The Latin-American and Caribbean Youth Portal (Portal de Juventud para América Latina y El Caribe) is a joint initiative between CELAJU and UNESCO Office for the Caribbean, with the support from UNESCO INFOYOUTH network and the collaboration of ALCACJ and RELAJUR.

This Portal is for the general public, but especially for youth networks, organizations and groups, and people working with youth in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Website is an Internet meeting-place, a network of networks of youth organizations and people working with youth, public and private, national and international, in all subject areas dealing with youth issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Building these networks will enhance the Website’s sustainability, since it will be nourished by the flow of information provided by existing networks.

The original Portal, which www.joveneslac.org, was inaugurated on 12 August 2005, International Youth Day, has already been visited 800,000 times, and is being viewed as an extremely useful tool that is filling what until so recently was clearly a knowledge gap. Assessments have confirmed this vision and encouraged us to carry on. The first Portal’s phase, only in Spanish language, was dedicated mainly to Latin-American countries. In this second stage, presented information in English, from the Caribbean countries and form the rest of the world.

 Portal’s Vision

We hope that this Portal will be recognized by professionals and leaders of youth networks and organizations. We hope to provide access to information in an open space concerning youth of today. We hope to provide tools for better use of ICTs for youth empowerment, as a distance education space and a convenient suitable commercial place.

Portal’s Objectives

• Foster bilateral and multilateral relations for horizontal cooperation among networks and organizations of youth and people who work with youth.
• Collaborate in strengthening and developing networks so they can heighten their impacts, improve their management tools and achieve greater public visibility.
• Facilitate quick access to information about all youth issues for youth organization leaders, young leaders and professionals working in areas related to young people.
• Encourage the use of ICTs as key tools for development and a way to enable all to enjoy their freedom of expression and free access to information.
• Sensitize users to high-priority issues such as preventing HIV/AIDS, gender rights, youth work and rights
• Provides youth networks better sustainability.

 Portal’s Services

• Thematic supplements and by countries with segmented information.
• Service of access to Records Centers and Virtual Libraries.
• Billboard of Events by and about Youth, by issues and countries.
• Access to tools to design and manage information through Internet.
• Thematic forums, associated with leading activities in each selected theme area.
• Chat room and interactive dialogues, with thematic options.
• E-groups and discussion lists, promoted by various networks and from the Website.
• Technical and advisory support for networks and institutions specializing in youth.
• International distance courses and seminars (e-learning) with network and Website animators about and for youth (just beginning to operate).
• News Bulletins with news, opportunities and miscellaneous information.
• Latin-American E-Magazine for Youth Research and Studies.