First lady of Brazil, Ruth Cardoso, with IDB President Enrique V. Iglesias at the opening session of the seminar "Youth Leadership in the 21st Century" (Photo by W. Heinz)

Hundreds of youths, distinguished personalities and representatives of the public and private sectors and civil society participated today in a seminar on “Youth leadership in the 21st Century,” which was inaugurated by Inter-American development Bank President Enrique V. Iglesias and Brazil’s First Lady Ruth Cardoso.

At the opening of the event IDB External Relations Advisor Mirna Liévano de Márques welcomed the participants and the president of MasterCard International for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jean Rozwadowski, as cosponsor, delivered a special message to the assembled youth.

“You represent all the youth in the region who are working proactively as agents of change,” Iglesias said in his welcoming address. “I encourage you to continue sharing your knowledge, capacities and skills with many other youth to create an unstoppable force for the transformation of our neighborhoods, cities and countries.”

“The IDB has adopted a new paradigm in recent years in the area of youth development,” Iglesias added. “We care convinced that, beyond being just the user of services, the contribution of youth is indispensable for the development of their communities and countries. Youth represents an inexhaustible source of energy, talent and ideas that we can not ignore.”

Mrs. Cardoso commented on the concerns of educators and planners of public policy regarding the problems of youth in society. “The difficulties of integrating youth are not limited to the lack of specific knowledge that facilitates their entrance into the labor market,” she said. “The traditional forms of discrimination build up the symbolic barriers that make it more difficult to incorporate different age group in harmony.”

With the modern means of communication that cross borders, even to the poor regions participate in the world as a whole and youth practices its own culture and codes of conduct, the first lady said. Mrs. Cardoso is president of Comunidad Solidaria, an entity that has undertaken many youth initiatives.

“Youth has an important role in the process of change. They are innovators, but they suffer from the new demands of the workplace. It must be recognized that their road is difficult and that they must be integrated into society,” she added.

Diversity in higher education

Also today, Brazil’s Education Minister Paulo Renato Souza and Inter-American Development Bank President Enrique V. Iglesias signed a letter of intent pledging to support a program that will promote diversity in higher education. Planning Minister Martus Tavares participated in the event as a witness of honor.

During the ceremony the two officials reiterated their desire to move ahead with the program, which could receive financing of up to $5 million from the IDB, pending approval of such a proposal by the Bank’s Board of Executive directors.

Brazils Planning Ministry would coordinate the program, which could include the undertaking of studies and research and the designing of instruments to formulate social inclusion strategies, the institutional strengthening of the ministry, training and technical assistance to professors and support for innovative projects that promote greater access to higher education by underprivileged groups, such as persons of African and indigenous descent.

Poverty reduction and rural development

At the opening of a seminar on rural development, Iglesias pointed out that, after years of oversight, rural economies are once again at the center of the development debate.

"Now we must focus on the basic elements of how to improve living standards in rural areas," he said. "Moreover, we do not foresee much growth at a regional level either this year or the following one. Once again, this requires us to think of concrete investment policies and programs that may yield better results."
In most Latin American and Caribbean countries, rural poverty has remained basically at the same levels over the past two decades. Nowadays, two out of three people who live in rural areas are poor. Nearly one quarter of the region's population is rural.

Iglesias said that in recent years Latin American and Caribbean countries and aid and development agencies have come to the conclusion that it is not feasible to reduce poverty and generate sustainable growth without investing in rural areas.

Water and the private sector

In another seminar, Iglesias today also called for a greater role for the private sector in solving what he called the “urgent problem” of financing and managing water resources in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Iglesias noted that public resources are insufficient to finance the potable water and sanitation services needed for the millions of people in the region who lack them. “If we do not learn how to work with the private sector, we cannot resolve this problem,” said Iglesias.

Declaring that the issue of water resources is central to achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction, Iglesias pledged the IDB’s support for training local governments and creating public-private partnerships.
Other participants included Tasso Jereissati, governor of the state of Ceará, Michel Camdessus, former IMF managing director, Raymundo Garrido, Brazil’s undersecretary for the environment, and experts from the public and private sector in Brazil and other IDB member countries.

Results of the seminar will be used to help formulate a financing action plan addressed at solving the most pressing water related problems of the region. The plan will also support the objectives of the Third World Water Forum set for March 2003 in Japan.