Taiwan Donates for World Youth Conference

In less than two weeks over two hundred youths from around the world will gather in Belize for the World Youth Conference. The conference will convene national, regional and international youth leaders under the theme: “Globally running to 2030, Becoming Sustainably Strong” from November sixth to the ninth at the Princess Hotel in Belize City. The conference will include panels, round table discussions, professional development workshop and musical/cultural presentations on various community, national, global and international issues on youth and sustainable development.  It is huge undertaking and highly anticipated event for youth leaders across the world and to execute the event will cost up to two hundred and seventy thousand dollars. The Taiwan embassy wanted to contribute to the endeavor and handed over a cheque to the Department of Youth Services today.

Charles Liu

Charles Liu, Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize

“This is a United Nations activity and I think this is the first world youth conference held in Belize in this part of the world and there is going to be youths from more than thirty countries about two hundred fifty youths from around the world will come to Belize to participate in this conference. I am also very thankful to the DPM and the Department of Youth to give the Embassy of Taiwan to be a part of this conference so we will welcome the youths from the world to come to Belize. So when the world youth come to Belize they can get involved, integrate and immerse in the life of Belize and then they will have a better understanding of Belize. That’s why when the youths come to Belize, Belize can come out to the world and I think it is a good opportunity for the youths to come here to experience the hospitality, the friendship of Belize people.”

Andrea Polanco

“So, Ambassador, talk to us now about the value of the cheque handed over to the DYS?”

Charles Liu

“The conference cost a lot of money and we only are contributing a part of it, which is twenty-five thousand Belize dollars, as a chance to be part of the partners to make the conference a successful one.”

Dominique Noralez, Acting President, National Youth Council of Belize

“It is of course a huge donation and we are very grateful for it. It will help us basically with logistical costs; getting young people from across our country and getting speakers to come in as well. So, it will help us in the technical capacity and as well in our logistical capacity. So, to cover costs of course as we know we are living in a strained economy but it will help us great in that aspect as well.”

Andrea Polanco

“This conference will be cost – have you guys put together a budget of how much it will cost to put it on?”

Dominique Noralez

Dominique Noralez

“It cost somewhere about two hundred and seventy thousand Belize dollars so the donation from Taiwan will help cover a large chunk of that so that is kinda of the budge we are working with.”

Andrea Polanco

“In terms of the conference itself, how many youth leaders are you expecting from around the world?”

Dominique Noralez

“In terms of young leaders, we are expecting about 200-250 from across the world, including our Belizean youth leaders. So, representation from the Middle East, South America, Caribbean, North America, Asia – all around the world. So, we are expecting a little bit more than 200 people from around the world.”

Andrea Polanco

“How is the planning coming along?”

Dominique Noralez

“The planning is going well. We have some T’s to cross and some I’s to dot but we are going to be ready on November sixth.”