150 St. Kitts and Nevis nationals receive US$9 million in scholarship funds from OAS over 25 years, says Starret Greene
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OAS Representative for St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starrett Greene addresses invited guests at the ceremony to mark the 25th Anniversary of the relationship with St. Kitts and Nevis |
ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 8, 2010 (CUOPM) – The 25-year relationship between the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Washington-based Organisation of American States (OAS) has been highlighted by Resident OAS Representative, Mr. Starret Greene.
“Between 1985 and 2009, approximately 150 nationals were awarded academic scholarships from the OAS Scholarship Programme, to pursue studies at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” Mr. Greene disclosed at a flag raising ceremony to mark the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the hemispheric organisation and the twin-island Federation.
Mr. Greene said that each scholarship was valued at US$30,000.00 per annum. “Assuming that each awardee received US$60,000.00 for two years of study, the OAS would have provided, during the period in question, US$9,000,000.00 in scholarship funds to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. This is equivalent to EC$24,300,000.00,” he said.
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A police officer raises the OAS flag on the grounds of the OAS Mission in St. Kitts and Nevis |
“Between 1998 and 2009, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis contributed US$61,200.00 to the voluntary fund for technical cooperation. In turn, the Federation received from this fund US$1,397,657.00, to implement some 30 projects. This represents a return of over 2000 percent, and it speaks volumes of the benefits that small States derive from their membership in the OAS,” said Mr. Greene.
Mr. Greene told invited guests that during a quarter of a century, the citizens of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis have benefited from a very productive partnership with the OAS and looking ahead towards another twenty-five years of partnership, there is the realisation that a new paradigm should chart the way forward.
“In this connection, due consideration should be given to (1) the changing geo-political landscape of the hemisphere (2) new approaches and mechanisms to further enhance and sustain the socio-economic gains of the population; and (3) the optimal use of the organization’s political currency in advancing its priority mandates. In this context, partnerships that were forged say twenty-five years ago seem ripe for renewal and perhaps even radical revision,” said the OAS Representative.