Washington, D.C., October 7, 2022 – Under the slogan “Youth, Innovation, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Leadership”, the I Young Americas Meeting concluded on October 4 with a call to continue working with youth to reverse social gaps and promote public policies with a special focus in the intercultural and intersectional.

The Meeting, organized by the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), allowed youth to be heard by decision makers and representatives of different sectors, focusing the debate and content on the themes: “Climate Change, COVID-19, Connectivity and Digital Transformation, Combating Corruption, and Inclusion and Equity”. See the full agenda HERE

During the days of the Meeting in hybrid format, more than 500 young people from 20 countries in the region participated, with the headquarters of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) in Lima, Peru. This was an important milestone for thousands of young people involved, whose consolidated contributions are in the Hemispheric Report and Roadmap: From the IX Summit of the Americas to the 52 OAS General Assembly, 2022

The Meeting culminated with the Presentation of the Results and the Closing Ceremony, which was presided over by the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Néstor Méndez; the Executive Director of the YABT, Ms. Valerie Lorena; the Representative of the Office for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, Mr. Johan Ríos Rivas; and the Rector of the UNMSM, Dr. Jeri Gloria Ramón Ruffner de Vega. Earlier, the Youth in Action Conversation showed the impact of entrepreneurship as a driver of sustainable and inclusive societies, through the impact stories of leading young entrepreneurs in different sectors.

“The power of youth actions has no limits (…). Let’s work together to ensure that we have the conditions, tools, and mechanisms for them to be implemented and replicated throughout the region,” said the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Néstor Méndez.

In her speech, Valerie Lorena, Executive Director of YABT, announced: “This Meeting culminates with many successes, and with a long way to go. That is why I want to announce that we are going to have the participation of youth in the Summit of Cities of the Americas in Denver, Colorado, in 2023”. Lorena added that “all the work that has been done today leads us to that meeting“.

For more details, contact us via forum@yabt.net

Photo albums are available at YABT Flickr

Agenda and recordings are available HERE