Eighty students from Taiwan and Saint Lucia participated in a Youth Forum on Thursday, September 7, 2023, which aimed to explore their business potential.
The Youth Forum was held at the Finance Administration Centre in Pointe Seraphine, Castries.
Held under the theme, “Youth Innovation, Taiwan & St. Lucia Take Action”, the Youth Forum featured 40 Taiwanese students from the Youth Ambassador Programme, 20 youths/entrepreneurs who are participants of the Youth Economy Agency programme, and 20 students from the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC).
Topics included sharing successful cases of Taiwanese and Saint Lucian young people turning hobbies into businesses or successful cases on regional revitalization, and discussing the point of views from Taiwanese and Saint Lucian youths on what business opportunities exist in Taiwan and Saint Lucia, and how to explore them.
At the event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Youth Economy Agency (YEA) and Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) aimed at exploring opportunities to strengthen existing cooperation on youth and women economic empowerment.
His Excellency Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, spoke at the opening ceremony, noting that Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre’s Youth Economy to create an economy for the young dovetails with Taiwan’s own youth development agenda. He also spoke of the collaboration between both Governments to create job opportunities for Saint Lucians.
“In November 2021, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Lucia signed the Letter of Intent of “Assisting Economic Recovery and Empowerment of Youth and Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Post-COVID-19 Era” to facilitate the turning of hobbies into entrepreneurship and skills into business,” Ambassador Chen recalled. “We worked closely with Youth Economy Agency since its establishment by the Government of Saint Lucia this year. Over 300 youths and women have been benefited from our programme and there are more pursuing their dreams as well as committing to their business venture.”
Ambassador Chen thanked Hon. Prime Minister Pierre for his visionary leadership and commitment to carve out a unique space for youth entrepreneurship and business growth. He also commended Hon. Kenson Casimir, Minister for Youth Development and Sports, for his continuous dedication to the development of youth and sports, saying it is one of the best approaches to youths’ capacity building.
“I would also like to thank all 40 Youth Ambassadors for flying across the Pacific Ocean to come here to promote Taiwanese culture, to build up friendship between Taiwan and Saint Lucian youths,” Ambassador Chen continued. “I believe all of you can be inspired and gain valuable insight from each other. Hope you have a comprehensive and fruitful discussion and takeaway today.”
Prime Minister Pierre said the Youth Economy was intended to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy when it comes to the business environment, thereby allowing more flexibility and attracting more youths into entrepreneurship.
“It had to be flexible, it had to be agile, and it had to bring opportunity for young people,” Hon. Pierre said. “It has a philosophical underpinning; it’s not just a place to go and do business, it has a philosophy. It’s based on an ideology, a philosophy that says that you must create opportunity.”
Meanwhile, Hon. Kenson Casimir, Minister for Youth Development and Sports, welcomed the Youth Forum, noting that Government had been working apace to create employment opportunities for especially young Saint Lucians.
“We’ve been successful under the stewardship of Hon. Prime Minister (Pierre) to have one of the biggest reductions in unemployment in our nation’s history as we are currently experiencing,” he said. “One of the ways the Prime Minister has identified, and the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports has truly identified of tackling issues of unemployment is through investing in our nation’s youth.”
The Youth Ambassador Programme plays a vital role in promoting intercultural understanding between Taiwan and Saint Lucia, fostering personal growth, and nurturing a generation of global citizens who are equipped to address the challenges and embrace the opportunities of an interconnected world.