Tired of the Depressing Nightly News? This DC Conference Promotes Positive Solutions for a Change
Read All PostsToo often, the media only offers up the negative stories, focusing on narratives of violence, corruption, drugs, or conflict. So I pay particular attention when I hear about positive change—especially when it relates to young people. Just yesterday, I read about Sabino Mendoza, a young man living in the mountains of Peru who started out with plenty of strikes against him. One of nine children, he grew up in a poor farming community, and his father, who could not read or write, really struggled to support the family. But Sabino was undaunted by his impoverished circumstances, and after high school, he enrolled in a job training and entrepreneurship program, and has used his new skills to open up his own clothing store. Sitting behind his new sewing machine, surrounded by the clothes he has helped to produce, it’s clear Sabino is charting a new and positive path in his young life. His huge smile tells it all.
Sabino’s story reminded me of another good news moment I had recently. A month or so ago, I visited Ciudad Juarez, one of the most violent cities in Mexico, to attend the launch of one of our programs. I admit I was a bit concerned about going, given all the reports of drug-related murders that have been so prominent in the news lately. Yet when I arrived, I met some extraordinary young people who are leading efforts in their communities, bringing with them their unbounded enthusiasm, innovative ideas, and determination to change the direction of their lives, and their city.
Next week, I’m looking forward to attending a two-day event in Washington DC that will highlight many other successful efforts in Latin America that are improving the prospects of at risk youth from the region. an event that has attracted top leaders from Washington DC as well as development experts and civil society organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean, The Youth Partnerships Employability Conference is being hosted by the International Youth Foundation in partnership with the Multilateral Investment Fund, USAID, and the US Department of State. And while the subject matter will tackle the very real challenges of youth unemployment and marginalization in that region—it will do so in the context of offering solutions—highlighting best practices and proven programs that have already shown progress in helping young people get decent jobs or start their own businesses. The goal here is to focus the discussion on what we’ve learned from these successful efforts and how to scale them up—so that more young entrepreneurs like Sabino and more young leaders like those in Ciudad Juarez can be productive citizens and help rebuild their communities.
So stay tuned, as I report on next week’s Conference—and listen in on the panels and discussions that are taking place, and talk with the young leaders who are contributing to this important dialogue. Remember—this is the good news. It’s worth listening to.