BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Federation’s Organisation of American States (OAS) Representative, Starret Greene, recently expressed satisfaction at the work undertaken by his organisation during the past year to enhance human development in St. Kitts and Nevis.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Greene reflected on the organisation’s 2008 achievements and provided background on a number of its projects.
According to the OAS Representative, the organisation was focused on addressing the priority areas that were put forward by the government, which include education, social development, sustainable tourism development, renewable energy and its scholarship and loan programmes.
In an effort to enable local artisans to take greater advantage of the expanding opportunities within the tourism sector, the OAS commenced the SOURCE (Supporting Our Caribbean Enterprises) Project, an initiative aimed at enhancing their marketing capacity and product quality.
Additionally, the organisation collaborated with the Ministry of Education to develop a special education curriculum. Greene informed that the curriculum would focus heavily on teacher training and the development of a syllabus tailored to the needs of persons with mental disabilities.
In the energy arena, Greene reinforced the OAS’ commitment to helping the Federation develop alternative and renewable energy sources in order to reduce its dependence on oil imports.
“The OAS collaborated with the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and gave its members legal and technical advice related to the exploration and development of geothermal energy.
Additionally, we completed the preliminary draft of a feasibility study that deals with construction of a transmission line between St. Kitts and Nevis in order to transport energy between the two islands,” he revealed.
Greene further stated that the OAS had advised the local government on the possibility of developing wind energy and bio energy and had drafted legislation to govern its development.
He reassured that the OAS “would continue to do its part to serve the needs of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis throughout 2009 and beyond”.
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