2009 Report to the Organization of American Statesscm.oas.org/pdfs/2010/CP24192E.pdf · 2009 Report to the Organization of American States 2 Furthermore, the next generation needs

2009 Report to the Organization of American States

Mission The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) acts as an innovator and catalyst for the creation of young entrepreneur initiatives through business skills training, partnerships and strategic alliances, leadership development and technology for the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) and in cooperation with interested young people in other countries. YABT focuses specifically on entrepreneurship for young people as a means of combating poverty, creating employment, and spurring economic growth. The talent of young entrepreneurs in the Americas will determine the Hemisphere’s potential for future economic growth and democratic stability. Background The Young Americas Business Trust, founded in 1999, is a specialized organization focusing on entrepreneurship working with young people in collaboration with the public and private sectors and the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS GS). YABT draws on more than twenty-five years of pioneering OAS work in designing and developing innovative skills training and entrepreneurial programs targeted to young people, including youth development, mentoring, training, leadership, and finance. YABT also supports the policy-focused work of the OAS in addressing the critical issues of poverty and unemployment among young people by engaging young people in the Summit of the Americas dialogues. National YABT Chapters and local partnerships adapt and adopt the YABT program in the thirty-four Member States of the OAS. The Young Americas Business Trust, a US non-profit corporation, is associated with the OAS GS by a Cooperation Agreement signed by the Secretary General of the OAS and the Chair of the YABT Board of Directors on August 12, 1999. The Challenge Poverty and unemployment remain central challenges facing the nations of the Americas in the 21st Century, constraining the region’s current and future potential to compete in the global marketplace. For populations of young people in Latin America and the Caribbean, the lack of employment opportunities, exacerbated by poverty, is a daily struggle. Without the means to ``create and sustain opportunities for self-employment, countries and communities continue to face high levels of poverty, increased delinquency, and persistent joblessness among youth. A May 2006 report prepared by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on young entrepreneurs in Latin America, entitled Is Youth Entrepreneurship a Necessity or an Opportunity?, suggests that young adults attempting to set up a business soon after leaving high school are prone to business failure if not provided with sufficient academic and entrepreneurial training before entering the business world. In addition to young entrepreneurs who are out of school, it is necessary to engage those at the high school and tertiary levels who may enter the labor force. Limited opportunities for continuing education beyond the primary or secondary levels and the inability of the formal labor market to absorb the numbers of youth leaving school each year diminishes the level of employment opportunities available to young people in the region. At the same time, the reality of increasing international competitiveness, the acceleration of technological change, and the globalization of the economy have profoundly altered the dimensions of the productive sector.


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Furthermore, the next generation needs to be attuned to entrepreneurship as a strategy and a “business model” developed that is relevant to the demands of the 21st Century and reflects the social and economic benefits of ethical business leadership. Governments and the private sector of the Americas also recognize that small businesses represent a principal engine for broad-based economic growth and that young people must be actively involved in the process as entrepreneurs or skilled employees in an established business. For low-income entrepreneurs in Latin America, proactive measures need to be taken to facilitate success of their business ventures. This requires development of entrepreneurial and vocational skills prior to embarking on business initiatives to reduce the likelihood of failure and on-going follow-up advice and financing to achieve sustainability in the long-term. In response to these universal challenges, YABT programs offer practical, cost-effective methodologies for the Member States of the OAS and other international public and private sector partners. These programs build skills through experience as well as knowledge, use proven business principles, incorporating technology and socially responsible business practices. YABT’s overall goal is to prepare the next generation of business leaders to be successful and socially conscious leaders in their communities and nations. The organization is uniquely positioned to accomplish these goals through its broad program framework, network of energetic young professionals and entrepreneurs, and key partnerships with organizations such as the OAS. Program Strategy YABT’s programs focus on four core strategic areas:

• Leadership and networking: Building sustainable businesses and creating leaders by connecting young entrepreneurs to regional networks and national associations and events that encourage a new generation of socially responsible business leaders;

• Training: Giving emphasis to integrated curricula that include practical business skills to motivate young people in learning and applying lessons in tangible ways, including follow-up through the “Nex Links” business resource centers;

• Technology: Using the internet and other technologies to advance entrepreneurial education and development globally, including broad-based ecommerce initiatives; and

• Strategic alliances and partnerships: Mobilizing both technical and financial resources to support networks and programs for young entrepreneurs, working though National YABT Chapters and alliances with local organizations and international agencies.

YABT’s Systematic Approach for Young Entrepreneur Development Over the years, YABT’s experience has shown that creating an overall program framework connecting several key components creates a more effective and sustainable development process in the long term. These YABT program components include:

Start Up, Awareness Creation and Capacity Building with Follow-up and Implementation.

Scale Up, Access to Markets and Finance Opportunities and Access to Tools for Competitiveness and Sustainability.


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Summary of Activities 2009 • YABT’s Young Entrepreneur Leadership Network has been instrumental in the expansion of

local YABT groups in thirty countries in the Americas and establishment of YABT as a major regional platform, based at the OAS General Secretariat. National teams work through partner organizations, governmental and non-governmental, and / or through local YABT offices.

• YABT’s work is focused on three levels: The policy, program development, and implementation. Examples include:

‐ At the policy level, since 2005 YABT has become the official channel to bring young peoples’ opinions and recommendations into the Summit of the Americas process, as well as its follow up process including the OAS General Assembly and Ministerial meetings,

‐ In program development, YABT planned and carried out the Youth Forum of the Americas at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009. It has developed and implemented unique but targeted programs such as Business Labs, Next Links, InnovAction, and the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas.

‐ At the implementation level, YABT builds local capacity and promote the exchange of best practices and empower local youth through its diverse portfolio of innovative programs built with the experience gained through the years and the support of local and international partners. These programs have demonstrated their relevance and sustainability; for example, Business Labs, funded by the OAS FEMCIDI from 2003 – 2007, has continued to offer training to both students and professionals through local resources, other donor contributions, and a cadre of trainers from the original program.

• To prepare a new generation of social responsible business leaders, YABT became part of the OAS hemispheric program on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that was developed by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI), in coordination with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). This built on close cooperation in this field since 2002 with the World Bank Institute and YABT brought those resources to the OAS SEDI CSR initiative, greatly enriching its technical expertise and program reach.

• YABT, as part of the OAS SEDI Inter American Program on Migration, developed “Youth on the Move,” which is focused on migration prevention by youth. The program was presented at the Summit of the Americas during the Youth Forum of the Americas and more recently to the Inter-American Committee on Migration.

• YABT is an exemplary mechanism to develop partnerships within the youth focus, consolidating alliances with the Inter American Development Bank (IADB), the World Bank (WB), and The United Nation Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) among other international organizations. The work done with the key partners in the 2010 World Bank LAC Development Marketplace provided a high level of visibility and participation for the OAS in this World Bank program.

• YABT is recipient of the support of the Government of Israel and other countries globally, in its quality of OAS Permanent Observer country that supports its capacity-building program on entrepreneurship development, notably Business Labs and TIC Americas. Through this cooperation, YABT developed a South – South cooperation model that provide the opportunity of collaboration between Latin American and Caribbean countries.

• YABT is a partner for the implementation of the hemispheric program on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and developed by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) of the OAS.


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Program Reports by Focus Area 1. Leadership "Leadership Links" Young Entrepreneur Leadership Network "Leadership Links" connect young leaders and entrepreneurs in a regional communications and collaboration network. Courses and events connect young people to engage them in the policy processes of the OAS and the Inter-American System and to prepare the next generation of business leaders to be socially conscious citizens of the community. 2009 Accomplishments and Activities The Youth Forum for the 5th Summit of the Americas (Trinidad and Tobago, May 2009) Building on the results of previous consultations for the Summits of the Americas in 2005, YABT worked with the National Secretariat for the Fifth Summit of the Americas of Trinidad and Tobago and the Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the OAS, to create a space for young people to present their recommendations to the governments. The report was based on a series of regional consultations and participation of young people within the topic of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, developed by the more than 500 youth that participated in the Youth Forum of the Americas. The Youth Declaration of Port of Spain was presented at the Dialogue of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs with Social Actors at the Fifth Summit. This was the first time that young people were considered as a social actor within the Summit of the Americas process. www.youngamericasforum.com Development Marketplace of Latin America and the Caribbean (2009 - 2010) Development Marketplace (DM) is a competitive grant program administered by the World Bank and supported by the YABT in coordination with the OAS, the IDB and MIF, the Global Environment Fund, and the World Bank Global Fund for Youth Innovation. The process identifies and funds innovative, early-stage projects with high potential for development impact. Using DM funding as a launching pad, many projects scale up or replicate elsewhere, and win prestigious awards for social entrepreneurship. In 2009-2010, the first-ever Latin America and Caribbean Development Marketplace focused on Youth Developing Opportunity: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Sustainability. The partnership mobilized $1.2 million to support youth programs and represented a significant level of cooperation between these international institutions in this field. The model for the DM substantially reflects YABT’s experience in TIC Americas in its operational plan and emphasis on continuity and sustainability in follow with both winners and non-winners http://www.lac-developmentmarketplace.org/ South- South Cooperation Videoconferences and Dialogues: Latin America and the Crisis: Finding opportunities for young people amid the world economic situation (April 2, 2009) Facilitated from Washington, DC, Representatives of public, private, civil society and young entrepreneurs from four countries (Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Uruguay) presented. A panel of experts on financial and economic development presented their analysis of the current economic situation and the prospects. The discussion focused on business opportunities, financial scenarios and economic prospects, which apply to all countries in the region. Young entrepreneurs shared experiences and discussed practical ways to underpin crisis of the hemisphere. International Video Conference on “Centers and University Programs of Support for Enterprising Young People of Latin America” (April 3, 2009) The conference was organized by YABT and the Universidad Latina de Panama (ULAT) to exchange better practices, identify study cases, and strengthen collaboration between universities and organizations that promote entrepreneurship. The Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, Universidad de Medellin, Colombia; Universidad Rafael Landivar, Guatemala, also participated.


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Conference on "Youth: Create, Innovate and Embark" (Panama, August 27, 2009) To boost entrepreneurship, innovation and business networking among young entrepreneurs in Panama, YABT and Club de Innovacion held the Conference "Youth: Create, Innovate and Embark" with the Business Accelerator (AEP) of the City of Knowledge (Fundacion Ciudad del Saber) and the Universidad Catolica Santa Maria La Antigua (USMA). At the event, 150 people gathered, a majority young people enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. The conference served as a pathway to launch the Club de Innovacion “Jovenes Emprendedores de Panama,” which was initiated as an initiative of YABT with support from the International Training Center-Golda Meir Mount Caramel (MCTC) of Israel, following the InnovAction lab held in Panama. The Innovation Club is an on-going follow-up activities where innovative young entrepreneurs have the opportunity to brainstorm, share their ideas, experience, knowledge and initiatives to generate business opportunities based on innovation and business collaboration. 2009 Global Youth Conference (Washington DC, October 20, 2009) The 2009 Global Youth Conference of the United Nations Week celebrations was organized by the Youth to Youth (Y2Y) community of the World Bank and supported by YABT. A YABT TIC Americas winning team participated in the panel discussion on ‘Employment: Confronting the Youth Labor Market Challenge’ and had the opportunity to share their entrepreneurial skills and experience. YABT also actively engaged and interacted with youth by participating in a judging committee for the essay competition and presenting at the exhibition. YABT’s Leadership and Networking activities are financed through contributions by the Taipei Economic and Culture Representative Office, in-kind and financial contributions from the private sector, the World Bank, and locally mobilized resources from foundations and organizations. 2. Training Business Laboratories (Business Labs) YABT's lead entrepreneurial training program provides young people with necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to start their own business, or understand the potential of entrepreneurship. In a short but intensive, practical ‘hands-on’ training experience, youth receive real-world business development and operational experience. This methodology provides a general framework for all YABT training initiatives. In addition to business start-up and operations, it encompasses elements of social responsibility, financial literacy, innovation, and sectors, such as eco-tourism. Since 2004, Business Labs have been carried out in twenty-nine of the thirty-four OAS Member States, training more than 25,000 young people (as of December 2009). Significantly, the Business Labs program has continued in operation more than two years after the cessation of OAS FEMCIDI funding in 2007. The methodology originated from the Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCTC) in Israel, thanks to $1 million in technical cooperation from the Government of Israel to the OAS and YABT, announced at the 2007 OAS General Assembly. YABT achieves following with its Business Laboratories program;

‐ To build entrepreneurial capacity of young people by incorporating necessary elements as entrepreneurs to curriculum; leadership and personal skills, business management, corporate social responsibility, and financial and economic education.

‐ To build local capacity and to train more number of entrepreneurs as well as more number of trainers by using training of trainers approach.

‐ To provide opportunities to gain skills through experience, a method that motivates learning, stimulates action, and deepens the participants’ understanding of entrepreneurship.


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Nex Links: Young Entrepreneur Follow-up Networks “Nex Links Young Entrepreneurs’ Follow-up Networks” is a program developed by YABT and focused on the creation of mechanisms and tools to support and follow up young entrepreneurs in the start-up and scale up phases of business creation. These resource centers, both physical in established organizations and virtually through the Internet, provide young entrepreneurs with the access to services and resources to achieve sustainability. YABT seeks to achieve followings with its Nex Links program:

‐ To improve follow-up services, connections, and referrals to provide entrepreneurial young people of the Americas with additional, viable options for sustainable personal and family income through the creation of self-employment and business startup opportunities.

‐ To improve access to business information, training, technology, and advisory services and resources – both technical and financial – to increase entrepreneurs’ management capacity and business survivability.

‐ To institutionalize ‘Nex Links’ and similar programs with local governments, schools, universities and the community in participating countries.

‐ To establish Business Support and Resource Centers as physical locations for entrepreneurs to access services and resources.

2009 Accomplishments and Activities The Caribbean Port au Prince, Haiti, July 20-24, 2009 Thirty-five Haitians persons from local NGOs, academia, and local entrepreneurs groups were trained to become trainers in their communities to be able to replicate the Business Labs model, and serve as catalysts to promote other entrepreneurship activities in the country. Participants of this workshop came from Port au Prince, Jacmel, Saint Marc, and Gonaives Nassau, The Bahamas, June 15-19, 2009 YABT sponsored a workshop on establishing a Small Business Development Center (SBDC), where participants proposed and formatted an SBDC as a collaborative effort between BAIC and the Bahamas Development Bank (both are quasi-governmental institutions), IICA, Junior Achievement, the Self-Starters Program at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the College of the Bahamas, and the private sector. The Center would strengthen the existing network of entrepreneurial development services in The Bahamas and although it would be located in Nassau, mobile resource units could be sent regularly to the Family Islands to provide support when needed, at this moment, we are looking for resources to implement this new task. St. Kitts and Nevis, June 22-26, 2009 The workshop was conducted by the YABT in cooperation with the Outreach Foundation. Three successful small businesses were created as part of the ‘hands-on experience’ of the workshop ‘Training for trainers and young entrepreneurs.’ Two of them were food-manufacturing companies and the other was a souvenir company. Central America Guatemala City, Guatemala, July 6-10, 2009 Thirty indigenous women leaders of communities from various regions of the country - San Pedro la Laguna, Solola Atitlan, Patzun, Chimaltenango, Tecpan, Guatemala, Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango, San Peter Carchá Alta Verapaz, Santo Domingo Xenacoj. They have continued to duplicate the valuable learned lessons including life skills, tools, and knowledge in starting up an enterprise.


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Panama City, Panama Business Lab, January 26 – 30, 2009 Thirty young entrepreneurs from Panama are better equipped with knowledge, skills, tools, and resources needed to start up enterprises in tourism sector. The workshop aimed to inspire young people to use their ingenuity and creativity to develop innovative businesses that can respond adequately to the increasing demand for tourism in Panama and throughout the region. Panama City, Panama, October 19 – 23, 2009 Women entrepreneurs outlined the plans to support entrepreneurs in the creation and / or acceleration of their businesses in their respective markets. The workshop enabled them to gain knowledge and skills, combined with the tools they needed to start and sustain an enterprise. As a result of the training workshop, four enterprises of crafts, beauty products, and indigenous foods were created and presented at a business fair held at the main campus of the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama. Bluefields, Nicaragua, January 19-23, 2009 Thirty young entrepreneurs and community leaders attained a high degree of technical knowledge in sales, planning, accounting, and marketing strategies. They were able to promote and follow up with established business in Bluefields through the workshop, which has contributed to consolidating a local network in business strengthening and development in the Bluefields municipality. Managua, Nicaragua, July 13 -17, 2009 Thirty-five young female entrepreneurs from the departments of Bluefields, Granada, Masaya, Managua, Chontales, Carazo, and Nueva Segovia gained experience and knowledge of sales, business plans, marketing, promotion, and advertising through the workshop: “Training for Female Entrepreneurs in the Creation of Small Business Development Centers.” South America Pueblorrico, Colombia, September 21-26, 2009 From the workshop, six enterprises were created which generated revenues of US $ 1,000 on the day of the Business Labs fair. This also generated future business of approximately $ 5000. The workshop not only benefited participants with personal life skills training and business training, but also contributed to the community at large. Conducting the workshop served as a framework for the signing of a cooperation agreement between the municipalities of Pueblorrico and Jericó, which was intended to facilitate the communication channels between two to enable the commercial development of the region. The relatively small community had thirty-two direct beneficiaries and 128 indirect beneficiaries, with projected benefits to reach at least 10% of the total local population. Manizales, Colombia, October 26-30, 2009 Thirty-four participants are involved in direct activities with youth, female adolescents, displaced people, handicrafts, agro-industry from Secretariat of Competiveness in the Department of Caldas. Montevideo, Uruguay March 9-13, 2009 A regional workshop focused on the creation of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, targeting young entrepreneurs from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The workshop not only offered tools to develop Small Business Development Centers for the communities, but also introduced essential elements in business such as CSR, economic and financial education, international cooperation, and the impact of the energy issues.


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Linden, Guyana, July 27-31, 2009 In coordination with its local chapter in Guyana, thirty-five local young entrepreneurs and other potential trainers from the Caribbean took part in the workshop on “Training of trainers and young entrepreneurs.” The topics such as management of leadership, constitution of companies, strategies of management development, and the structure of the local and regional market were included in the workshop. Montevideo, Uruguay, August 3-7, 2009 Entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, academics, and governmental officials of Uruguay elaborated plans to improve providing equitable and decentralized training and opportunities for all young people of the country. Four fellows from Argentina and Chile as well contributed to the consolidation of networking among attendees and beyond borders. 3rd SME Congress of the Americas on International Trade (Cali, Colombia, May 28-29) “Constructing Capacities of Commerce in the SMEs before the new challenges,” the 3rd MIPYMES Congress of the Americas on International Trade, brought industrialists and institutions together to discuss ways to support the development of the SMEs to improve the international competitiveness of small companies in the Americas. YABT participated in the work group “Modalities of training and preparation of the SMEs for Commerce” and shared experiences of the hands-on, learning by doing methodology- Business Labs and entrepreneurs’ follow up mechanism, Nex Links. Next Links program activities were financed through $203,494 from OAS FEMCIDI, locally raised in-kind and financial contributions from governmental, municipal, and non-governmental sources. InnovAction: A Program on Innovation and Action. InnovAction (Innovation in Action) Laboratories are hands-on workshops in which participants build capacity to identify and manage opportunities for innovation. The primary beneficiaries are entrepreneurial-minded individuals within an organization, intapreneurs, who are capable of pioneering new innovative strategies. The objective of this workshop is to provide entrepreneurs in various sectors with the tools and skills to effectively manage innovation within their organization, and to build personal efficacy to make innovation work. The workshop also aims to reinforce partnerships among institutions and encourage participation of entrepreneurs, educators, and scientists. 2009 Accomplishments and Activities Asuncion, Paraguay (July 27-31) 34 participants Thirty-four young entrepreneurs participated in the InnovAction workshop that was held from July 27 - 31 in Asuncion, Paraguay. The workshop was coordinated with YABT and the Asociacion Paraguaya, the representative of YABT in Paraguay. Recognizing the impact of the workshop brings, Carlos Knapps, vice president of the Paraguayan American Commerce Foundation, referred the workshop as a representative initiative that highlighting “a country’s willingness to achieve development.” Montevideo, Uruguay (August 3-7) - 30 participants A group of innovative intrapreneurs, the Innovation Club of Uruguay, was formed because of workshop; it will continue to develop and advance innovation within the organizations and the country. The importance and priority that issue generated in the audience, the relevance of innovation to development, emerged in an open dialogue with faculty instructors. The "Club of Innovation of Uruguay" was established on the premises of the Union of Exporters of Uruguay.


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Buenos Aires, Argentina (November 2-6) - 32 participants Thirty-eight government officials and project directors of various sectors from over twenty different regions of Argentina participated in “InnovAction Laboratory for Intrapreneurs” workshop. Continuing with an initiative of forming a series of activities for capacity building of the entrepreneurs in the frame of ‘Programa Nacional Empresas de Base Tecnológica (National Program for New Technology Based Firms)’ of government of Argentina, individuals’ entrepreneurial initiative are encouraged to incorporate innovation and social responsibility within the organization. Next Steps

‐ Facilitate a dialogue through various channels such as ‘innovation clubs’ to provide a platform for innovators and intrapreneurs to exchange their experiences and share best practices.

‐ Organize and support a number of video conferences, international conferences, and expos regarding intellectual property and innovation among others. (events will be announced through YABT.net)

InnovAction program activities were funded in 2009 by consultant and training services provided by the Government of Israel, the Mount Carmel International Training Center, and locally raised funding and in-kind support from organizations such as the Ministry of Science and Technology of Argentina, the Municipality of Medellin, and universities collaborating in the program.

“Youth on the Move” The program “Youth on the Move "is a component of Migration and Development Program of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI); that focuses on initiatives that stimulate local development among youth who are at risk of migrating by increasing their access to entrepreneurial opportunities in local markets. The Migration and Development Program is possible thanks to the support offered by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The objective of the program is to develop and promote entrepreneurship among young people living in rural areas under low income particularly. The aim is to help them create their own businesses and employment opportunities in their home territory by using available resources in their local communities.

2009 Accomplishments and Activities Video Conference on Youth Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean (Washington D.C, August 4, 2009) YABT organized the videoconference to enable young people and experts to engage in a lively discussion on the youth migration issue. The participants were from five countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and the United States. Touching upon the main cause of young people choosing migration and negative aspect of current migration phenomena, participants shared their experiences and knowledge and exchanged their opinion on current and prospect initiatives of YABT and Secretariat of Integral Development (SEDI) on youth migration issues. Workshop on “Management Skills for Development in Migrant Youth” (Queretaro, Mexico, August 31-September 4, 2009) The pilot training module put emphasis on youth migration, to stimulate local development and facilitate access to local markets by promoting youth entrepreneurship. Topics included creation of international companies using remittances, an important subject in understanding and managing youth migration issues. Selected young community leaders age 15 to 30 committed to replicate


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the lessons in their respective communities. The enterprises generated were able to double their initial investment, showing participants an alternative in practical ways for the benefits they could obtain through entrepreneurship, diminishing the attractiveness of migrating. Presentation on ‘Youth on the Move’ at the meeting of Special Committee on Migration Issues (CEAM) (Washington DC, October 20, 2009) In a meeting with the OAS Special Committee on Migration (CEAM), YABT presented testimonies of the program “Youth on the Move.” A presentation by Dr. Ana Roldan, a well-known researcher and specialist of migration issues in Latin America, elucidated the point that the youth entrepreneurship is an opportunity for young people to engage and participate more fully in society. Valerie Lorena, Director of YABT’s migration initiative, suggested to the committee that an action plan be developed and scaled-up from this pilot experience. YABT “Youth on the Move” program and related activities are funded by the OAS SEDI and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), for 2009 for a total amount of $91,389. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Among SMEs in the Caribbean YABT is a signatory partner organization in the OAS SEDI CSR Program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). This program targets SMEs from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. The goal is to provide SME the basic knowledge about CSR and to give SMEs of these countries the capacity to implement CSR improving their competitiveness and promoting the creation of partnerships with multi-national companies. The objectives of the program are

‐ To create awareness of CSR and its relevance to the Caribbean tourism industry, build capacity in public sector representatives of the tourism industry;

‐ To support and promote CSR in the private sector;

‐ To build capacity in tourism practitioners in the Caribbean to engage in CSR activities;

‐ To integrate these practices into their operations and provide tools/resources to enable implementation of CSR initiatives in the Caribbean Tourism Industry;

‐ To create a platform for the consolidation of partnerships between multinational companies and the newly socially responsible Small and Medium sized Enterprises that have benefited from this program; and therefore foster the culture of CSR in the region.

2009 Accomplishments and Activities Castries, Saint Lucia (September 14-16) 30 participants Thirty tourism officials and representing fourteen of the OAS Caribbean Member States, sought to identify the ways to strengthening CSR in the region. From this, future workshops in the region will create more in-depth awareness among stakeholders, particularly hoteliers, to identify ways in which small and medium tourism enterprises in the Caribbean can implement CSR. The economic, social, and environmental benefits of a socially responsible in small business operations are made clear in this curriculum. Nassau, Bahamas (November 16-18, 2009) 32 participants Tourism stakeholders from the Bahamas, Belize, Haiti and Jamaica participated in a three-day workshop titled “Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Caribbean Tourism Industry,” with YABT, SEDI, and the OAS Section on


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Tourism collaborating. Participating hoteliers initiated action plans for implementing CSR in their properties’ business strategies. Public sector stakeholders engaged others in the industry to promote and support the economic, social, and environmental benefits of a socially responsible approach to the region’s tourism sector. Next Steps The CSR program will be expanded in 2010 to provide specialized content to different sectors and industries of the economy, thereby introducing and strengthening CSR practices in the region that are targeted to and unique to specific sectors. YABT will continue to facilitate and encourage dialogue among program participants, industry, and government. YABT CSR related activities are funded by the OAS SEDI and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), for 2009 $40, 670, the World Bank Institute, and sponsors. Money Links: Financial Education for Young People In recent years, to satisfy the growing need for financial education among young people in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) created the program Money Links: Financial Education for Young Entrepreneurs in the Americas thanks to the support of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the OAS. Supplementing YABT’s training and related entrepreneurial development programs, Money Links seeks to provide young people with the additional tools and necessary financial skills to start up their own businesses and manage their own personal and family financial affairs. Money Links focuses on young entrepreneurs’ financial management skills such as saving and investing, cash management, and budgeting; to introduce under-used financial tools in Latin America and the Caribbean that are due to lack of education, misinformation, or mistrust of banks. 2009 Accomplishments and Activities First International Conference on Financial Education (Bogota, Colombia, September 10 -11, 2009) YABT supported and advised the yearlong planning committee for the First Conference in Economic and Financial Education held September 10 - 11, 2009 in Bogota, Colombia. This joint initiative was crafted by the National council on Economic Education (NCEE), the Centre for Latin American Monetary Studies (CEMLA) and a group of Latin American Central Banks. Panel on the Economic Crisis and its Impact on Youth, Youth Forum of the Americas, May 2009 A panel titled ‘Surviving the Storm: The Impact of the Growing Economic Crisis on Youth’ was organized to bring international experts and young people together as part of the Summit Youth Forum Dialogue. This examined the causes and reasons of the crisis, along with ways to face the challenges of the current economic crisis, and find opportunities within the economic turndown. Financial Education for Young Entrepreneur in Uruguay - NexLinks Workshop The financial education topic was included in the workshop focused on the creation of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), held in Montevideo, Uruguay, in which twenty-five young entrepreneurs from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Uruguay were trained. Participants received training on financial and economic education in collaboration with the Central Bank of Argentina. Representatives from the Bank provided printed material on their training program and participated via video conference, responding to questions and comments. Presentation of the Program of Economic and Financial Literacy (PAEF) Central Bank of Argentina (Washington DC, October 7, 2009) The Economic and Financial Education Program (PAEF) of the Central Bank of Argentina was presented at the OAS General Secretariat as an exemplary model of assisting schools with financial education. PAEF introduces tools and information that involve the young community in


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financial and economic skills to help shape financially responsible individuals. PAEF was nominated as one of Best Practices in Youth Policies and Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean Program lead by UNESCO and the IDB. The Organizing Committee was composed of international organizations, including the OAS, YABT, FLACSO, UN ECLAC, and UNICEF. 3. Technology Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas) TIC Americas is an international competition and award program for young entrepreneurs focused on the preparation and implementation of business plans, combined with follow-up support through mentoring, networking, connections to investors, and additional training. TIC Americas Finals are held in collaboration with the National Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before the OAS General Assembly. www.ticamericas.net TIC Americas seeks to:

‐ Increase the number of entrepreneurs creating employment for themselves and others.

‐ Help existing companies find innovative business solutions by engaging talented young people.

‐ Create new business opportunities and partnerships between mentors and entrepreneurs. Accomplishments and Activities 2009 Summary of Results In 2009, more than 2,000 young people representing 635 teams from 30 countries from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe registered for the competition. These teams competed online developing a business plan, a prototype, a promotional video, and a website. Team members hailed from diverse parts of the Americas, with full representation in North, South and Central American nations as well as participants from seven Caribbean countries.

• The most popular themes in 2009 were technology (31.9%) and agribusiness (18.6%), while fewer projects focused on environment (9.8%), trade (8.2%), and tourism (6.7%).

• 111 young people representing 25 teams from nine countries were selected to participate in the TIC Americas Finals on May 29-30, 2009 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

• Forty-one young people from nine teams were awarded in Honduras and presented their businesses to more than 1,000 high level authorities of the OAS and the Private Sector.

2007 – 2010 Results

• TIC Americas in numbers: in 4 years, the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas reached 12,604 young entrepreneurs, compiling a portfolio of 3,461 business ideas from 70 countries in the world.

• In 2010, more than 3,700 young people representing 1,235 teams from 40 countries from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe registered for the competition. These teams competed online developing their business plan, prototype, a promotional video, and a website. Team members hailed from diverse parts of the Americas, with full representation in North, South and Central American nations as well as participants from seven Caribbean countries.


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• The most popular themes in TIC Americas are technology (31.9%) and agribusiness (18.6%). This shows an important step towards the promotion and development of technology in Latin America and the Caribbean. Many projects develop patented products.

• TIC Americas and the Environment: YABT and PepsiCo collaboratively launched ‘Eco-Challenge’ to raise awareness and provide innovative solutions to the problems concerning the environment. The Eco-Challenge is part of TIC Americas, and it is the first time the competition includes a category regarding water conservation. In 2010, the Eco-Challenge received more than 300 projects with an average of 1,505 youth participating. The winners will be selected in Lima, Peru next June 3-4, 2010. YABT and PepsiCo will launch a new challenge for 2011.

• TIC Americas Mentoring: YABT, through its collaboration with the University of Maryland University College, provides on-line mentoring for all TIC Americas registered teams; the network of mentors is composed by faculty members, as well as graduate and undergraduate students from UMUC Business School.

• TIC Americas Judges: YABT collaborates with top private companies and institutions to act as judges to select the best teams that will compete in the Finals. Our partners include Citigroup, PepsiCo, M&T Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Institute, Columbia University, CISCO, Organization of American States, among others.

• TIC Americas in Central America: YABT in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady and the Honduras Joven Program launched TIC Honduras in 2009. TIC Honduras was the first TIC National Competition in the Americas and followed the same process of TIC Americas. The finals event was held in San Pedro Sula in May 2009 prior to the XXIX General Assembly of the Organization of American States, concurrent with TIC Americas 2009.

• TIC Americas in the Caribbean: For the first time, with the support of the Caribbean Community Foundation, YABT presented a special TIC Caribbean Award to the most innovative entrepreneurial project from the Caribbean at TIC Americas 2009 in Honduras. The team Waste Management for Environmental Protection (WMEP), from Grenada, won the TIC Caribbean Award. The team WMEP has developed two more projects and is actively participating in TIC Americas 2010.

• TIC Americas in South America: As an effort to encourage participation from MERCOSUR countries (Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay), YABT in collaboration with the Union Argentina de Jovenes Empresarios (UNAJE) will award the best team representing a country from MERCOSUR during the 2010 TIC Americas Finals in Lima, Peru.

• TIC Americas in Asia: For its second year, YABT Mongolia hosted TIC Mongolia, a national TIC competition that emphasizes training and follow-up services for participating young entrepreneurs. Each year, an average of 60 teams register for the competition. Six Mongolian teams were awarded and they participated in the 2009 GlobalTIC Award and Forum.

• TIC Americas Follow-up and Networks: Octantis, a Chilean incubator, in its Hemispheric-wide call for entrepreneurs, identified three TIC Americas Winners as the most innovative youth-led enterprises from Latin America. The TIC Americas teams selected by Octantis and the Adolfo Ibanez University were the only winners of this solicitation and award in the Americas. Unima Integral Biosecurity (2007 Business Process Award), DUTO (2007 Social Entrepreneurship Award), and ALSEC (2008 New Markets Award) participated in the Latinnovators Venture Forum in July 2009 in Miami, Florida.


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• TIC Americas finalists: Absoft, Musicrom, and Ecycling were selected to participate in the National Inventors Fair of Colombia on August 21-22. The fair will present over 300 technological innovations from Colombia.

• YABT, through its cooperation with the Government of Israel provided a scholarship to the CEO of JC Turismo Empresarial a 2009 finalist team to participate in the workshop “Support Systems for Micro Enterprises” in September in Haifa, Israel.

TIC Americas was funded in 2009 by $100,000 from the International Cooperation and Development Fund, $52,500 from PepsiCo Americas, $8,206 from the Government of Honduras, $3,000 from the Caribbean Community Foundation. Previous contributions have also come from Private Sector of the Americas, Terpel Foundation, EPM, Microsoft, and participating universities.

Young Americas Business Trust Web Portal: YABT Net YABT’s web portal for networking and resource center, ‘YABT.net’ provides information regarding OAS and YABT programs, along with the announcement of opportunities for training and activities for young entrepreneurs in the Hemisphere. YABT.net offers the following services and networks for young entrepreneurs: InfoBiz Offers customized national information about aspects of starting a business in OAS Member States, including legal and regulatory information and other local resources. InfoBiz also provides economic statistics, as well as small business toolkits. TICAmericas.net The BOOT (Business Opportunity On-line Training) Camp in TIC Americas provides systematic tutorials to start a business, develop a market study, and a website, as well as other resources and a forum that enables interaction between participating teams. There are currently 12,604 users of the BOOT Camp. Youngamericasforum.org The portal acts as a one-point center for news and updates regarding the Summit of the Americas process, and activities in which Youth can continue collaborating for the advancement of the agenda for the Presidential Summits. The portal was created in 2009 for the Youth Forum of the Americas, in order to collect the youth perspectives on the central themes of the V Summit of the Americas, celebrated in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 4. Strategic Alliances and Partnerships National YABT Chapters

National YABTs represent a network of organizations that develop and implement YABT’s programs and events at the national and subregional levels. These units and their operations are organized as local non-governmental organizations, alliances with OAS and Government agencies, and through franchise arrangements with existing national organizations working in the same field.

• National YABTs are the foundation of the Young Entrepreneur Leadership Network that now operates on a hemispheric basis. Individual national operations in Mexico and Central America: Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador continue to grow. In the Andean countries, work in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, has become strong movement with much work now being carried out at the provincial and municipal levels. South America operations include Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. In the Caribbean: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis are our principal operational points.


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Example of National YABT work during 2009: • YABT Jamaica works closely with the Jamaica Violence Prevention, Peace, and

Sustainable Development Program of UNDP in the design and execution of the Blue Butterfly Program, an initiative focused on reducing the number of young people engaged in criminal activity trough entrepreneurship and leadership in the Jamaica.

National YABT Chapters are largely self-financed through contracts for training and business services locally, contributions from national and municipal governments, UNDP, National Associations of Young Entrepreneurs, AMCHAMs, and Chambers of Commerce.

Strategic Alliances with the OAS and Other Partners • YABT maintains strong relations with the OAS through programs and projects. Department

of Science, Technology and Innovation of OAS and YABT’s collaboration enables the project on improving industrial engineering curriculum in the Latin Americas and the Caribbean region.

• YABT and PepsiCo collaboratively launched the ‘Eco-Challenge’ in TIC Americas Competition, an initiative to challenge the problems concerning the environment. Moreover, YABT’s collaboration with MTV brings greater impact on the youth.

• YABT also maintains a regional network of young entrepreneurs, leader contacts and organizations in all OAS Member States and internationally. YABT works through its own alliances with international institutions such as the World Bank, the World Bank Institute, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat, and other OAS sections such as the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, the Department of Sustainable Development and the OAS Peace Fund.

• Other recent activities have taken on new significance with the growing interest of organizations and countries outside the Americas in applying YABT’s approach and programs to their own national and regional challenges.

• In 2009, Mongolia continued to achieve a high level of sustainability with new opportunities for development. Much needed programs in the Middle East, with partners in Arab countries were organized in the formation of the Young Arab Business Trust. Frequent solicitations to YABT to open new operations in Africa have led to the formation of the Young Africa Business Trust, initially as an operational department of YABT.

Internships YABT has always drawn new staff first from the pool of former interns who have demonstrated exceptional energy and talent to grow YABT’s programs.

• In 2009, forty-three interns from OAS Member States, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) had opportunities to experience the work of YABT as part of YABT’s Leadership Network.

• A new phase that gives emphasis to interns serving nationally offered opportunities in the national chapters of YABT, including Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Brazil, Grenada, and YABT OAS Headquarters.

• These range from a period of 3-6 months and, during this time, these interns are exposed to YABT’s programs. Many of them become future staff and local collaborators upon their return to their home country.


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ANNEX

Results of Impact Survey of TIC Americas Finalists Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas, 2007 - 2009

To measure the impact of the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas) over the three annual editions of the competition, YABT recently conducted a survey in which one member of each 86 Finalist Teams reported the status of their business both before and after their participation in TIC Americas. Below we summarize our findings:

Over these three years, TIC Americas has achieved success and a well-earned reputation. The strategic decision to host the TIC Americas Finals Competition just prior the OAS General Assembly and the Private Sector Forum provided the participants with potential opportunities for high-level business contacts and visibility throughout the Americas. 84.1 % of the participants reported joining TIC Americas to gain exposure of their business and/or project. The Trend: Technology Although TIC Americas provides awards that encourage cultural, social, and creative businesses, the participation of competitors focusing on technological innovations is clearly the trend. 33.3% of teams were related to software development and 30.3% were related to e-business and multimedia. It was interesting to note that young people today are using technology to promote their cultural traditions, incorporating ancient designs and mythological characters as unique innovations.

The Impact: Businesses established New jobs created Enterprises more profitable.

YABT and TIC Americas help business ideas become reality as well creating opportunities for existing young companies to move forward and achieve sustainability. Through TIC Americas, YABT is making a positive impact on businesses in the Americas. TIC Americas Finalist Teams also showed an interest in • Expanding their business networks/markets, • Identifying potential customers and suppliers from

the international community, • And cultural exchanges.

Originally, only 11.6% of teams were marketing their products or services, but YABT helped double the number to 23.8%. Similarly, before the competition, only 6.98% of businesses reported profits, but after their participation in TIC Americas, 19.0% businesses started selling their products and earning a profit.

After competing in TIC Americas, the percentage of Finalist Teams remaining in the

concept stage dropped from 30.2% to 7.1%.


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43.19% of teams hired 1-3 additional employees after joining TIC Americas.

YABT seeks to strengthen businesses by helping them link to other professionals and networks that these teams were not able to meet before. These non-employees, including volunteers and mentors, can provide valuable advice and linkage to potential customers and partners. After TIC Americas, 34.1% of the business had 4-6 additional employees. Teams emphasized that they were able to make very good contacts in the Finals, including business relationships and mentors.

fWithin one to three years of completing TIC Americas, 7.5% of the businesses reported a 1-5% increase in revenue, 15% reported an 11-20% increase, 7.5% had an 11-20% increase, and 2.5% had a 21-20% increase. Team Duto reported, “After TIC Americas we made our first sale.”

78.3% of the teams felt that TIC Americas positively influenced its access to markets. Team DomDom has followed-up with government agencies that promote business to go on missions to Colombia and Panama. Team Celbit reached a possible client at Canada. Teams said they were able to establish important contacts and gain new knowledge of options in business finance, such as joining Microsoft’s program for small and medium-sized businesses.

Existing Problems Teams reported that a foreseeable problem “is the capital required to get involved activities outside their home country.” Thus, additional capital and opportunities are still needed. Future Prospects YABT follows Finalist Teams to aide in their sustainability. After receiving the benefits of TIC Americas, 91.9% of those teams expressed an interest in becoming involved in YABT activities in the future.

Teams were interested in attending “business summits, training courses, networking events, conferences, workshops, and seminars.” Several teams want to promote YABT activities in their region.

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2009 Report to the Organization of American Statesscm.oas.org/pdfs/2010/CP24192E.pdf · 2009 Report to the Organization of American States 2 Furthermore, the next generation needs