Washington, D.C., June 19, 2023. “I am very happy for this country that has given me the opportunities, not only to stand out as a teacher and as an entrepreneur, but also as a human being”. With these words, Orianna Zanotty, a young Venezuelan entrepreneur living in Peru, concluded her intervention with the results of her Workshop during the Youth Dialogue: Migration, Development and Integration, held in a hybrid format on June 16, at San Ignacio de Loyola University (USIL) in Lima, Peru.

This Youth Dialogue was the result of a joint effort between the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), the National Office of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Peru, USA for IOM, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Peru, and the support of USIL and USIL Ventures. It brought together both in person and virtually, young migrants and refugees from Venezuela residing in Peru, young leaders and entrepreneurs from Peru and from other countries in the region.

With 232 million international migrants in general, of whom more than 10 percent are young, according to ILO data, the Dialogue set out to provide a space to exchange ideas and proposals to maximize the social and economic contributions of young migrant entrepreneurs to the sustainable growth of their host communities.

A Virtual Consultation preceded the Dialogue, collecting the contributions of hundreds of young people from all over the region, whose results from both stages of this process will lead to the preparation of an expanded report to show the positive impact and opportunities to invest in programs and projects that promote the socioeconomic integration of this segment of the population.

This process responds to the Declaration of Commitment and Action of the VI Young Americas Forum of the IX Summit of the Americas, and to political commitments of different consultation mechanisms with the participation of youth, from which the positive contributions of refugees and migrants to the socioeconomic development of their host communities are recognized.

Daniel Diez Canseco Terry, Vice President of Entrepreneurship at USIL, was in charge of the Welcome Remarks, presenting the Video Message by Raul Diez Canseco Terry, President of the Corporación Educativa San Ignacio de Loyola. On the other hand, the Opening Remarks were given by videoconference by Luis A. Viguria, CEO of YABT; and in person by Luciano Arroio, USA for IOM Alliances and Operations Coordinator. In addition, there were special messages from the OAS Representative in Peru, Miguel Angel Trinidad; and Minister Counselor Gabriella Vassallo, Director of Protection and Assistance to the National of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Peru, via videoconference. The Opening Ceremony ended with the words of the IOM Chief of Mission in Peru, Jorge Baca Vaughan.

The Dialogue gave way to the Panel “Resilience and Inclusive Societies: Creating Opportunities for Participation and Entrepreneurship for Migrant and Refugee Youth”, moderated by Edgar Maestre, Director of YABT Programs, and having as panelists Luciano Arroio from USA for IOM; Raquel Montalván Carranza from Veneactiva Perú; and via videoconference with Carlos David Carrasco, Governance and Youth Affairs Specialist. This distinguished panel addressed the current situation and vision of mobility entrepreneurship in the region, with a special focus on youth, presenting good practices, testimonies, and the comprehensive perspective of different key actors to turn migration into a driver of sustainable growth in the region.

The Panel offered relevant content for the opening of the Workshops, a space where the participants exchanged their opinions and the actions that they have been promoting, in addition to generating policy recommendations to reverse the difficulties that migrant and refugee youth are going through. The Workshops were moderated by Harumi Kasay, YABT Fellowship Alumni; and Mauricio Pahuara of the Organización Juventud, Política y Desarrollo.

The results of the discussion were presented at the closure of the Dialogue by the young Venezuelans chosen as spokespersons: Oriana Zanotty and Sisi Arellano, receiving feedback and comments from a Panel of Experts with Víctor Tincoso from IOM Peru, Arturo Garro from USIL Ventures, and Luis Zavaleta Nunez, a Peruvian businessman. Lyn Urtecha from IOM Peru moderated this point on the agenda, followed by Closing Remarks and Next Steps by Edgar Maestre from YABT and Víctor Tincoso from IOM Peru.

The spokespersons of the Workshops presented a series of recommendations, among which are:

(i) The need to create more active participatory spaces, which makes it possible to strengthen communication channels with local authorities in order to incorporate the demands of migrants and refugees in the generation of public policies at the local level. 

(ii) Create savings funds for seed capital of mobility ventures, with a focus on public and private investment in border areas where a large part of the migrant communities conglomerate.

(iii) Creation of safe spaces for the practice of sports such as baseball, little known in Peru, taking as an example initiatives of Baseball Classes that have been allowing integration in the Ate Vitarte District in Peru, where new ventures have been generated by fathers and mothers who accompany their children to classes every day.

The full report is available for download HERE (In Spanish)

These and other recommendations were presented in the days that followed by Oriana Zanotty at the Young Americas Dialogue, held on June 20 as part of the 53rd Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly. (Read: Dialogue brings together young people and hemispheric leaders as part of the 53rd OAS General Assembly).

The Youth Dialogue: Migration, Development and Integration photo album is available by clicking HEREFor more information about this initiative, contact YABT through Edgar Maestre S., via edgar.maestre@yabt.net