Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports

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Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange, today (April 17), signed an agreement with Korea, through the Korean Agency for International Co-operation (KOICA), at the Ministry in New Kingston.

Miss Grange explained that this agreement, which allows Korea to undertake several projects in Jamaica, would assist with the Youth Employment and Empowerment Training project.

"We will see out of this signing, the construction of two youth information centres as well as the provision of computers and computer-related equipment to the National Secondary Schools Student Councils and also the upgrading of facilities at two youth training sites and upgrading the capabilities of the National Youth Service," she informed.

She noted that the centres, which would be established in Westmoreland and Manchester, "will play extremely important roles in assisting our youths in the parishes in which they will be established. and certainly the national youth service centres will benefit tremendously."

A major part of the objectives of the project is to help with the reduction of crime and to channel young people into positive behaviour, by moving them away from anti-social behaviour, the Minister emphasized.

She argued that a move such as this was very important, as young persons were facing many challenges; therefore, "if we can provide positive things and positive tools which will occupy our young people, train them, educate them and develop their skills in a positive way, it augurs well for the future of the country. This morning is a step in empowering our young people."

The Minister pointed out that the signing of the agreement was in keeping with meeting the Millennium goals, which include the eradication of extreme poverty, reduction of infant and child mortality, improvement of maternal health, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and the development of a global partnership.

"These two centres and the signing this morning will all work towards achieving those goals," she added.

Korean Ambassador, Hosung Lee, who signed the agreement along with the Minister and representatives from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the National Youth Service, said that Korea and Jamaica have worked closely together in the area of development co-operation for the past 45 years.

"The Korean government has provided Jamaica with various development assistance programmes in sharing Korean development experiences with Jamaican people and contributing to Jamaica's socio-economic development. It includes project-type aid for vocational training centres, shrimp cultivation farms, provision of equipment and the dispatch of experts," the Ambassador said.

He pointed out that through this project, Jamaicans would be able to learn about Information Technology (IT) that Korea has developed. "By sharing the Korean model, expertise and technologies, we hope to contribute to effective development of the youth empowerment and employment system and policy of Jamaica," Mr. Lee added.

Reverend Adinhair Jones, Executive Director of the National Youth Service, one of the signatories, said that "this occasion signals an important platform in youth development in Jamaica, where information communication technology is concerned."

He explained that from conception, the programme took on a strategic role, to not only facilitate young people accessing the IT infrastructure but to "make it a vehicle of social development and personal development, and hence, there has been a coherent approach which brought together the National Centre for Youth Development and the National Youth Service, framed within the funding context given by the Korean Mission."

Marsha Woolcock, Senior Project Economist at the PIOJ, and Ji Hi Kim, Director of KOICA, were also participants in the signing.

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