GINA Hargitay, Miss World Jamaica and Miss World Caribbean was the keynote speaker of the fourth pan-African youth leadership summit of the United Nations in Dakar, Senegal.

The summit addressed the topic of “Partnership Between the Youth of Africa and the African Diaspora — Solidarity for Development”.

At the beginning of her presentation, Gina delivered a message from the Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, which greeted the youth and spoke of the importance of education and development in alleviating youth unemployment.

In her speech, Hargitay addressed the importance of history in understanding the past so that we can more understand the present and the future.

She suggested that to develop ourselves we should learn about our ancient cultures, our values and our abilities as exceptional human beings, who have a rich heritage of achieving, dating back thousands of years.

Hargitay had a four-point solution to enhance solidarity among the youth of Africa and the Diaspora:

1. To develop a knowledge bank where they can keep each other abreast of topical developments ahead of the mainstream;

2. To form a working group of young people from Africa and the African Diaspora to critically review existing educational standards and offer proposals on how to improve those standards with practical options for the future;

3. To make use of the advantages of technology by developing a knowledge base together, and by creating digital exchanges that help move products, ideas, manufacturing and trade effectively and efficiently between nation states; and

4. To form an initiative for quality alternative manufacturing and production, whether it be quality furniture for the world, high fashion for local and foreign markets or organic foods for export.

She also suggested that creating an alliance between the African Football Federation (CAF) and the Caribbean and North American Football Federation (CONCACAF) might be a start to this promotion of the development of a relationship between the Youth of Africa and the Diaspora.

Hargitay’s speech was followed by a discussion that featured panelists from Africa and the African Diaspora.

They were John Yearwood, editor of the Miami Herald, representing the United States of America; Louis Martial Ndoumbe of France Planetary Session of the Pan-African Youth Leadership Summit representing Europe; Rokia Achal of Morocco representing North Africa; and Marie Tomoifo of Cameroon representing Central Africa. The Moderator was Zerihun Mammo, from the North African region.