Government Headquarters, on Church Street. Persons should call or visit the said office to establish the specific date by which the submissions are due.
  
  The OAS Academic Scholarships are awarded to persons to undertake undergraduate or graduate studies, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree and/or graduate research that lead to a degree at a university of higher learning institution, in an OAS Member State, with the exception of his/her own sponsoring country.
  
• OAS Concludes Youth Conference and Highlights Recommendations
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Thursday December 6, 2012
  
  The OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, closed the Conference “Youth in Action for Democracy and Entrepreneurship, which took place at the headquarters of the organization, in Washington, D.C., on December 4, 2012. The event concluded with a series of recommendations that were presented to the OAS Member States, at a meeting of its Permanent Council on Wednesday, December 5, 2012.
  
  The conclusions and recommendations of the forum urged the OAS General Secretariat to create a permanent technical unit that specialized in youth issues. The forum suggested that these issues should have a cross-sectoral perspective and should promote the democratic participation of the youth of the Americas as well. It was also recommended that a strategy of communication, dissemination and exchange of workable practices, including specific OAS programs related to youth civic participation, should be promoted.
  
  Additionally, suggestions were made to develop programs that would support youth entrepreneurship in its various phases, and to provide follow-up and development services for youth businesses, with plans for cooperation, the exchange of best practices and synergies between stakeholders. One of the conclusions called for the incorporation of business training and fostering entrepreneurship at all levels of education, including the development of skills from an early age, to create and conduct business in a global world.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis expressed his satisfaction with the outcomes of the Conference. The OAS Diplomat said that it was important to give young people a voice and a forum to express their views openly on issues of concern to them. Mr. Greene emphasized that providing solutions that addressed the needs of young people were an essential response that would bring about trust, respect and good will between the youth of the hemisphere and stakeholders in government, the private sector and civil society organizations.
  
  The general outlines of the work that the Organization of American States is mandated to carry out on behalf of youth in the Hemisphere are defined in the General Assembly’s 2008 Declaration of Medellin.
  
• OAS Holds Youth Conference 2012 and related Exposition
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday December 4, 2012
  
  The Organization of American States is convening the OAS Youth Conference 2012: “Youth in Action for Democracy and Entrepreneurship” at its Headquarters in Washington D.C., today, December 4, 2012.
  
  The Conference is organized by the organization’s Interdepartmental Working Group on Youth (IWGY) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, and it is sponsored by PepsiCo, the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) and Google Argentina.
  
  The Objective of the OAS Youth Conference are (1) to engage, dialogue, socialize and forge partnerships with youth and youth authorities in OAS activities; (2) to showcase current OAS Youth activities organized under two thematic areas: Youth and Democracy and Youth and Entrepreneurship and (3) to follow-up on OAS youth mandates.
  
  Participants will include Youth Organizations, Youth in OAS Member States, OAS Interns, Universities and Academic Centers and OAS Member States, including Ministers and Highest Authorities on Youth, Youth Representatives in Member States and OAS Permanent Missions, based in Washington, D.C.
  
  Representing the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is the Honorable Glen Phillips, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information Technology, Communication, Sports and Posts. The Minister is accompanied at the Conference by Ms. Patrice Harris, CARICOM Youth Ambassador in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
• OAS Selects Candidates for Scholarships for 2013/2014 Academic Year
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday December 4, 2012
  
  Development, Education and Culture, has selected 4 candidates, from the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, to receive academic scholarships at the Graduate and Undergraduate levels, during the 2013/2014 academic year.
  
  Selected to pursue graduate studies at the University of the West Indies, Barbados Campus were Radel Charles Thompson (Masters in Natural Resources Management and Policy) and Theodore Gareth Phipps (Master’s in Business Administration). At the Undergraduate level, Jennifer Idetha Liburd will pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education at the Grand Canyon University, U.S.A., through distance learning and Verona Dannicia Sutton will work towards completing a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology and Chemistry, at Midwestern State University, U.S.A.
  
  Additionally, the OAS, through its Partnerships Program for Education Training has awarded two nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis partial scholarships to participate in an online Certificate Program, namely the 2012 OAS/eCornell Scholarship Program. Louvina Patricia Williams will pursue a certificate in “Financial Management” and Sandra Patricia Richardson will complete a Certificate Program in “Project Leadership”.
  
  OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, expressed his delight that the OAS Scholarship and Training Program continued to provide citizens of the Federation with the opportunity to pursue higher education in areas of specialization that were supportive of the developmental thrust of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The OAS Diplomat said that he was encouraged by the number and quality of applicants from St. Kitts and Nevis who were seeking financial support from the organization, including accessing the interest free loans offered by the Leo S Rowe Fund. Mr. Greene also emphasized that developing the human resource capacity of the Federation was an essential prerequisite to building and maintaining a strong democracy in an environment of peace, stability and prosperity.
  
  The Organization of American States, which consists of 34 independent countries of the hemisphere, is the world’s oldest regional institution, which focuses on promoting democracy, defending human rights, ensuring a multidimensional approach to security, fostering integral development and supporting inter-American Legal Cooperation.
  
  
  
• Findings and Recommendations of Energy Audits Report made Public: OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and Nevis Continues its Coordination Role
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday November 19, 2012
  
  On November 12 and 13, 2012, the findings and recommendations of two separate Energy Audit Reports were presented in Nevis and St. Kitts respectively.
  
  Both reports followed the execution of two (2) Energy Audits conducted in July and August of 2012 on both islands as an activity within the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program that is funded by the European Union (EU) and executed by the OAS, through its Department of Sustainable Development (DSD). The audits were designed to get a snap shot of energy consumption and energy efficiency on both islands with specific reference to public and private buildings.
  
  The report addressed issues relating to relatively high levels of energy consumption, with air conditioning systems using the highest percentage of energy. Infiltration, this, vents, cracks and holes through which air passes was also identified as a major cause for high levels of energy consumption. Darkly colored roofs, lack of proper insulation, inefficient lighting systems and appliances, and poorly constructed windows were also among the factors that contributed to significant energy loss in the buildings that were audited in St. Kitts and in Nevis as well.
  
  The audiences were inspired by the presentation and based on their participation in the question and answer sessions, there was a sense that a new consciousness had emerged about the importance of energy conservation and taking the requisite steps to bring about energy efficiency in both residential and commercial structures in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. High Authorities who attended the presentation called for increased public awareness and public education as well.
  
  OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis Starret Greene worked closely with his colleagues in the OAS Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) and collaborated with Consultant Wilkinson and the relevant Government agencies at the Federal and Local levels, to ensure the success of this energy related exercise. He told stakeholders in St. Kitts and in Nevis that through the CSEP, the OAS was instrumental in working with the countries in the sub-region to raise public awareness and to make energy conservation and energy efficiency an integral part of the curriculum in Schools.
  
  The Energy Audits were carried out by the Firm MC Wilkinson Ltd and coordinated and managed by Ms. Christine Wilkinson
  
• The Rt. Hon Dr. Denzil Douglas Applauds the Work of the OAS in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday November 6, 2012
  
  On October 31, 2012, the Rt. Honorable Dr. Denzil Douglas and the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, held a wide ranging discussion at the Office of the Prime Minister, on a number of initiatives that are being undertaken by the hemispheric body in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  In their dialogue, PM Douglas reiterated his Government’s support for the Civil Registry and Identity project that is sponsored by the OAS, and he expressed satisfaction that the project was soon to commence the first phase of its implementation. The PM also voiced his appreciation for the OAS’s technical and financial support, and praised the organization for developing the Caribbean Civil Registry Information System (CCRIS), that would, among other things, allow St. Kitts and Nevis to digitize information contained in record books at the Civil Registry, primarily births, deaths and marriages.
  
  The Prime Minister’s conversation with the OAS Diplomat also touched on the role of the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), an affiliate of the OAS, in promoting entrepreneurship among young people in the Federation. The PM was informed of a forthcoming Mini Business Lab Training Course for Young Entrepreneurs, sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office in Barbados, in collaboration with the OECS, YABT, the Federal Ministry of Youth Empowerment and other Stakeholders in the Federation. This event is scheduled for November 2, 2012, at the UWI Open Campus, and is expected to attract some 50 young people. The Dr. Douglas was also told that a similar event would be held in Nevis on November 3, 2012. Representative Greene also briefed the Prime Minister on the OAS’s Youth Conference 2012, that is being organized by the Office of the Assistant Secretary General and the OAS Interdepartmental Working Group on Youth, to be held on December 2, 2012, at the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. Mr. Greene said that the event would bring together young people and decision makers on youth issues from throughout the Americas, to discuss the event’s theme “democracy and entrepreneurship”. In this connection, the PM expressed support for the initiatives undertaken by the OAS on behalf of youth in the region and at the level of the hemisphere as well. Dr. Douglas said that he was pleased that his Government, through the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, was collaborating closely with YABT and the OAS General Secretariat, to advance the goals and aspirations of youth in the Americas.
  
  Prime Minister Douglas also learned of the completion of a Feasibility Study, undertaken by the OAS, through its Department of Sustainable Development (DSD), for an Electricity Interconnection between St. Kitts and Nevis, in respect of the development of geothermal energy on Nevis. The PM was also informed that the OAS/DSD would consult with the Ministry of Public Utilities, Works, Housing and Energy on convening a Stakeholders meeting in the Federation to discuss the report’s findings. It is believed that the said meeting would be held before the end of 2012.
  
  OAS’s Professional Development Training Program and its range of Training Courses offered through its various Secretariats was given considerable attention in the meeting. In this connection, the OAS Representative informed the Prime Minister of a series of forthcoming training events that would benefit Civil Servants and other Government workers in St. Kitts and Nevis, in the areas of Cargo Security Management, Document Security and Identity Management, and Passenger Interdiction Operations.
  
  At the close of their discussion, Dr. Douglas expressed his Government’s appreciation to the OAS for the range of programs it continued to sponsor in the Federation, and thanked Mr. Greene for his efforts in promoting and directing the affairs of the organization in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  
• OAS Country Office Coordinates Mini Business Lab Training Course
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday November 5, 2012
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis was at the centre of coordinating two separate but identical Mini Business Lab Training Courses that were held in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis early November. Specifically, the first event took place at the UWI Open Campus Conference Room on November 2, 2012, in St. Kitts and the second was held at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall in Charlestown Nevis, on November 3, 2012. Both events attracted approximately 100 young persons from the Federation, ranging between the ages of 16 and 29.
  
  The partners with whom the Country Office collaborated were the Federal Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information Technology, Telecommunication, Sports and Posts, the Ministry of Education and Information, the UWI Open Campus and the Ministry of Social Development, within the Nevis Island Administration (NIA).
  
  Among other things, the Course was convened to provide a forum for young aspiring entrepreneurs in St. Kitts and Nevis to brain storm on business ideas or business proposals, with a view to selecting those that could ultimately become serious and viable business ventures. Both events also provided the opportunity for young entrepreneurs to become involved in the Caribbean Innovative Challenge Program (CIC). This program was designed by YABT to stimulate innovation, produce new entrepreneurial initiatives and tap the potential for young people to generate new ideas to benefit society and their community. In this connection, many of the young people attending the mini lab course registered for the CIC competition.
  
  The Mini Business Lab Training Courses were sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office in Barbados, working in close collaboration with the OECS, YABT, the relevant Ministries on St. Kitts as well as on Nevis, and other critical stakeholders on the ground in the Federation.
  
  OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis Mr. Starret Greene gave remarks at the opening ceremonies held in Basseterre and Charlestown.
  
  
• OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and Nevis helps in Coordinating Regional Activities
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday October 22, 2012
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has continued its active role in the coordination and promotion of OAS activities in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and in the Caribbean region as a whole.
  
  Working with the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, the OAS Country Office assisted in securing the nomination of five (5) participants, from St. Kitts and Nevis, in a sub regional maritime security workshop on risk assessment and management. This event, held in Trinidad and Tobago during October 16-18, 2012, attracted participants from 14 Caribbean Member States. It provided an opportunity for participants to present and discuss their risk management models in maritime security; allowed for joint discussion between functionaries in the various countries; and facilitated the sharing of best practices, challenges and areas of strength. Participants also were afforded the opportunity to hear presentations on the IMO approach to risk management, Canada’s risk model and the United States Coast Guard risk management model, as well as presentations from a private sector representative responsible for including the vision of the industry in the discussions.
  
  In collaboration with the Department of Sustainable Development, the OAS Country Office was also instrumental in the coordination and planning of the 2012 Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF). Capitalizing on its good working rapport with Stakeholders in the public sector of St. Kitts and Nevis, the OAS Country Office was instrumental in fielding a 3 man delegation to participate in the CREF meeting, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during October 15-17, 2012. The event attracted participants from across the energy sector in the Caribbean, to include utility attendees, energy developers and investors, Government Ministers of Energy, experts in traditional and renewable sources of energy and representatives from sub-regional, regional, hemispheric and international organizations. The CREF discussed a wide range of energy issues that included the procurement of renewable energy, the policy environment for renewable energy, financing of energy projects, utilities and distributed generation, energy efficiency, future of solar in the Caribbean, opportunities for international investment and interconnection.
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis remains vigilant in supporting and promoting the work of the organization in the Federation and in the region as a whole.
  
• St. Kitts & Nevis hosted three workshops on sustainable energy
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday September 28, 2012
  
  BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, SEPTEMBER 25TH 2012 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts has completed the hosting of three workshops on sustainable energy.
  
  The Organization of American States (OAS) through its Department of Sustainable Development and the Energy Department of the Caribbean Community Secretariat collaborated with the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) to accelerate the transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy in Caribbean countries.
  
  Three organizations working under the umbrella of two EU-funded initiatives, namely, the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program and the Caribbean Renewable Energy Capacity Support (CRECS), co-hosted the three regional workshops on sustainable energy from September 10 -14, 2012 at the Marriott St. Kitts Resort.
  
  The workshops were attended by official delegates from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
  
  The first workshop from September 10-11, focused on building capacity for the design and implementation of sustainable energy and energy conservation awareness programs
  
  The second workshop on September 12, was attended by government officials from Ministries responsible for Education, and energy and climate change, as well as science school teachers and reviewed the Caribbean Energy Awareness and Education Programme (CEEAP) and its campaign Learn and Save, and explored avenues for its expansion as a follow-up to the CSEP.
  
  The intention is that CEEAP would help to reinforce institutional and pedagogic capacities to integrate in the curriculum, the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
  
  On September 13 and 14, a Teacher’s Sustainable Energy Workshop was held with the session attended by government officials from the Ministries of Education and science school teachers.
  
  This session consisted of lectures and hands-on exercises in renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation. In addition, a package of educational materials and toolkits were handed-over to the six independent OECS countries and the Bahamas
  
  The workshops were led by Dr. Alexandra Daval, an expert in Information and Communications and Mr. Jonathan Rand, who has taught thousands of teachers and students about wind energy, and has facilitated teacher workshops on renewable energy science across the United States as well as Canada, Costa Rica, Chile and Ireland. “We are pleased to bring to the region the extraordinary skills and experiences for the workshop leaders together with the deeply committed education and energy sector representatives of the Caribbean to help expand clean energy educational practices,” said Mark Lambrides, Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Section Chief at the OAS
  
  The changes taking place in every aspect of today’s world have a powerful and immediate influence on the nature and function of professional educators, whose roles include the ability to mediate between students and the world around them. These challenges have already been recognized by the Education Ministers at the Twenty-second Meeting of OECS Ministers of Education held in St. Kitts in 2012
  
  Given that synergistic efforts are needed to strengthen the capacity building of government officials to implement educational and awareness programs that endorse sustainable energy in the Caribbean, the OAS is working closely with other relevant agencies, such as the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme, CARILEC, the University of the West Indies and the OECS Secretariat, among others.
  
• REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY WORKSHOPS FOR ENERGY AND EDUCATOR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CARIBBEAN
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday September 24, 2012
  
  The Organization of American States (OAS) through its Department of Sustainable Development and the Energy Department of the Caribbean Community Secretariat is collaborating with the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) to accelerate the transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy in Caribbean countries.
  
  To this end the three organizations working under the umbrella of two EU-funded initiatives, namely, the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program and the Caribbean Renewable Energy Capacity Support (CRECS), co-hosted three regional workshops on sustainable energy from September 10 -14, 2012 at the Marriott St. Kitts Resort in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
  
  The workshops were attended by official delegates from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
  
  The first workshop from September 10-11, focused on building capacity for the design and implementation of sustainable energy and energy conservation awareness programs.
  
  The second workshop on September 12, which was attended by government officials from Ministries responsible for Education, and energy and climate change, as well as science school teachers, reviewed the Caribbean Energy Awareness and Education Programme (CEEAP) and its campaign Learn and Save, and explored avenues for its expansion as a follow-up to the CSEP. The intention is that CEEAP would help to reinforce institutional and pedagogic capacities to integrate in the curriculum, the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
  On September 13 and 14, a Teacher’s Sustainable Energy Workshop was held. The session was attended by government officials from the Ministries of Education and science school teachers. This session consisted of lectures and hands-on exercises in renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation. In addition, a package of educational materials and toolkits were handed-over to the six independent OECS countries and the Bahamas.
  The workshops were led by Dr. Alexandra Daval, an expert in Information and Communications and Mr. Jonathan Rand, who has taught thousands of teachers and students about wind energy, and has facilitated teacher workshops on renewable energy science across the United States as well as Canada, Costa Rica, Chile and Ireland. “We are pleased to bring to the region the extraordinary skills and experiences for the workshop leaders together with the deeply committed education and energy sector representatives of the Caribbean to help expand clean energy educational practices,” said Mark Lambrides, Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Section Chief at the OAS.
  The changes taking place in every aspect of today’s world have a powerful and immediate influence on the nature and function of professional educators, whose roles include the ability to mediate between students and the world around them. These challenges have already been recognized by the Education Ministers at the Twenty-second Meeting of OECS Ministers of Education held in Saint Kitts in 2012.
  Given that synergistic efforts are needed to strengthen the capacity building of government officials to implement educational and awareness programs that endorse sustainable energy in the Caribbean, the OAS is working closely with other relevant agencies, such as the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme, CARILEC, the University of the West Indies and the OECS Secretariat, among others.
  
  For more information contact:
  
  Mark Lambrides Carolina Peña
  Section Chief, OAS Energy and Climate Change Mitigation CSEP-RCU Manager
  mlambrides@oas.org cpena@oas.org
  
  
• OAS Country Office helps Coordinates a Series of Energy Workshops
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Thursday September 13, 2012
  
  Working with the OAS’ Department of Sustainable Development (DSD), the OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis played a pivotal role in the planning and organizing of two energy and education related workshops, held in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
  
  The Second Sustainable Energy Workshop on the Caribbean Energy Awareness and Education Programme (CEEAP) was held on September 12, 2012 and the Teacher’s Sustainable Energy Workshop was held on September 13 and 14, 2012. Both events were sponsored by the Department of Sustainable Development, through its European Union funded initiative, the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP), in conjunction with the Energy Desk of the CARICOM Secretariat, through its initiative, Caribbean Renewable Energy Capacity Support (CRECS).
  
  These workshops were aimed at facilitating the joint design and implementation of national education and awareness strategies on energy in the Caribbean. They were intended to further build the foundation for incorporating and raising the profile of energy in the region. Teachers were specifically invited to be part of these events so that they would have the opportunity to learn how to integrate a set of modules on sustainable energy into their classrooms. In this connection, material created by the Caribbean Energy Awareness and Education Programme (CEEAP), were distributed to teachers with the understanding that they would be utilized by Caribbean Ministries of Education, in coordination with the Ministries responsible for Energy as practical tools during the staging of National Energy Weeks, in Member Countries.
  
  Delegates at both events were drawn from OAS member countries in the Caribbean to include, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
  
• OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and Nevis Promotes SNAPSHOTS of DEMOCRACY photo contest
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Wednesday September 12, 2012
  
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis joined forces with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Telecommunications, Technology and Sports and a local Radio Station WINN FM, in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, to promote SNAPSHOTS of DEMOCRACY photo contest.
  
  The contest is organized through the OAS’ Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) and the Art Museum of the Americas, to celebrate 50 years of OAS electoral observation in the Americas.
  
  The Ministry of Youth Empowerment agreed to place the announcement of the contest on its webpage as well as on its Face book page. For its part, the WINNFM radio station interviewed the OAS Representative about the contest and created and gave it wide coverage by airing the interview on its News Broadcast, during the weekend of September 7-9, 2012.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, remarked that celebrating 50 years of OAS electoral observation in the Americas was an important milestone. Mr. Greene said that, during the past five decades, the OAS had built a credible and admirable reputation in observing elections throughout the hemisphere. The OAS Diplomat concluded that, during the past 50 years, the defense of democracy had been an important OAS objective and that the organization, through the Inter-American Democratic Charter, would continue to work with its 34 member countries to defend the rights of the peoples of the Americas to democracy.
  
• OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and Nevis Coordinates Energy Audit
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Wednesday August 1, 2012
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is intimately involved in the coordination of an Energy Audit exercise in the Federation. The exercise is one of several activities within the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP). The CSEP is a European Union Financed Sub-regional project that is being managed by the OAS, through its Department of Sustainable Development (DSD), and involved seven (7) Caribbean countries.
  
  The Energy Audit is being conducted over a period of two weeks, namely July 23 to 26, 2012 in Nevis, and July 30 to August 2, 2012, in St. Kitts. It is an integral component of the CSEP that focuses on promoting energy conservation in St. Kitts and Nevis as well as raising public awareness about the importance and value of energy efficiency.
  
  The exercise is spearheaded by Consultant Ms. Christine Wilkinson who is ably supported by trained technicians from both St. Kitts and Nevis. It involved the auditing of designated buildings in order to determine their efficiency in terms of energy usage. Specifically, the technical team, armed with a variety of instruments and equipment, is engaged in collecting a set of readings and statistics that will be used in analyzing and evaluating the energy efficiency of the structures under examination. A final report will be prepared and the findings will be made public in September 2012.
  
  In preparation for the Energy Audit exercise, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, met with all the Stakeholder Representatives, including the relevant Permanent Secretaries, Messrs Lenrick Lake and Ernie Stapleton, who manage the respective Ministries of Energy on St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  Speaking from the OAS Office in Fortlands, Mr. Greene said that energy conservation was critical for the continued preservation of the environment, vital for keeping energy costs at affordable levels and essential for achieving energy independence. The OAS Diplomat also remarked that raising public awareness about the importance of energy conservation required a sustained effort and that the OAS, through the CSEP, would continue to work with all Stakeholders to ensure that conservation of energy becomes a way of life at the national, regional and hemispheric levels
  
• OAS Sponsors Forum on Small Hotels in the Caribbean
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday July 10, 2012
  
  The Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, is organizing a Forum for managers of small tourism enterprises as well as public officials in the tourism sector to discuss a number of issues considered critical to the survival and wellbeing of small hotels in the Caribbean region and important for strengthening their roles in the sustainable growth and development of the tourism industry.
  
  The Forum, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda on July 12 and 13, 2012, will discuss a range of opportunities for small hotels to access important information on the provision of quality service, developing a culture of hospitality, social responsibility, marketing strategies, utilizing technological tools, introducing suitable tourist information systems and the effective use of social media to make their businesses more competitive.
  
  The gathering will bring together representatives of small and medium tourism enterprises from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago. Richard Boon of the Timothy Beach Resort will attend from St. Kitts and Mr. Kenneth Skeete of the Mount Nevis Hotel will attend from the island of Nevis.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis said that the initiative was part of the OAS’s Program for Sustainable Tourism and that the event was being conducted under the auspices of the Small Tourism Enterprise Network (STEN) project. The OAS Diplomat also revealed that his organization had a long history of working in partnership with small hotels in the region that dated back to the late 1980’s. Mr. Greene explained that the OAS’s collaboration with these entities had resulted in bringing about improvements in their administrative, management and marketing processes.
  
  The Organization of American States (OAS) is a multilateral political body with membership comprising 34 Independent Countries of the Hemisphere.
  
• OAS Country Office Coordinates Instructional Design and Skills Workshop
  Basseterrs, St. Kitts, Monday July 23, 2012
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, through its Department of Maritime Affairs, to organize an Instructional Design and Skills Workshop to be held in St. Kitts and Nevis, during the period July 23-27, 2012.
  
  The event is sponsored by the OAS, through its Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) with significant support from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States and the Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  The workshop is designed to achieve three major objectives. (1) To build capacity for Civil Aviation security in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. (2) To strengthen the human capital capability of frontline workers in the Department of Maritime Affairs as well as their counterparts in other Ministries and Agencies, who play a significant role in helping to coordinate and implement the Civil Aviation policies, regulations, procedures and practices in the twin-island Federation, and (3) To train participants to become Instructors so that they will in turn emerge as in house Instructors for Civil Aviation and related issues in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis said that Small Island Developing States (SIDS), like St. Kitts and Nevis, remained vulnerable to loosing some of their best experts and specialists to the developed countries, especially in the era of globalization that he said was driven by the free movement of skills and expertise. The OAS Diplomat explained that it had become a major challenge for small countries like St. Kitts and Nevis to keep the best and brightest that make up their human capital base, particularly in a global environment that tended to offer better opportunities for upward mobility and career advancement. Mr. Greene suggested that Governments of Small Island Developing States should find ways of offering incentives that will not only lure specialists and experts to their shores but also keep those qualified persons who form the cream of the crop of their human resources.
  
  The Workshop will attract 20 participants from St. Kitts and Nevis, and it will be facilitated by two experts from the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA Representative from the Eastern Caribbean Ms. Loretta Mc Neir will participate in the opening ceremony and the Honorable Richard Skerritt, Minister of Tourism & International Transport, will give the feature address.
  
• Chorus of High Praises for Rural Tourism Business Lab Course
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday June 29, 2012
  
  The OAS Country Office and a group of Stakeholders to include the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) were showered with high praises for playing a leading role in the planning, coordination, organization and implementation of a Rural Tourism Business Lab Course, held in St. Kitts, during the week of June 4-8, 2012.
  
  The event received high praises from all 30 participants, ranging between the ages of 16 to 36, who were asked at the conclusion of the course, to complete an evaluation form.
  
  The participants spoke with great satisfaction of (1) the relevance of the material and the methodology used by the facilitators in presenting the course (2) the use of games to drive home crucial points and concept and (3) the practical exercises that forced them to apply the various skills, tools and approaches learned, during the five day session.
  
  One participant seemed to sum up the sentiments of the others when she said “the course motivated us in an extraordinary way to become the captains of industry in a global competitive arena, and it also provided a set of very useful tools that we can apply as emerging entrepreneurs who are eager to now start our own businesses”.
  
  The Course was sponsored by the Young Americas Business Trust in collaboration with Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem, and in cooperation with the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, the Ministry of Education and Information, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, the Ministry of Social Development in Nevis and the Ministry of International Trade.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, who played a pivotal role in attracting Stakeholders to support the course, said that among the next step outlined was to develop a mechanism that would give young entrepreneurs access to available resources so that they can have the opportunity to translate their ideas and skills into starting their own businesses.
  
• OAS Supports Federation’s Adaptation of Puente in the Caribbean
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Thursday June 28, 2012
  
  The Organization of American States, through its Department of Social Development and Employment (DSDE), and within the framework of its technical cooperation on social protection systems in the Caribbean, made available US$5,958.78 or EC$16,088.78 to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, in support of the country’s adaption of the Puente in the Caribbean Program.
  
  Working with the Ministry of Community and Social Development on St. Kitts and Nevis, through the OAS Country Office, the DSDE readily gave its support to the efforts of local policy makers and technocrats in formulating a local version of the Puente in the Caribbean Program specifically adapted for St. Kitts and Nevis, dubbed MEND SKN (Mold, Empower, Nurture and Direct Families in St. Kitts and Nevis)
  
  The funds provided by DSDE were used to support a one week immersion study tour to Jamaica, hosted by that Country’s Ministry of Labor and Social Security. In this connection, a five member team of Social Assistance Officers from the Ministry of Community and Social Development in the Federation traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, during the period June 18-22, 2012.
  
  Early accounts from the returning participants in the Jamaica Study Tour suggest that the experience was most impactful. Key highlights of their experience were (1) visits to the Bridge Jamaica Girls Club (2) observing first hand the Management Information System used for Administration and Management of Social Programs in Jamaica and (3) organized Field Visits that allowed for interaction with the clients.
  
  The Social Assistance Officers in their initial report expressed the view that the experience of the Study Tour was invaluable and that a number of things they saw and learned had important applications not only for the piloting of the MEND SKN but also for further strengthening of the Federation’s National Social Protection Strategy.
  
• OAS St. Kitts and Nevis Coordinates Course for Young Entrepreneurs
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday May 21, 2012
  
  
  The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is mobilizing Stakeholders in the Federation to sponsor, plan and organize a forthcoming Rural Tourism Business Lab Course, to be held June 4-8, 2012 in St. Kitts. Stakeholders include the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Ministry of Youth Employment, the Ministry of Education and Information, Ministry of Social Development through its Youth Department on Nevis, and the Ministry of International Trade.
  
  The Course, specifically designed for young entrepreneurs between the ages of 16-35, is partly sponsored by the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, through the Golden Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center and in cooperation with local entities in the Twin-island Federation. The Course is part of Youth-IN Entrepreneur, a joint programme of YABT and UNDP. It will be the beginning of a process that will last two years, and to help increase entrepreneurial activity by youth in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis is spearheading the coordination of the 5 day event. He said that one of the objectives of the course is to expand participants’ acquaintance and understanding of rural tourism in practical planning, development, economics, operations, management and marketing. The Representative also indicated that the Course would help young entrepreneurs in the Federation to become acquainted with the YABT tools, created within the four focus areas of leadership and Networking, Training and Experiences, Strategic Alliances and Technological Resources, as well as with Israeli models for supporting entrepreneurs.
  
• OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis Promotes Hemisphere's Summit.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Thursday April 12, 2012
  
  The OAS Representative in the Federation of st. Kitts and Nevis, Mr Starret D. Greene used his access to the local media houses in the twin-island nation to promote the coming together of the Hemisphere's Heads of State and Government in Cartagena, Colombia, for the Sixth Summit of the Americas, on April 14 and 15, 2012.
  Speaking to a local FM Radio Station on Nevis, the OAS Diplomat said that the gathering of the political leaders in the Hemisphere was more than the exchange of pleasantries and photo opportunities. Mr Greene said it was a major political event that allowed for a meaningful dialogue between some of the most influential leaders in the world, on a number of issues that were critical to improving the welfare of the citizens of the Americas and to advancing the political, economic, security and social development of the countries in the Hemisphere. Commenting on the issue of access to technology that has emerged as one of the key topics to be addressed by the Leaders, the OAS Representative said that it was important for the citizens of the Hemisphere to have access to technology as a means to strengthen their connection with each other and with the outside world as well. "Using technologies to achieve greater efficiencies in all aspects of their daily lives as a necessary condition for citizens of our region to realize their fullest ptontial in a globalized economy and in an interconnected and competitive world", Mr Greene concluded.
  The Leaders will be guided in their deliberations by the theme of the Summit "Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity", which focuses on the role of physical intergration and regional cooperation as a means to achieve greater levels of development and to overcome the Hemisphere's challenges in several key areas. These include poverty and inequalities, citizen security, disasters and access to technologies.
  This forum that occurs every three years, offers the opportunity for countries to jointly define a hemispheric agenda at the highest level to address urgent challenges and bring about positive change.
• CICAD/PROCCER Meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday March 20, 2012
  
  
  During March 12-16, 2012, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Caribbean Program of Training and Certification for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Drug and Violence (PROCCER) held a Regional Programming meeting in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The Purpose of the meeting was to strengthen the response of OAS member States in the Caribbean to treatment and rehabilitation of persons addicted to illegal drugs. This regional exercise attracted participants from all OAS Caribbean Member Countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Dominica, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia.
  
  The meeting was divided into two segments. The first of which was attended by the Evaluation Task Force and the second attended by the Task Force and the PROCCER Focal Points from all OAS Caribbean Member States. During March 12-14, participants focused on Prevention and Treatment of Evaluation Systems Development as well as how to improve coordination with other educational programs in the Caribbean. The final two days, March 15 and 16, 2012, delegates turned their attention to Assessment Methodology and Training for focal points. Those designated will eventually be charged with carrying out the needs assessments in their respective countries.
  
  During an opening ceremony on March 15, 2012, that formally launched the Assessment Workshop, OAS Representative Starret Greene addressed the participants. Mr. Greene said that Caribbean member States of CICAD had remained strong supporters of the Commission’s efforts to coordinate the Hemisphere’s response to all aspects of the drug problem and lauded their work in enhancing their human, institutional and other capacities in order to reduce the production, trafficking and use and abuse of illegal drugs in the region. The OAS Representative called on Caribbean member States to spare no means to provide the requisite treatment to those persons in the region who were addicted to drugs as well as those who have been adversely impacted in one way or the other. The OAS Diplomat assured the meeting of the organization’s commitment, through CICAD, to continue its work with all member countries to meet the current and emerging challenges associated with all aspects of the drug phenomena. “I have faith that this partnership will produce positive outcomes for our countries in the short, medium and long terms”, Mr. Greene concluded.
  
• OAS & EU Colaborate on Alternative Energy Development.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday March 20, 2012
  
  On March 12, 2012, The OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis played host to a Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) Mission for the EU sponsored regional project entitled “Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP)”. The said project is executed by the Organization of American States, through its Department of Sustainable Development in seven OAS member Countries in the Caribbean.
  
  The Mission, led by Mr. Roberto Canessa, an independent consultant with the European Union, was designed to examine the progress of the CSEP, with a view to make a determination regarding the fulfillment of its stated goals and objectives i.e., to support the efforts of St. Kitts and Nevis to develop clean, affordable and renewable alternative sources of energy and thereby lessened the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. The Mission also sought to identify those activities that were still to be implemented and to establish whether there were any problems associated with the effective execution of the CSEP, with a view to resolving them.
  
  In this regard, the consultant first traveled to the island of Nevis where he met with high level officials within the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and independent energy operators involved in the production of alternative sources of energy such as wind, geothermal and solar. He also used his visit to tour the Nevis Wind Farm, the Geothermal Site and the Electricity Power Generating Station.
  
  Accompanied by OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret D Greene, Mr. Canessa met with energy stakeholders on St. Kitts that included officials representing the Federal Government. The discussions were centered on the progress made in developing a National Energy Policy for the Federation and the introduction of energy conservation programs as part of an energy efficiency thrust in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  Roberto also used his time on St. Kitts to also hold talks with workers at the Power Station at Needsmust. He discussed a number of projects involving a proposed wind farm, a newly installed solar panel at a designated Government building, a commercial solar facility and a waste to energy plant.
  
• OAS selects two (2) Candidates to Receive its Prestigious Scholarship Award for the 2012-2013 academic Year.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday February 27, 2012
  
  Karmena Ghanla O,flaherty and Cherrilyn Wardee-Crawford were selected to receive OAS Scholarships for the Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Studies 2012/2013. Ms O'Flaherty was selected to pursue a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering and Mrs Warde-Crawford was selected to write a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology. Both were selected from a field of 10 applicants from the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  An OAS scholarship provides a maximum limit of US$30,000 per academic year. The benefits include round trip tickect, tuition, mandatory fees, fixed monthly subsistence allowance, fixed annaul book allowance, health insurance and administrative costs.
  According to the OAS representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr Starret Greene, selected candidates will be contacted by a representative of the Department of Human Development, Education and Cuulture (DHDEC) within the next few weeks in order to gather all the necessary information for the preparation of the OAS Scholarship or to discuss placement options. Mr Greene also cautioned that candidates should await a communication from the DHDEC and the official award documents before making any major life changes.
  OAS Scholarships are awarded for a period of no more than 2 academic years. The renewal for the second academic year is subject to the availability of funds, the good academic performance of the student during the first academic year, and the confirmation by the academic institution that the renewal period is necessary to conclude the program of study for which the scholarship was initially awarded.
• OAS conducts Prison Survey Project in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday February 28, 2012
  
  The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is among 4 OECS Countries that are currently participating in a Prison Survey Project, sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), and in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Homeland Security.
  The survey will, among other things, focus on the relationship between drugs and crime. The methodology includes the use of a standardized questionnaire in face to face interviews with a representative sample of adult prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison, in St. Kitts and Nevis. In this connection, a local survey team, headed by Mrs Elneth A. Toussaint-Harvey, consultant, has been assembled. The Consultant will manage the team of interviewers and data entry persons.
  On February 23, 2012, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission Staff, working in collaboration with Mrs Toussaint-harvey, conducted several training sessions for interviewers, data entry persons and team members, at the premises of the University of the West Indies Open Campus.
  At the conclusion of the survey, a report on the findings will be produced for widespread consultation with all Stakeholders in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, with a view to addressing the issues that will emanate from the report.
  The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) was established in 1986 by the General Assembly of the Organization of American states to forge the Hemisphere,s response to all aspects of the drug problem. Its core mission is to enhance human and institutional capacities and channel the collective energy of the member states to reduce the production, trafficking and use and abuse of drugs in the Americas.
• The Right Honorable Dr. Denzil L Douglas Visited Offices of the OAS General Secretariat in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday January 10, 2012
  
  On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, The Right Honorable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis visited the offices of the General Secretariat of the OAS in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  During the Prime Minister’s sojourn, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, acting in the name of OAS Secretary General, His Excellency Jose Miguel Insulza and the Assistant Secretary General, His Excellency Albert Ramdin, congratulated Dr. Douglas on his recent appointment by Queen Elizabeth 11, as a member of the Privy Council in England, and the conferral of the title “The Right Honorable Prime Minister”.
  
  In a private dialogue between The Right Honorable Prime Minister and the OAS Representative, both men discussed a number of issues on the Inter-American Agenda as well as developments that were being pursued by the OAS in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The discussion ranged from issues relating to progress being made in St. Kitts and Nevis on developing renewable sources of energy to a proposed FEMCIDI multinational project that would seek to achieve greater integration of ICT in the class room, as a tool for effective learning.
  
  Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Dr. Denzil Douglas also used the occasion to reaffirm his Government’s support for the work of the OAS in the Hemisphere, and expressed satisfaction with the productive nature of the partnership between St. Kitts and Nevis and the Organization of American States – a relationship that was formally established in 1984. For his part, the OAS Representative expressed profuse appreciation to The Right Honorable Prime Minister for his unwavering support for the OAS, particularly with respect to the programs, projects and activities that the organization sponsored in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
  
  At the end of the meeting, the OAS Representative led the Prime Minister on a tour of the OAS Office and the surrounding premises. By agreement, the Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has the responsibility for the full maintenance of the property which it provides free of charge as long as the organization maintains a presence in the Federation.
  
  
• Applicants in St. Kitts and Nevis Vie for OAS Scholarships.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday January 6, 2012
  
  Students, professionals and aspiring citizens of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis who are desirous of pursuing their higher education are busy making applications for OAS Scholarships at the graduate and undergraduate levels, for the academic year 2013/2014.
  In response to a December 2011 announcement made by the department of Human development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) that the OAS scholarship application process was opened, Mr Starret D Greene, OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, undertook a media blitz to promote the OAS Scholarship and Training Program. Mr. Greene not only made appearances on local radio and television stations, but also provided information on the program to local newspapers and popular multimedia internet sites, based in St. Kitts and Nevis. Information on the scholarship program was also made available to the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College on St. Kitts and the Sixth Form College on Nevis.
  OAS Scholarships have a monetary cap of US$30,000.00 per academic year which includes the following benefits: round trip ticket, tuition and mandatory fees, monthly subsistence allowance, medical insurance, and and yearly book allowance. The benefits are assigned on a case by case basis.
  Between 1985 and 2010, approximately 150 nationals of the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were awarded academic scholarships from the OAS Program. Each scholarship was valued at US$30,000.00 per annum. Assuming that each awardee received US$60,000.00 for two years of study, the OAS would have provided, during the period in question, US$9,000,000.00, an amount that is equivalent to EC$24,300,000.
  The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, through its national Liaison Office has set March 15, 2012 as the deadline for the submission of all scholarship applications. The OAS Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) at Headquarters, has set April 20, 2012 as its deadline for receiving all applications.
  
• OAS Launches Inter-Connection Feasibility Study.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Wednesday December 14, 2011
  
  Starret D. Greene, OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and Mr Mark Lambrides, Chief of the Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Section of the OAS Department of Sustainable Development were among Government officials, technical experts and energy stakeholders for the official launch of a study into the potential for electrical interconnection between the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico.
  The launch took place on Thursday, December 8, 2011, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort located at Frigate Bay, St. Kitts.
  This initiative is a key component of the Energy and Climate partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Caribbean initiative.The study will assess the potential to interconnect the electricity grids of these Caribbean islands. While the demographics of these islands differ considerably - Puerto Rico supports a population of nearly 4 million and has an installed electricity generation capacity of nearly 6,000 MW, while St. Kitts and Nevis has a population of approximately 50,000 and an installed capacity of approximately 50 MW - they share numerous challenges regarding the energy sector. Namely, both depend almost exclusively on imported fuels for their power sectors, and they face electricity insecurity issues due to the isolated nature of their grids. Renewable energy alternatives and inter-island power connections offer the potential to reduce electricity costs while increasing energy security.
  Geothermal development in St. kitts and Nevis is currently being advanced with production well drilling expected in 2012. This development is likely to be the source for electricity generation for the proposed Interconnection. However, the true potential for the natural resource will not be known until local power generation starts. The feasibility interconnection between islands is the target of the current initiative as it seeks to outline the technical, environmental, and economic ramification of such a venture.
  The study is likely to be completed in 6 to 10 months and will be led by KEMA, Inc., of Fairfax, Virginia, USA with support from the National Renewable Energy laboratory (NREL). The effort is directed by the OAS with funding provided by the US Department of State and collaboration with the Government of the Federation of St. kitts and Nevis.
• OAS' Role in Non-Formal Youth Skills Training Highlighted.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Wednesday December 14, 2011
  
  The historical role of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the development, funding and implementation of the Federation's Non-Formal Youth Skills Training Project (YSTP) is being highlighted in St. Kitts and Nevis. During the last 25 years more than 3000 young people received training under the programme. Participants received training in a variety of non-formal skills that included plumbing, carpentry. masonry,welding, painting, electrician, motor mechanic, refrigeration and air conditioning services.
  The Non-Formal Youth Skills Programme (NSTP), commenced operations in St. Kitts and Nevis in 1986, when the OAS joined with USAID to launch the project in about 9 countries in the Eastern Caribbean. According to the Federation's National Skills Training Centre (NSTC), the year 2011 marks twenty five (25) years of operations in the Federation for non-formal skills training.
  This milestone is being observed with a week of activities during the period 4th -10th December 2011, under the theme "Commemorating 25 years of Contributing to Nation Building through Vocational Skills Training". The week's activities included a professional development day, media presentations on ZIZ Television and selected radio stations, distribution of commemorative T-shirts, a fun walk, and a social activity for current and former members of staff.
  At a Church Service held on Sunday, December 4, 2011, attended by the OAS Representative, Mr. Starret Greene, the Acting Director of the NSTP Ms. June James, praised the OAS for its vision and unwavering support in the area of education and training in the Federation and in the Hemisphere as a whole. She said that the support of both the OAS and USAID were responsible for building a solid foundation for the project, and as a result, it placed the federal Government in a position to ultimately assume responsibility for funding and keeping the project operational.
  Speaking from the OAS' office in Fortlands, Basseterre Mr. Greene said that the Organization of American States remained committed to working with the Federal Government to further strengthen the human resource needs of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis through its scholarship and training programmes and through other training opportunities in the formal and non-formal areas.
• Energy Issues Take Center Stage in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Monday December 5, 2011
  
  On Friday, December 2, 2011, the Energy Department, within the Ministry of Public Utilities, teamed up with the Organization of American States, the European Union, CARICOM and local energy stakeholders, to hold a street fair "Energy EXPO" in the heart of Basseterre, St. Kitts, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The Energy EXPO was the final event in a series of other events that started during the St. kitts/Nevis Energy Week that was held from November 6-11, 2011.
  The event brought together providers of renewable energy and energy efficient products and/or services to display their goods and to allow participants to meet all of the important players in the Energy Sector in the Federation.It also provided a golden opportunity for public education regarding a number of issues relating to energy. Members of the public to include school children, office workers and energy enthusiasts interacted with each other and exchanged views on matters relating to conservation and the future development of alternative energy in the Federation.
  Speaking at the opening of the event, OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis Mr. Starret Greene said that because energy was available in so many forms, civilization had made great leaps forward and mankind was able to do extraordinary things.
  Addressing the issue of energy efficiency, Mr. Greene told his audience that conservation was the key to realizing sustainable energy for economic security and that deliberate effort to conserve energy was the right response. The OAS Diplomat said that turning off lights that were not in use, keeping doors and windows closed while the air conditioning unit was operating, purchasing energy efficient appliances to replace old inefficient ones, turning off televisions that were not being watched and unplugging appliance that were not in use, constituted a significant amount of energy savings.
  Mr> Greene expressed the OAS's support for the Federation's efforts to harness its natural and alternative sources of energy that included geothermal, wind, solar and waste to energy. Mr. Greene noted that the wind, earth and sun were the richest sources of unlimited energy which he said was clean, renewable and less expensive to produce. He told his audience that good management of energy resources would make energy sustainable and would also help the twin island country to achieve energy independence and, by extension, economic security.
• OAS Facilitates Funding for Police Station in St. Kitts.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday November 15, 2011
  
  When the Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis secured the financial support of the Government of Mexico to build two police stations in the villages of Dieppe Bay and Tabernacle, the Organization of American States (OAS) was the body through which the Government of Mexico channeled the funds for the project. Working with its Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the OAS was able to transfer the funds to the Government's Treasury in St. Kitts.
  In two separate ceremonies (the Official Opening of the Dieppe Bay Police Station and the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Construction of the Tabernacle Police Station) held on Monday, November 14, 2011, the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Representative for the Dieppe Bay area, Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Senior Minister and Parliamentary Representative for the Tabernacle area, Dr. Timothy Harris, expressed their profuse appreciation to the OAS, through its Country Office in the Federation, for readily facilitating the transfer of funds from the Government of Mexico that was used to complete the first Police Station and to start work on the other.
  The OAS Representative, Mr. Starret Greene was present at both functions.
• America's Magazine Features OAS Project in St. Kitts and Nevis in its December 2011 Issue
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday November 15, 2011
  
  In its December 2011 issue, the America's Magazine features an OAS project in St. Kitts and Nevis funded by the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI).
  The project entitled "Anger Management and Conflict Resolution in School" specifically targeted youth in public and private schools who exhibited antisocial behaviors and who were also involved in episodes of violence on school premises. It also sought to improve educational outcomes for the less advantaged and most vulnerable groups of students (at-risk-youth) who engaged in risky behavior (school violence). The beneficiaries included students, teachers, guidance counselors, parents and guardians, and the general public.
  According to the author of the article, Mr. Starret D. Greene, OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Anger Management And Conflict Resolution project should prove exceedingly valuable in helping youth to control their anger and to resolve conflicts peacefully and amicably. He said the project offered all of us an opportunity to help build a better world for this generation. The OAS Representative noted that "we can do so by working to ensure that we create an environment in the home, in our neighborhoods, and in our schools that promotes self control, fosters tolerance, supports the building of good relationships, encourages togetherness, emphasizes unity, develops self confidence, minimizes conflict, resists negativism, and accentuates the positive".
  Mr. Greene wrote "the involvement of the OAS in this project not only highlights the organization's comparative advantage in terms of the technical assistance it offers, but also demonstrates the extent to which the OAS reaches directly into the lives of youth across the landscape of the Americas with the overriding purpose of preparing them to be the future leaders of the hemisphere.
• OAS Country Office in St. kitts and Nevis joins forces with the Ministry of Public Utilities, Works and Energy to promote Energy Week.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday November 4, 2011
  
  The OAS Representative is collaborating with the Officials in the Ministry of Public Utilities in St. Kitts as well as in and Nevis to promote Energy Week, during November 7-11, 2011, in St. Kitts and Nevis under the theme "Sustainable Energy for Economic Security".
  The overall aim of this initiative that falls under the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP) is to sensitize nationals and residents in the Federation on issues relating to energy and energy conservation. The CSEP is a joint project, funded by the European Union (EU) and executed in 7 Caribbean States of the OAS, which is the designated execution body, through the Department of Sustainable Development (DOD).
  The week of activities on both St. Kitts and Nevis will include an Energy Awareness fair, a Poster and Logo Competition and the creation of a jingle that will be played on radio and television in the Federation.
  According to Mr. Greene, one of the outcomes of this exercise that is being sought is to have a long term change in residents' consumption and use of energy in St. Kitts and Nevis.
• OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and Nevis Partners with St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday November 4, 2011
  
  The OAS Country Office in St. Kitts and nevis teams up with the St. kitts Tourism Authority to celebrate Tourism Awareness Month in November 2011, under the theme "Tourism is the key for all of us".
  The Authority invited the OAS Representative to be part of a series of presentation exercises "Let's talk Tourism", at various primary and secondary schools in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  In this regard, the OAS representative is scheduled to speak at the Cayon High School on November 8, 2011, to hundreds of students. The purpose of his involvement is to try and generate young peoples' interest in Tourism by pointing to its importance to the economy as well as to inform students of the career opportunities that the industry offers for the young people in the Federation.
  The OAS, through its technical arm FEMCIDI, is currently funding a multinational project entitled "capacity Building: Tourism Training and Certification project", in which St. Kitts and Nevis is a participating country.
  The OAS representative continues to work closely with stakeholders in the Industry to implement the organization's stated mandate to build institutional capacity and to further develop the human resource potential of the tourism sector.
• Congratulations to Carol Seaton
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday October 25, 2011
  
  At the OAS Staff Award Ceremony on Monday October 24, 2011, Carol Seaton, a member of staff in the Office of the General Secretariat of the OAS, in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis , was among the employees who received a special award and recognition for 25 years of faithful service.
  Carol joined the OAS in 1986 and has remained a loyal, dedicated and trustworthy employee of the organization.
  At the OAS Country Office in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, she has become the institutional memory of the OAS' operations, worked with three OAS Directors during her 25 years and witnissed a host of changes and developments that have impacted the organization's work in St. Kitts and Nevis in a number of positive ways.
  The OAS Representative and staff together with her family members, stakeholders and partners at the Federal and local levels, the private sector and NGO's, offer their sincere congratulations to Ms. Seaton, for achieving this significant milestone.
  The current OAS Representative Mr. Starret Greene has described Carol as a committed servant, a dependable employee and an experienced Administrative Technician, who is deserving of the high honor and recognition afforded her after 25 years.
• OAS Representative uses local Radio Station to promote the Organization
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Tuesday October 25, 2011
  
  On Thursday, October 20, 2011, OAS Representative in the Federation of St. kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, was the special guest on a popular radio program promoting the work of the OAS in the twin island Federation, with specific reference to the current and future technical cooperation activities supported by the organization.
  Mr. Greene elaborated on the new structure that would govern FEMCIDI's delivery of technical cooperation to member states and told his listeners that the move towards multinational projects would prove beneficial to the citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis. He explained to his audience that multinational or regional projects, by their very size had the potential to positively impact more beneficiaries than would a national project that was smaller and would likely benefit less people. He also spoke to the listeners about the collaboration and cooperation that would be involved in the formulation of multinational projects and emphasized the value that would be added in sharing human resources, exchanging of best practices, methods and and the pooling of ideas by the various functionaries in the participating countries. The OAS Representative also referred to the potential for multinational projects to attract private sector partners, including Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO's) - adding that expanding the pool of partners would widen the scope of the project and make its benefits become more widespread.
  Mr. Greene also used the medium of radio to highlight the OAS' involvement in the Online Education Management Information System project that is currently being funded by the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI). On Choice FM Radio, The Representative promoted the project as an excellent example of how appropriate technology could improve the management of the education system in the Federation. He said that EMIS should be seen as a tool for transforming information into knowledge for students, teachers, administrators and parents. He applauded the EMIS for opening the doors for the education community to function more effectively in the information age.
• OAS Representative meets with Ministry Officials and Technical Cooperation Stakeholders in Nevis.
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Thursday October 20, 2011
  
  On Wednesday, October 12, 2011, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, met with Senior Education Officials and Technical Cooperation Stakeholders on the island of Nevis to discuss the new structure that would govern the delivery of technical cooperation activities in the twin-island States.
  At the meeting which Mr. Greene chaired, discussions were centered not only on the new structure for FEMCIDI, but also on a range of other matters relating to the design, formulation and development of multinational projects. One of the major issues involved in multinational activities that received considerable attention at the meeting was the substantial coordination and collaboration that would be required by all the various functionaries from the participating countries. In addition, the officials discussed with Mr. Greene the development and submission of project concepts, the amount of monies that would be allocated to a multinational project, the programmatic guidelines governing the formulation of a multinational project and a set of critical matters relating to deadlines and the implementation period.
  The meeting also discussed the emerging thinking of the Federation regarding the development of a multinational project that would address its needs in the area of secondary education. The meeting arrived at a consensus that the "integration of technology in the classroom as a tool for effective learning", may well be an issue that deserves the highest consideration. Stakeholders at the meeting are leaning heavily towards this idea in light of the distribution of laptop computers to fourth and fifth formers in schools throughout the Federation.
  Mr. Greene's visit to Nevis was to ensure that, in the formulation of any multinational project, Stakeholders on the island were given the opportunity to make their valued input. The OAS Representative has also held discussions on this subject with Stakeholders on St. Kitts.
• Launch of Online EMIS Project in St. Kitts and Nevis
  Basseterre, St. Kitts, Thursday October 20, 2011
  
  On October 18, 2011, the Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis through its Ministry of Education and Information launched its online education Management Information System at a ceremony held in the conference room of the Curriculum Development Unit (CDU), located in Basseterre, st. Kitts.
  This national project is funded by the OAS through its Speciaal Multilateral Fund of tthe Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI) with additional financial support from the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF)
  Among other things, the project was designed to support efforts aimed at educational reform, particularly with regard to educational methods, curriculum development, educational administration and resource mobilization. In addition, the project will support ongoing regional projeccts for comparable indicators and educational assessment, and will and will help to strngthen school management models that encourage greater community participation.
  Over forty persons participated in the event that included senior education officials, principals from a number of public and private schools, teachers, school children, technical experts and members of media houses in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  Mr. Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in his remarks stated that the EMIS project was for the most part focused on managing the human, financial, material, and information resources that were available to the education system in St. kitts and Nevis and that it promoted the use of technology as the primary vehicle for a successful management strategy. The OAS Representative said that good management was about promoting efficiency, transparency and accountability. He also said that good management involved the equitable allocation of resources and always embraced a mechanism that measured and evaluated progress and rewarded those who met agreed performance standards.
  The new FEMCIDI structure for the delivery of technical cooperation to member countries almost ensures that this EMIS project will be among the last national projects that FEMCIDI will fund in the Federation of St. Kitta and Nevis.
• Restaurant Server Workshop
  Nevis , Tuesday September 6, 2011
  
  An activity within the “Capacity Building: Tourism Training and Certification Project “, sponsored by the OAS, through the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, FEMCIDI.
  
  OAS Representative in St. Kiits and Nevis Opens Ceritification Workshop