GET INVOLVED

THE Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, has urged the youth of the Americas to get involved, take an interest and express their opinions on global, hemispheric, regional and sub-regional developments, in the interest of democracy and the upholding of democratic values.

Ambassador Ramdin made this call while addressing a meeting with a delegation of Youth Ambassadors from countries across the Caribbean at the OAS headquarters in Washington DC.
The Caribbean Youth Ambassadors are part of the BoldLeaders Youth Ambassadors Project developed by a United States non-profit organisation in conjunction with the Bureau of Educational Development and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State and US Embassies in the participating countries. The programme focuses on building civic engagement, leadership, respect for diversity and conflict resolution.

Assistant Secretary General Ramdin, who is also Chair of the OAS Inter-Departmental Working Group on Youth, described the Youth Ambassadors Programme as “a unique mechanism which allows participants an opportunity to be exposed to organisations, groups and individuals who shape policy and are involved in global issues.”
Ambassador Ramdin added, “programmes like these are crucial in bridging the gap between what students read and learn about, and how it translates into real-world situations. We’ve seen that international diplomacy is also about respect, engagement and the ability to negotiate. Political differences can often be solved through meaningful dialogue, a process which the OAS often facilitates through quiet diplomacy.”
The senior OAS official urged the young representatives from different countries including The Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago to take advantage of their two-week experience in the United States, by sharing their perspectives, ideas and thoughts with peers in their home countries and communities.