The Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) of the OAS will promote the informed and active democratic participation of the youth of the Americas by making available to Member States a series of educational tools.
The Hemispheric to Strengthen democratic Principles through Education and Policy Dialogue, launched by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) of the OAS within the framework of the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE), is designed to enhance institutional and human resource capacities to create an enabling environment for developing "skills for better citizenship".
The initiative is based on the assumption that the OAS Member States have long recognized education as "an effective way to promote citizens' awareness concerning their own countries and thereby achieve meaningful participation in the decision-making process", as outlined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
The launching was attended by Ambassador Elizabeth Darius-Clarke, Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia to the OAS and Chair of the InterAmerican Council for Integral Development (CIDI); Ambassador Francisco O. Mora, Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS; and the Executive Secretary for Integral Development (SEDI), Kim Osborne.
Ambassador Darius-Clarke noted the importance of embracing a culture of civic or democratic education in our region, "where our students are oriented about the importance of being responsible citizens; where they are educated about the negative effects and spill over impacts of mis-information and dis-information."
Ambassador Mora stressed the program's relevance and timeliness, stating, "In a world that is constantly evolving, the importance of education cannot be overstated. My government remains committed to working closely with our partners here at the OAS to strengthen educational systems and promote civic engagement."
He added, "Programs like this are a way to ensure that the principles of democracy are not only taught but also lived and practiced by future generations."
Speaking on behalf of the Secretariat responsible for the implementation of the program, Executive Secretary Osborne indicated that "the region's democratic contexts and politically charged ecosystem, has placed an absolute premium on the role of education in ensuring that a more informed, more active, more thoughtful citizenry begins in the classroom."
The goal, as explained by Executive Secretary Osborne is "to create an enabling environment so our young learners across the Hemisphere can develop skills for better citizenship". These skills include, she added, "political dialogue and discourse, active democratic participation, and understanding the value and impact of collective action."
The key expected results for the first year of the program's implementation are:
1) A Hub on education for democratic participation in the Americas;
2) Training for teachers on education for strengthened democratic participation and regional integration;
3) Curriculum development to foster youth democratic participation;
4) A student engagement program for democratic participation; and
5) Management and project evaluation.
The initiative builds on extensive experience, best practices, and lessons learned from other subregional and hemispheric programs, including the OAS flagship program, the "Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN)," and the OAS-supported "Parlamento Juvenil", a program that began in 2009 and has been successful in designing model curriculum for democratic participation that can be tailored and adopted by each member state according to its specific needs, priorities, and context.
The "Hemispheric Program to Strengthen Democratic Principles through Education and Policy Dialogue" is a collaborative effort that underscores inter-American cooperation by actively engaging Ministries of Education, policymakers, teachers, and students and being implemented with funding support from the Permanent Mission of the United States to the OAS.
