ST. KITTS – The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin, will address delegates from across the Hemisphere at a regional Conference on Youth Crime and Violence that will be chaired by the Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honorable Dr. Denzil Douglas. The event is scheduled to convene in St. Kitts, from June 22-23, 2009, at the Marriott Resort, in Frigate Bay.
Ambassador Ramdin remains a staunch supporter of the efforts by OAS member States to address the worrisome issue of youth crime and violence. In this connection, the OAS diplomat has been an integral part of the work of the General Secretariat, through its Department of Public Security (DPS), that focuses on assisting countries to improve the training for their law enforcement agencies and designing programs and projects that allow young people to direct their energies in meaningful and productive activities. The DPS also collaborates with countries to develop a combination of prevention, intervention and suppression strategies as well as to mobilize the requisite political and community resources to address gang problems.
Commenting on the importance of implementing strategies to address the issue of Youth Crime and Violence, Ambassador Ramdin said that prevention programs that promote self-esteem, respect for others and nonviolent conflict resolution could be an effective antidote to the culture of violence that seems to grip our region.
Discussions and presentations for the two-day event will, for the most part, focus on the theme of the conference “confronting the challenges of Youth Crime and Violence in Society: Defining a Multi-sectoral Response”. Also, participants will give attention to developing a comprehensive approach to crime and violence prevention in the region by advocating various strategies and best practices methods that have been advocated at the regional and international levels to deal with the phenomenon.
The delegation of the OAS General Secretariat to the conference will comprise of Ambassador Ramdin as Head, his Chief of Staff, Ms Sherry Tross, Mr. Charles Katz, representing the Department of Public Security and Mr. Starret Greene, resident OAS Representative to St. Kitts and Nevis.
