IDB YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT AND OUTREACH PROGRAM
Promoting
youth participation in the development process
Three out of five of the
500 million people living in Latin America and the Caribbean are younger
than age 30, and the vast majority of them will live during times
of social, economic, technological and political changes that will affect
them profoundly. Such changes and the growth in the number of young
people will have far-reaching implications for governments, economies,
communities and the environment. The future of the region has never
been so heavily dependent on a single generation.
Recognizing the special
role that young people play in building a region of stable democracies,
sustainable economies and equitable societies, the Bank created the
Youth Development and Outreach Program, (IDB Youth) in 1995 to respond
more effectively to the needs of young people in the region and promote
their participation and leadership in the development process.
Mission
The Youth Development and
Outreach Program (IDB Youth), promotes the development and active participation
of Latin American and Caribbean youth. The program establishes alliances
with the public, private and nonprofit sectors, and youth themselves
in order to create a space where the voices and actions of young people
have a relevant role in the development process.
Lines of Action
The youth program carries
out its activities through the following main lines of action:
- Capacity Building -
Creates training initiatives and projects that develop the leadership,
technical and managerial skills of youth, so that they become the
actors of development instead of the subjects of development
- Youth Network - Manages
a regional network of IDB youth delegates established during a youth
forum in 1995, when the Bank held its Annual Meeting in Jerusalem.
This is a growing network of more than 12,000 young leaders and social
entrepreneurs actively engaged in socio-economic activities that serve
as agents of change in their communities and countries. The program
supports the network through information exchange, and technical and
financial assistance. It also facilitates communication among youth
both at the national and regional level, that is having an effect
on both policy and programs throughout the region.
- Outreach and Communication
- Creates public awareness and has established a strong coalition
for youth development with government agencies, nonprofit organizations,
international agencies and the private sector on the contributions
and value of youth participation and the strategic importance of investing
in youth development. The outreach and networking activities have
resulted in project collaboration, information exchange, resource
mobilization and advocacy initiatives.
- Alliances - Internal
alliances with other IDB departments and Country Offices to integrate
youth development and participation in the IDB’s mission and operations.
- Policy Advocacy and
Formulation - Promotes a supportive policy environment for youth development
and participation by disseminating effective policies, best practices
and model programs.
- Partnership Development-
Promotes the importance of establishing strategic alliances with the
public, private, and nonprofit sectors to better respond to the needs
of youth. Also represents the IDB in the Inter-American Working Group
on Youth Development, a consortium of international donor agencies
that supports new approaches to positive youth development and participation
in Latin America and the Caribbean. *
Activities
Currently, the youth program
is involved in the following activities:
- Global Youth Service
Day initiative has mobilized thousands of youth in Latin America
and the Caribbean and governments from 22 countries for community
service. Many of the youth involved are active members of the IDB’s
Youth Network.
- Recent project collaboration
with other Bank departments includes several technical cooperation
projects related to youth policy enhancement in Paraguay, disaster
relief in Honduras and Nicaragua, strengthening youth community centers
in Panama, and a regional MIF Youth Employment and Technology program,
among others. IDB Youth also works with the operational departments
to introduce a youth perspective in the Bank’s loans.
- CDI Americas Partnership
has established 23 new information technology schools for marginalized
youth to reduce the digital divide among disadvantaged youth in the
region. Partners include Microsoft, the Committee for the Democratization
of Information Technology (CDI Brazil), YMCA International and the
IDB. Centers are currently operating in Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay,
Chile, Guatemala and Honduras.
- Youth capacity building
programs in
Paraguay, Argentina, Bahamas, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Trinidad
and Tobago, Guatemala, and Panama have trained over 7,000 youth in
leadership, civic participation, community service and service learning,
business and social entrepreneurship, project development and management,
and personal development.
During the IDB’s 43rd Annual
Meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil, in March 2002, a program of activities
on "Youth Leadership in the 21st Century", co-sponsored by MasterCard
International, will highlight how young people are creating their own
future through entrepreneurship, education and community service. Activities
will include a seminar on youth participation, an exhibit area, a youth
service volunteer event and a youth leadership awards ceremony.
Youth leaders selected
through an electronic consultation, and other representatives will showcase
best practices and successful programs that demonstrate the contributions
of youth in promoting economic growth, better learning environments
and civic engagement. The program will emphasize the benefits of establishing
alliances between the new generation, the private, public and nonprofit
sectors and the IDB.
*Members include the
Canadian International Development Agency, Inter-American Foundation,
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, International
Youth Foundation, Organization of American States, Pan American Health
Organization, United Nations Youth Unit, UNESCO, United States Agency
for International Development, United States Peace Corps, and Youth
Service America.
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