Date: Thursday, 24 March

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Location: University of Calgary Theatre

Program Description

The Youth Day during the IDB Board of Governors’ meeting in Calgary will highlight two important themes—the strategic importance of investing in young people to support poverty reduction and social inclusion efforts, and the role that young people are playing in the development process as agents of change. Youth day will provide a platform where youth leaders from Canada and the Latin American and Caribbean region, policymakers, youth development specialists and other personalities can showcase innovative youth programs and advocate for adequate policies in the youth development sector. It is anticipated that about 500 people comprised of youth development specialists, government officials, civil society representatives and young people will attend.  The day will also serve as an opportunity to inspire youth from Canada to become involved in the international development field and feature Canadian international programs that support youth development efforts overseas.

The conference will have a talk show host to engage in dialogue with panel participants and questions from the audience. MTV Latin America will film the event and produce a segment that will air on their channels in the LAC region.

The one day program will consist of the following components:

9:00 – 9:45                 

Opening and Welcoming Remarks
Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, President University of Calgary (confirmed)

Beverly Oda, Minister for International Cooperation (to be confirmed)

Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary (to be confirmed)

Luis A. Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank (confirmed)

 

This opening session will situate the day within the theme of Youth for Development and Development for Youth.  Focusing on the macro level, this session will highlight ways that youth can get involved in development, highlighting some stories and examples.  The session will also explore how the organizations represented (IDB, CIDA and University of Youth) engage with youth.

 

9:45 – 9:50                  Recognition of 10 Youth Leaders selected from LAC

9:50 -   10:00               Announcement from IDB and Microsoft

10:00 – 11:15             

Good Jobs Wanted: Employment and Entrepreneurship for Economic Growth

                                   

Nearly 40 percent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean is under the age of 30. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that within the next ten years, another 1 billion young people will enter the labor market. The world is experiencing a youth employment crisis. There are not enough jobs for the world’s young job seekers, and the programs, policies, and funding currently available to develop the potential of young people are often inadequate and not demand-driven, or evaluated.

A multi-sectoral and innovative approach is therefore needed to develop opportunities where young people can learn entrepreneurial, financial and life skills that will prepare them for quality employment or for starting and growing their own businesses.

This panel will share their perspectives on how to effectively address the employment and financial needs of young people.

 

Speakers :
Julie Katzman, Executive Vice President, IDB (to be confirmed)

Akhtar Badshah, Vice President of Global Social Corporate Responsibility, Microsoft (confirmed)

Fiona Macauley, Founder and President, Making Cents International (confirmed)

Janet Longmore, President and CEO of Ottawa-based Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) (confirmed)

 

11:15 – 11:30

Coffee Break/Networking

 

11:30 – 1:00               

Social Innovation for a Sustainable Planet

 

Latin America and the Caribbean is highly vulnerable to the detrimental effects of climate change. According to the most recent assessment reports, important changes in precipitation and increases in temperature have been observed in the region. The effects of climate change threaten to undermine long-term efforts to achieve sustainable development, affecting disproportionately the most vulnerable groups in society, including the poor and indigenous peoples. The artist and social entrepreneur Charly Alberti, former drummer of Soda Stereo, the leading rock band in Latin America in the 80s will deliver a keynote, multi-media presentation on how young people can be part of the solution to tackle global warming.

 

Opening speaker :
Charly Alberti, President and Founder of R21 Foundation (Argentina) (confirmed)

Title of Multi-Media Presentation: Taking Care of our Planet

 

Continuing dialogue :
This panel will also highlight innovative programs that are offering sustainable solutions to some of the region’s most pressing social issues affecting youth.  Panelists will debate and showcase innovative approaches to youth development and highlight how youth are having a positive impact in their communities.                          

Participants :

Tim Straka, Education Program Director , Students on Ice (Canada) (confirmed)

Ignacio González Nappa, Director of Development for Latin America and the Caribbean , Un Techo Para mi País (Chile) (confirmed)

Mario Cader-Frech, Vice President of Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, MTV Latin America (confirmed)
Floor Lieshout, Chief Executive, Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) (confirmed)

 

1:00 – 2:00

Lunch

 

2:00 – 3:30                 

Innovation for Sports and Cultural Development

Many of the 83 million children and youth living in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean

are victims of violence and social exclusion. Sports and culture can play a key role in promoting

a range of development objectives. Sports-based development programs can help the

region’s young people by preventing and treating risky behavior and promoting community and

personal development, employment creation and entrepreneurship, education, violence

 prevention and social inclusion. This panel will feature youth specialists and other personalities

 who are successfully working with sports and culture as a strategic tool for development.

 

Speakers :

Hailey Wickenheiser, Right to Play Athlete, International Gold medalist Hockey player (to be confirmed)
Bobby Duval, Founder, Athletics of Haiti (confirmed)

Carlos Arguello, Founder and Director, Studio C - Guatemala (confirmed)

Patricia Erb, Regional Coordinator for LAC, Save the Children Canada, (confirmed )

Orlando Silva de Jesús Junior, Minister of Sports, Brazil (confirmed)

 

3:30 – 4:45                 

Panel of Youth Leaders from the Americas

Youth as Agents of Change
This panel will showcase several youth leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean who were selected amongst a group of 1800 applicants to participate in the IDB's Annual Meeting in Calgary. The panel will focus on what it means to be an agent of change. The panelists will discuss what inspired them to become agents of change and they will share their diverse experiences and contributions positively impacting their communities.
 (pending selection)

 

4:45 – 5:00                  Presentation by the Haitian Youth Ensemble (to be confirmed)

5:15 – 6:30                  Closing Concert: Performer to be confirmed

6:30 – 7:30                  Closing reception



Full article - http://events.iadb.org/calendar/PasItem.aspx?lang=en&id=1793&PIID=23&