TAIPEI, (TaiwanToday) – Taiwan is stepping up enhancement of youth empowerment in its three Caribbean allies as part of its Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), said June 7.
According to the MOFA, during an event June 6 in Washington DC, Alexander Yui, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, and Katie Taylor, executive director of the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), concluded a cooperation agreement to launch the EcoYouth Ventures project.
The initiative aims to empower youth and educators in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with advanced skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and a deep understanding of sustainable tourism.
Yui said education is the foundation of national development, and tourism plays a key role in the three allies’ economy. It is hoped that the project will help enhance the allies’ STEM education and sustainable tourism development to stimulate the local economy.
Taylor said the PADF is grateful to Taiwan for its continued cooperation to improve the well-being of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, and looks forward to the project’s success in enhancing regional youth education and employment.
According to the MOFA, the PADF was established in 1962 under the Washington DC-based Organization of American States. The entity is dedicated to enhancing the livelihood of people, resilience to natural disasters and promoting human rights protection, justice and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Since working with the PADF in 2012, Taiwan has implemented projects in disaster prevention and reconstruction, infrastructure development, capacity building and female empowerment in the region. The new initiative is expected to benefit 1,500 local youths during its two-year span, the MOFA added.
