The Diplomat
The State Secretary for Ibero-America, the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, Juan Fernández Trigo, yesterday inaugurated the 18th edition of the Young Ibero-American Leaders Programme, organised by the Carolina Foundation and Banco Santander.
The programme, which has been held annually since 2002, involves 25 young people from 19 Ibero-American countries, who will have the opportunity to meet with senior government officials and executives from the country’s leading private entities over a two-week period until the 30th.
The young people, who have been selected for their commitment to the societies in which they live and for having outstanding academic records, will complete an agenda that will take them, in addition to Madrid, to Malaga and Brussels.
With them, more than 650 young Ibero-Americans have taken part in the programme over the 17 years it has been running.
At the opening ceremony, held this morning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Juan Fernández Trigo welcomed the participants, highlighting the importance of the programme, “which is a success,” he said, “because it allows us to address the people who may be at the forefront of Latin America in the immediate future”.
For her part, Victoria Zausti, Director of Global Scholarship Programmes and Corporate Agreements in the Social Impact area of Santander Universities, encouraged the participants to make the most of the programme, and reminded them. “You have a very high level agenda that will surely help you to be a driving force for change in your countries”.
Next, José Antonio Sanahuja, Director of the Carolina Foundation, in his inaugural conference, underlined the importance of cooperation with Latin America and the role that the institution he directs plays in Spain’s external action.
The 18th edition of the Young Ibero-American Leaders programme aims to address, debate and reflect on the three transitions that are emerging in response to the current social challenges and the transitions that need to be addressed in the digital, ecological and socio-economic spheres, according to a press release from the Carolina Foundation.
Both the European Union and Latin American countries have articulated a series of commitments to address these transformations, many of which were already included in global agreements such as the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said the Foundation.
During yesterday’s event, the young people met with the general director and vice-president of Fundación Repsol, Antonio Calçada, and attended a workshop on Gender Justice with Manuela Mesa, director of CEIPAZ-Fundación Cultura de Paz; Cecilia Güemes, associate researcher at the Carolina Foundation and professor of Political Science at the UAM; and Andrea Mila, researcher at the Carolina Foundation.
The Carolina Foundation is part of the Spanish development cooperation system. It was established in 2000 as an institution for the promotion of cultural relations and educational and scientific cooperation between Spain and the countries of the Ibero-American Community of Nations. Since its creation, it has awarded more than 18,000 scholarships and research grants to Ibero-American university students.
