Press releases

2021/09/20 República Dominicana. – The Trust for the Americas, entidad sin fines de lucro afiliada a la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA), en alianza con Citi Foundation, anuncia la búsqueda de un socio local para el lanzamiento del Laboratorio de Innovación DIA en República Dominicana. El laboratorio busca fomentar la innovación y el emprendimiento en la juventud con la finalidad de que desarrollen soluciones creativas a desafíos socioeconómicos locales, a la vez que adquieren habilidades para la era digital y para el empleo.   ¿En qué consistirá el DIA Lab República Dominicana?  Este laboratorio, al igual que todos los pertenecientes a la red de laboratorios del programa DIA – Democratizando la Innovación en las Américas – se enfocará en promover la innovación y proporcionar a la juventud dominicana un plan de estudios personalizado centrado en la innovación. De igual forma, se brindará acceso a tecnología y equipos como impresoras 3D y microprocesadores; orientación por parte de agentes laborales; oportunidades de tutoría de la mano de profesionales en negocios; un ambiente de colaboración; y la oportunidad de concursar por fondos semilla, que permitan consolidar los proyectos más prometedores y disruptivos, desarrollados por los participantes.  ¿Qué labor realizará el socio local?     Con una subvención tope de US$80,000, The Trust for the Americas busca a una organización que tenga la capacidad técnica y operativa para implementar este proyecto de impacto social. Durante un año, y con el acompañamiento técnico de The Trust, el socio local capacitará a 200 jóvenes con espíritu emprendedor, brindará acceso a las instalaciones a miembros de la comunidad y desarrollará actividades y eventos como competencias Pitch Tank, Ideathones y Hackathones.  Ventajas para el socio local  Nuestra afiliación a la Organización de Estados Americanos provee una plataforma única de contactos a lo largo de todo el continente. Desde empresas del sector privado a oficinas e instituciones gubernamentales de la región. Asimismo, obtienen acceso a contenidos curriculares DIA y red de aliados. Además, cada socio local ha podido recibir visibilidad gracias a su presencia en nuestros canales de comunicación, como página web, redes sociales, comunicados de prensa, boletines y eventos.   ¿Crees que tienes lo que se necesita?   Te invitamos a enviar una propuesta antes del 05 de noviembre de 2021. Como socio local no sólo ayudarás a forjar a los jóvenes del mañana y mejorar su calidad de vida, sino que también podrás impulsar tu organización al ser un aliado de una ONG internacional.  Para obtener mayor información sobre el proyecto, revisar los requisitos, fechas clave y descargar el formulario, entra a https://www.trustfortheamericas.org/programs/dia/dia-dominican-republic-innovation-lab.   Cualquier duda adicional, puedes contactar a Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager DIA, a través del correo: RIriani@oas.org.  Sobre The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas es una entidad sin fines de lucro afiliada a la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA). Establecida en 1997 para promover alianzas público-privadas, The Trust ha implementado proyectos en 24 países y ha trabajado con más de 1,000 organizaciones en la región. Nuestras iniciativas buscan promover oportunidades educativas y económicas, así como la responsabilidad y transparencia del gobierno. Nuestra alianza única con la OEA nos permite tener acceso a los tomadores de decisiones dentro de la región. Esta asociación fundamental es la base a través de la cual creamos redes sólidas en todos los estados miembros y el sector privado. A través del desarrollo de nuestra región, The Trust continúa contribuyendo a superar los desafíos a través de alianzas estratégicas que promueven la cooperación para resultados sostenibles. www.trustfortheamericas.org República Dominicana

Belmopan-. At an event with the public sector, academia, civil society and youth, The Trust for the Americas, an NGO affiliated with the  Organization of  American States (OAS), wrapped up another chapter of the Open Government project “Transformation to an Open Public Administration in Belize”. These efforts, which aim to forward multisector collaboration and facilitate co-creation processes through social innovation, were implemented with the support of the US Embassy in Belmopan.  Among other guests, the event was attended by Hon. Kevin Bernard, Minister of Youth, Sports, and E-Governance; Mr. Jose Urbina, CEO of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and E-Governance; Mr. Osmond Martinez, CEO of the Ministry of Economic Development; Mr. Luiz Coimbra, Representative of the OAS Belize Office; Mr. Leroy Almendarez, Director of BELTRAIDE; Ms. Alexia Peralta, Incoming Director for the E-governance and Digitalization Unit in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and E-Governance; Mr. Paco Smith, Good Governance and Anti-Corruption External Relations Liaison of the Belize Peace Movement; Mr. Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager DIA of The Trust for the Americas;  Ms. Audrey Robin, Coordinator DIA Belize; and Ms. Christine Valerio, from the US Embassy in Belmopan. Mr. Jose Antonio García, Senior Regional Coordinator for the Americas at the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and Ms. Maricel Lonati, international expert and facilitator of the Belizean Open Government Action Plan, joined virtually.  Launched in 2019, the “Transformation to an Open Public Administration in Belize” project executed a series of webinars to promote an Open Government ecosystem in the country to strengthen its capacity towards transparency, participation, inclusion, and accountability; all crucial principles for the development of a National Open Government Action Plan.  During the event, Luiz Coimbra, OAS Representative in Belize, declared: “Open Government is the materialization of the right to access public information. It fosters citizen participation, a key element to consolidate democracy. Democracy by the citizens and for the citizens, where they not only want to receive information but also comment and participate in decision-making.”  In 2020, in collaboration with the Department for Effective Public Management of the OAS and international experts, The Trust for the Americas, through the DIA initiative, supported the process for developing Belize’s first Open Government Action Plan, which contributes to defining priority areas in which Open Government could add more value to post-COVID-19 recovery efforts.   For its formulation, 170 participants engaged in five public multistakeholder co-creation sessions. Belizean citizens were also encouraged to get involved, which resulted in the submission of 40 valuable inputs that were taken into consideration to establish seven final commitments:  1. Establishing Open Government education in Belize.  2. Open data strategy for decision making in Belize.  3. Open Government in health services.  4. Improving transparency with Open Government: strengthening civil society participation in compliance with anti-Corruption conventions.  5. Digitalization of citizen procedures to prevent corruption and improve  government’s accountability.  6. Ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the GOB in its climate action/Paris Climate Agreement obligations, with a view toward increasing food security.  7. Integrated forest management database development.  During his presentation, Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager of DIA at The Trust for the Americas, mentioned that “at DIA – Democratizing Innovation in the Americas, we believe in governments, civil society, private companies and communities working together to positively impact people’s lives. This includes opening up and using public data for improving decision making.”  For the past two years, the Trust for the Americas has invited Belizean youth to participate in Hackathon competitions to promote the use of information and technology in addressing local challenges. In doing so, the Hackathons are generating a collaborative environment to come up with disruptive ideas to support the recovery phase after COVID-19.  Mr. Jose Urbina, CEO of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and E-Governance, mentioned that “the pillars of Open Government and the use of emerging technologies to enhance public services are key. The use of data is imperative. Through this year’s regional Hackathon, Belizeans were engaged and challenged to solve community problems. We would like to champion this initiative moving forward,” while Mr. Osmond Martinez, CEO of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investment added that “Data has significant potential to provide innovative benefits for individuals, organizations and governments. We need to embrace these principles to solve the challenges we are facing in Belize. We are ready for Open Government and the action plan can successfully deliver that.”  For The Trust for the Americas, the Action Plan is a framework or reference that needs further consultation and improvement to continue Belize’s transformation to an open public administration. Nonetheless, the Action Plan surely represents a milestone in the journey the organization has embarked on to nurture the values of Open Government in the region.    About  The Trust for the Americas:   The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada.   More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org    Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas   Belize

Medellín, Colombia. (29 de agosto de 2019) — En el marco del III Foro Internacional STEM + H, Microempresas de Colombia, Socio Local de The Trust for the Americas, a través de su experiencia en la implementación del proyecto POETA YouthSpark; se vincula a este evento con la participación de Victoria Garzón, Directora del Sector Público de Microsoft, en el panel N° 2 ¿Por qué enfocar la educación de las niñas y mujeres en las disciplinas STEM?, como una forma de promover la equidad de género y la generación de oportunidades económicas y educativas en los jóvenes de la ciudad. El III Foro Internacional STEM + H, Escuelas para la Cuarta Revolución Industrial, es una iniciativa liderada por la Secretaría de Educación de Medellín, en donde se reflexionará acerca de “metodologías y experiencias STEM + H, sobre el cambio climático, las nuevas exploraciones de los estudiantes en carreras técnicas y profesionales, la educación de las mujeres en las disciplinas STEM y las visiones interdisciplinarias de la informática”[1]. Microempresas de Colombia es socio local de The Trust for the Americas desde el año 2011 con el Programa Mi Llave, y desde el año 2013, ha ejecutado el proyecto POETA YouthSpark, desarrollando capacidades en más de 3500 jóvenes, haciendo énfasis en mujeres jóvenes para que accedan a oportunidades económicas en educación, empleo y emprendimiento. Este proyecto es financiado por Microsoft Filantropía y busca empoderar a través de la tecnología a jóvenes en situación de vulnerabilidad en América Latina y el Caribe. Esto con el fin de facilitar oportunidades de educación, emprendimiento y empleo mediante capacitaciones integrales en alfabetización digital y ciencias de la computación. La cuarta revolución industrial, que integra áreas como inteligencia artificial, robótica, nanotecnología, ente otras; provocará la transformación generalizada de modelos de negocio y aprendizajes. creando un impacto en los mercados de trabajo de los próximos cinco años; por tal razón, el Proyecto POETA YouthSpark, busca empoderar, a través de la tecnología, a jóvenes en situación de vulnerabilidad en América Latina y el Caribe con el fin de facilitar oportunidades de educación, emprendimiento y empleo mediante capacitaciones integrales en alfabetización digital y ciencias de la computación. POETA YouthSpark busca promover el acceso y uso de la tecnología entre jóvenes de 16 – 29 años para equiparlos con habilidades que el mundo laboral del siglo XXI demanda. Así mismo, Maria Teresa Gómez Gallego, Directora Ejecutiva Microempresas de Colombia mencionó: “Resulta relevante la participación de empresas como Microsoft en este tipo de espacios de ciudad, ya que su experticia en proyectos sociales como POETA YouthSpark, aporta a la reflexión del rol de la mujer en entornos STEM, como espacios inclusivos en donde se asegure la equidad y el acceso, con las mismas posibilidades profesionales y laborales a la ciencia, la tecnología, la matemática, la ingeniería y las humanidades”. El panel se realizó el día 29 de agosto, en el Aula Magna de la Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana de la ciudad de Medellín, a las 11:00 a.m. Sobre The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas es una entidad sin fines de lucro afiliada a la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA). Establecida en 1997 para promover alianzas público-privadas, The Trust ha implementado proyectos en 24 países y ha trabajado con más de 1,000 organizaciones en la región. Nuestras iniciativas buscan promover oportunidades educativas y económicas, así como la responsabilidad y transparencia del gobierno. Nuestra alianza única con la OEA nos permite tener acceso a los tomadores de decisiones dentro de la región. Esta asociación fundamental es la base a través de la cual creamos redes sólidas en todos los estados miembros y el sector privado. A través del desarrollo de nuestra región, The Trust continúa contribuyendo a superar los desafíos a través de alianzas estratégicas que promueven la cooperación para resultados sostenibles. TheTrust for the Americas es una organización sin fines de lucro 501 (c) (3).    Visite: www.trustfortheamericas.org Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas [1] https://medellin.edu.co/foro-internacional-stem-h-2019 Colombia

2021/08/23 Kingston, Jamaica. For the last 6 years, The Trust for the Americas, in partnership with Citi Foundation, and the Institute of Law and Economics (ILE), has held a series of Pitch Tank Competitions as part of the DIA program to promote solutions that generate livelihood opportunities and good governance in the Caribbean by bringing together academia, civil society, government officials, private sector entities, entrepreneurs, and young innovators. The initiative’s goal also aims to continue nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship in Jamaican youth. On August 12th, the best 22 endeavors were presented with certificates and funding of up to USD 1,000 during a virtual event.     High level public and private representatives attended the virtual event including, Ms. Jamie-Ann Chevannes, Senior Director of the Youth & Adolescents Policy Division (YAPD) from Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, Youth & Information; Mrs. Linda Eddleman, Chief Executive Officer at The Trust for the Americas; Rodrigo Iriani,  Senior Program Manager DIA; Quimey del Rio, Senior Program Officer DIA; Dwayne Gutzmer, CEO of the Institute of Law & Economics; and Shanae Owen, Project Officer and Lab Coordinator of ILE.  Ms. Chevannes, Senior Director of the Youth & Adolescents Policy Division from Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, Youth & Information Youth’s Division, commented: “I embrace all efforts done by the participants, especially in the field of sustainable agriculture. Due to the food security crisis that we face in Jamaica, we seek to encourage our youth to get involved and invest in activities that support agricultural production, capacity building, goods and services, logistics and value addition as service providers and entrepreneurs.”  Linda Eddleman, Chief Executive Officer at The Trust for the Americas, stated: “Our DIA program has been fostering innovation and empowering new generations to engage in social and economic ventures for 6 years. And this competition is one of the most popular and highly anticipated events of the work done in Jamaica. All the participants have gone through weeks of rigorous boot camp training sessions to polish their venture concepts, presentation skills, and pitching abilities. We applaud all winners for producing out-of-the-box ideas that will boost and support their community development.”   The DIA program has supported more than 100 participants with funding for their projects. Over USD 44,000 has been granted to kick start enterprises related to renewable fuel alternatives, data collection software, gender equality, sustainable agriculture, recycling, digital marketing, beauty and self-care, and more in the last two years  Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager DIA at The Trust for the Americas shared: “I am glad to say that this year 14 projects received USD 1,000.00 in seed-funding grants and other 8 initiatives received re-investment to take their ventures to the next level, which demonstrates the immense potential we have in our Lab, and how the guidance and leadership from the experts at the ILE team can have a positive impact in transforming an idea into reality. It also reminds us of how important it is to keep working despite the challenges we faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.”   Through access to technology, collaborative spaces, training, and competitive seed funds, the DIA Innovation Lab, Citi Foundation, and The Trust for the Americas have benefited the lives of over 2,238 youngsters.  Since 2016, Jamaican youth have acquired tools to develop their business ideas or create social projects to address local challenges.  — About The Trust for the Americas:   The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada.   More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org    Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas   Jamaica

2021/08/23 Washington DC – The Trust for the Americas, an NGO affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), through its DIA (Democratizing Innovation in the Americas) program, has partnered with Global LACChain Alliance, to create and promote blockchain-based solutions to positively impact Latin America and the Caribbean, and to advance their common goal of improving public services and the quality of life of citizens through the use of technology.   Alongside Global LACChain Alliance, an initiative led by the Innovation Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB Lab) to develop the blockchain ecosystem in the region, The Trust for the Americas seeks to assess good practices and explore opportunities to propose solutions related to public-permissioned blockchains. It also aims to raise awareness about the advantages of emerging technologies for governments by facilitating workshops, webinars, bootcamps, among other collaboration spaces.   This alliance will strengthen and expand the impact of the blockchain solutions implemented by The Trust for the Americas and OSCity in two municipalities (Quepos and Grecia) in Costa Rica in 2020. These blockchain pilots, for the certification of commercial and liquor patents, not only facilitate the process of emission of certifications but also increases government transparency and accountability.  Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager of DIA, states: “The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the need for technology solutions and nurtured the development of a vibrant GovTech ecosystem. Our first pilot projects using blockchain technology for commercial permits in two municipalities of Costa Rica show the potential of making government services transparent and efficient. The partnership with LACChain represents the possibility to expand and sustain these initiatives over time”.  With this collaboration, The Trust for the Americas keeps fostering the use of technology and open data to enhance government capacities benefiting society; and it has become one of the 54 allies of the LACChain Alliance that aims to support public-private partnerships and blockchain-based solutions in 15 countries in the region.  About The Trust for the Americas:   The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada.   More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org    Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas

July 24th, 2021. The Trust for the Americas, an NGO affiliated to the Organization of American States (OAS), keeps nurturing innovation and Open Government in the region with the competition “Byte the π: Caribbean Hackathon”. This virtual hackathon invited public sector and civil society participants from Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago, to use Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) to develop disruptive ideas that help foster post COVID-19 recovery efforts.  The event (link) was organized in collaboration with the Developing the Caribbean (DevCa) initiative, The Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) of Trinidad and Tobago, the Institute of Law and Economics (ILE) of Jamaica, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), the Ministry of Youth, Sports & E-Governance of Belize, The Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), The Belize Tourism Board (BTB), and the OAS National Office in Belize; with the financial support of Citi Foundation and the United States of America Embassy in Belmopan.      The hackathon focused on the “Open Response + Open Recovery for COVID-19″ campaign, which seeks to highlight Open Government fundamental values, such as transparency, participation, inclusion, and accountability. All crucial for the recovery phase. With this in mind, the 60 participants, divided into 18 teams, were encouraged to use the given 48 hours to come up with solutions that address everyday local challenges in the following two areas of work: economic recovery through tourism, and access to health care, in particular COVID-19 testing and vaccination facilities.   “COVID 19 has presented the world with significant challenges and opportunities. However, as the world begins to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, through vaccinations and subsidence of restrictions, a new trial faces us: economic recovery. Hackathons have historically provided a means of sparking collaboration between problem seekers and solvers. In resource-constrained environments, facilitating these interactions and conversations can be challenging and therefore require creative approaches to motivate stakeholders to have a conversation”, stated Mr. Miguel Andrews, CARIRI Calibration Lab Manager.  “We believe that there are many opportunities in the current digital ecosystem to face these economic and health care challenges, and the work done by the participants was proof of that.  Also, the young hackers, theorizers, and doers were benefited from expert coaching and mentoring, industry expert guidance, and curated domain open dataset starter kits to assist in their solution development. With the DIA – Democratizing Innovation in the Americas program, we aim to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship by enabling Caribbean youth to create community improvement solutions integrating ICTs in a virtual, safe, and collaborative environment.”, shared Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager of DIA at The Trust for the Americas.     A panel of judges, formed by Mrs. Alexia Peralta, incoming Director for the E-Governance and Digitalization Unit in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and E-Governance of Belize; Mr. Leroy Almendarez, Director of the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE); Mr. Luiz Octavio Coimbra, OAS Representative in Belize; Mrs. Gena Foster, Medical Doctor for the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Jamaica; Mr. Jeevan Persad, member of the Faculty of Engineering at The University of The West Indies (UWI); Keyan Murdock, Customer Relation Personnel for First Global Bank Jamaica; Mrs. Bryanna Chang, Field Service Analyst for Nestle Corporation Jamaica; Mr. Dale Wilson, Chief of Information of Teleios Systems Limited; and Mrs. Kemby Ross Jones, Founder of Rent My Tutor, assessed every presented pitch based on technologies used, utility, target audience and reach, problem-solving capability, novelty, visual appeal, and financial sustainability.   To recognize the hard work, creativity and proactivity of participants, cash prizes of USD 800 were awarded to the first place of Belize and Jamaica, whereas USD 625 were granted to the winner of Trinidad and Tobago.   “Byte the π: Caribbean Hackathon”, celebrated on “Pi Approximation Day”, is the second annual hackathon produced by The Trust for The Americas, through the DIA program, to achieve its goal of empowering, connecting and inspiring youth, academia, multi-sector innovators and entrepreneurs to help generate livelihood opportunities, promote good governance, and strengthen democracy by nourishing innovation across the region.    —  About  The  Trust for the Americas:   The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada.   More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org    Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas Belize – Jamaica – Trinidad & Tobago

July 28, 2021 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – AES Puerto Rico, in partnership with The Trust for the Americas, implemented the “Empowering Innovative Entrepreneurship” Project. Through this initiative and a series of training sessions, 96 people strengthened their businesses and microenterprises. Over the course of four months, the participants received training in digital and business tools, managerial and administrative skills, as well as personalized mentoring for new entrepreneurs. The sessions were conducted virtually. Regarding the initiative, Jesús Bolinaga, Market Business Leader in Puerto Rico, commented, “AES’s commitment to the island’s communities has always been strong, and this year we reaffirmed it. Entrepreneurs deserve our support to continue their growth and business development. This round of workshops highlights developments and innovations that, despite being in the early stages of implementation, demonstrate great potential to impact the region with their business models.” In addition to the training sessions, 10 participants will receive a financial incentive, and 10 more will receive specialized mentoring focused on business acceleration. This support will help entrepreneurs accelerate their ventures based on an analysis of their businesses“ strengths and weaknesses. This will enable them to align their businesses with current market opportunities. With this support, the ”Empowering Innovative Entrepreneurship“ Program will support new business ideas and existing microenterprises through a comprehensive training process using innovation methodologies. Linda Eddleman, Executive Director at The Trust for the Americas, noted that ”since 2018, we have been working with the AES Puerto Rico Corporation to support entrepreneurs.  Together, we have offered training in technological tools so that more people can start their own businesses and achieve financial independence. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy. It means taking a leap of faith in oneself. That’s why I want to congratulate the 96 entrepreneurs who have been part of this project.” Over the years, the partnership between AES Puerto Rico and The Trust for the Americas has benefited more than 200 people, who have strengthened their businesses through training and financial incentives, while others have received support through specialized mentoring. The winners will be selected from a group of 28 finalists. The jury will consist of Madelka McCalla, VP, Global Stakeholder Relations and Social Impact, The AES Corporation; Jesús Bolinaga, Market Business Leader, The AES Corporation; Carmen Ely Otero, Deputy Director of Social Action in Puerto Rico; Felix Cotto Febo, Cooperative Development Commission, Government of Puerto Rico; Cameron McKenzie, President of the Young Entrepreneurs Committee of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce; and Luz Marina Correa, Project Manager for The Trust for the Americas at the Organization of American States. The winners will be announced on July 29, 2021, via Facebook: The Trust for the Americas and Twitter: @Trust4Americas. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). Established in 1997 to promote public-private partnerships, The Trust has implemented projects in 24 countries and has worked with more than 1,000 organizations in the region. Our initiatives seek to promote educational and economic opportunities, as well as government accountability and transparency. Our unique partnership with the OAS gives us access to decision-makers throughout the region. This vital partnership is the foundation through which we build strong networks across all member states and the private sector. As our region develops, The Trust continues to help overcome challenges through strategic partnerships that foster cooperation for sustainable results. www.trustfortheamericas.org About AES Puerto Rico AES-PR is a subsidiary of AES Corporation (NYSE:AES), a global energy company. AES Corporation operates a portfolio of 34,000 MW, diversified by fuel type, including more than 3,000 MW in solar and wind projects that are either operational or under construction. AES-PR provides safe, reliable energy at the lowest cost. Currently, AES-PR produces approximately 25% of Puerto Rico’s electricity. AES-PR’s operations contribute to the island’s economy by generating 110 direct jobs and 600 indirect jobs, providing significant employment opportunities.  AES-PR has diversified the island’s energy production through AES Ilumina, a 20-MW solar facility. AES Corp. has set an ambitious goal: to reduce coal-fired generation in its portfolio to less than 10% by the year 2030. Puerto Rico

The Trust for the Americas, in collaboration with Microsoft, UTSC, UNILEHU, and CILSA, will host this year’s “Trust Inclusion Week” virtually. Washington, D.C., July 22, 2021.—The Trust for the Americas, an institution affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), through the POETA Program, will host “Trust Inclusion Week”: an informative event that will address key issues regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities in educational, workplace, and cultural settings, as well as the role of technology in these areas. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15 % of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Of these, nearly 190 million face functional limitations and frequently require assistance services. For this reason, The Trust for the Americas, in collaboration with Microsoft, the Santa Catarina Technological University (UTSC), the Free University for Human Efficiency (UNILEHU), CILSA (an NGO for Inclusion), and the ICT and Disability Consulting Firm, will join forces to share best practices for transforming our spaces into places that are truly accessible to everyone. Lourdes Serrano, Project Coordinator for Trust for the Americas in Mexico, explained that “Currently, we do not have enough public policies that guarantee the full development of the entire population, promoting inclusion and accessibility in various environments and places, so that people with disabilities are fully integrated into society. Hence the need to encourage everyone to participate actively to ensure equal opportunities for people in their daily lives.” The Trust Inclusion Week will be held virtually via platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Facebook Live, and the Trust for the Americas Virtual Classroom. Topics to be covered include, among others, “Accessible Technologies from Microsoft,” “Empowerment and Rights of People with Disabilities (PwD),” “Strategies for Inclusive Education in Both In-Person and Virtual Settings,” “Accessibility in Audiovisual Media: A Gateway to Culture and Entertainment,” “Sustainability: The Power of Differences,” and “Technologies for Inclusion from CILSA’s ”Desarrollar Inclusión’ portal.” For more information and details on the agenda, dates, times, and speakers, visit https://bit.ly/3xSb0Es https://www.trustfortheamericas.org/programs/POETA Facebook: The Trust for the Americas Twitter: @Trust4Americas About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). Established in 1997 to promote public-private partnerships, The Trust has implemented projects in 24 countries and has worked with more than 1,000 organizations in the region. Our initiatives seek to promote educational and economic opportunities, as well as government accountability and transparency. Our unique partnership with the OAS gives us access to decision-makers throughout the region. This vital partnership is the foundation through which we build strong networks across all member states and the private sector. Through the development of our region, The Trust continues to help overcome challenges through strategic partnerships that promote cooperation for sustainable results. Argentina – Brazil – Costa Rica – Mexico

July 13, 2021.- The Trust for the Americas, an NGO affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), is excited to launch the recruitment process for “Byte the π: Caribbean Hackathon,” an annual virtual hackathon competition making its regional debut in Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Participants from the public sector and civil society will develop innovative ideas to promote the “Open Response + Open Recovery for COVID-19” campaign. These ideas aim to highlight the fundamental values of Open Government: transparency, participation, inclusion, and accountability—all of which are essential for post-COVID recovery efforts.  This virtual hackathon is organized in collaboration with the Developing the Caribbean (DevCa) initiative, the Citi Foundation, the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) of Trinidad and Tobago, the Institute of Law and Economics (ILE) of Jamaica, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), the Ministry of Youth, Sports & E-Governance of Belize, the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), the Ministry of Health and Wellness of Belize, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), and the OAS National Office in Belize; with financial support from the Embassy of the United States of America in Belmopan.       To celebrate “Pi Approximation Day,” this 48-hour event will begin on July 22 and will serve as a hub for innovative ideas, focused on:  This year’s competition will award cash prizes to the top three finalists in each country—those who excel at developing a sustainable solution to minimize an identified problem.   For Belize and Jamaica: For Trinidad and Tobago: If you are tech-savvy with coding and/or hacking skills, and you think you have what it takes to win, please register. Each team must have between two and four members to participate.   “Byte the π: Caribbean Hackathon” is one of the many initiatives developed by The Trust for the Americas, through its DIA—Democratizing Innovation in the Americas—program, with the goal of continuing to nurture innovation and foster open governance in Latin America and the Caribbean.  To learn more about the projects and the winner, register here to watch the pitches and jury deliberations online during our Closing Ceremony on Saturday, July 24, at 11:00 a.m. Washington, D.C., time.  The event will also be broadcast LIVE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Trust4Americas For any additional information on how to enter the competition, please contact: arobin@20.9.190.97 Belize – Jamaica – Trinidad and Tobago

The current situation has shown us that entrepreneurship increasingly represents an opportunity to achieve economic independence.  Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations warned that “114.4 million people were pushed into extreme poverty, 57.8 million of whom are women and girls. ”This situation deals a severe blow to poverty reduction efforts worldwide.“ In light of this scenario, The Trust for the Americas, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), is launching the initiative ”Bootcamp – Empowering Your Business“ initiative in Brazil and simultaneously across Latin America, with the goal of fostering entrepreneurship and strengthening the entrepreneurial mindset of individuals interested in starting and/or growing their businesses, based on a dynamic and challenging learning experience.  Valentina Coley, facilitator, CEO, and co-founder of Cubo Social, explained that ”the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is a unique space we created based on the expectations and needs of entrepreneurs, the maturity level of their ventures, current social challenges, and the main trends in technical and essential skills associated with an entrepreneurial mindset.” The program will have limited spots available for women and men between the ages of 18 and 60. The sessions will be both synchronous and asynchronous, and participants will be challenged to understand entrepreneurship as a means of building life projects and as a path to financial independence.  The first event, which took place on June 30, was an informational session where participants had the opportunity to learn, in detail, about this interesting training experience and how to implement new tools in their own businesses.   What will participants learn? Assertive communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, sales mindset, value proposition, digital marketing, and neurofinance in entrepreneurship, among other topics.   Upon completion of the Bootcamp, 50 entrepreneurs will have access to specialized mentoring; participants will be selected based on their compliance and commitment to the activities.  At the end of the Bootcamp, 50 entrepreneurs will have access to specialized mentors; they will be selected based on their commitment and participation in activities throughout the 8-week initiative, which begins on July 12. Registration is open until July 7 and can be completed at this link: https://bit.ly/3jatwmN For more information, visit: Visit:  https://www.trustfortheamericas.org/programs/POETA/poeta-digispark Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter: @Trust4Americas About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). Established in 1997 to promote public-private partnerships, The Trust has implemented projects in 24 countries and has worked with more than 1,000 organizations in the region. Our initiatives seek to promote educational and economic opportunities, as well as government accountability and transparency. Our unique partnership with the OAS allows us to engage with decision-makers throughout the region. This vital partnership is the foundation through which we build strong networks across all member states and the private sector. As our region develops, The Trust continues to help overcome challenges through strategic partnerships that foster cooperation for sustainable results. www.trustfortheamericas.org Argentina – Brazil – Chile – Colombia – Costa Rica – Ecuador – El Salvador – Guatemala – Honduras – Mexico – Nicaragua – Panama – Peru – Dominican Republic – Venezuela