NOVEMBER 13, 2019 – WASHINGTON, DC

High School students form the USA, Central and South America representing the 34 countries comprising the Organization of American States (OAS), attended the opening ceremony of the 38th MOAS for Secondary Schools to hear the inaugural speech given by Her Excellency Ambassador Yolande Smith, Grenada’s Permanent Representative to the OAS.

In her address, Ambassador Smith, former Happy Hill Secondary School Student Council and National Youth Council Presidents told the audience of over 200 students and faculty advisors that “high school is a time to test theories; a time to feed and fuel your passion; to read, to dream, to take action, to learn, to absorb, to seek mentoring and find positive role models”.

The Ambassador emphasized the importance of youth empowerment for development and shared some of her experiences. She said, “you are the “critical agents for change and since almost half of the region’s population is under the age of twenty-five, the implementation of effective and well-developed national youth policies across this Hemisphere is a timely solution to the woes of the region”.

Ambassador Smith cited Grenada’s 2015-2020 National Youth Policy and accompanying Action Plan as her governments acknowledgement of the importance of youth involvement in the national development agenda.  She said, “when your leaders invest in your personal and professional development, as they did in mine many years ago when I was your age, and as they continue to do across the Americas, it is to guarantee a different – a better – world”.

The Model OAS is an excellent opportunity for young people to delve deeper into the issues that our hemisphere is grappling with at this time in our history, and it is also a window into our past as a region.

Ambassador closed her remarks by encouraging the participants to seize the opportunity to engage with their peers and to connect with each other. To take full advantage of all that this experience will offer them, and to do their respective countries proud as they debate real issues.

Grenada was represented by Springfield Township High School from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.