The Ministry of Youth is getting ready to present the 28th edition of the National Youth Award, a ceremony which this year will be held in Santiago de los Caballeros on January 31, National Youth Day, dedicated to the environment and climate change, and will be attended by President Luis Abinader, the Minister of Youth Rafael Jesús Féliz García, among other high-ranking officials.
The results of the call for entries for this edition indicate that a total of 498 young people from all over the country applied for the National Youth Award. This is the largest number ever for this award, organized by the Ministry of Youth.
As for the national evaluation committees of the NYP, these were composed of high-level figures, who chose a total of 192 applicants and then the Executive Committee of the NYP selected 45. From this group come the 15 winners in the various categories and who will be recognized that night.
Luis Antonio Tejada, national coordinator of the National Youth Award, explained that the management of Féliz García in the Ministry of Youth during the last three years is committed to making the National Youth Award a paradigmatic exercise that goes beyond the limits of a tradition to become an event of justice and a permanent legacy in Dominican social history.
“The call, which exceeded expectations, evidences the return to credibility once again of all Dominican youth in the National Youth Award, making the management of Minister Rafael Féliz García a historic milestone, for having revolutionized in a comprehensive manner the exercise of meritocracy that makes manifest the Dominican State, in each young person who stands out in all areas of national and international development,” expressed Tejeda.
The number surpassed the previous edition in which 470 young people from all over the country applied and established at that time a record with the highest number of applicants.
Tejeda also emphasized that Dominican youth have enthusiastically welcomed the call of the NPC, where a novel ingredient appears as the valuation of the young diaspora, which does a thriving work in the development of projects, goals, initiatives and functions in international territory.
“More than 40 young Dominicans from the European continent, as well as Mexico and North America (NY, Boston, Miami, New Jersey) were recognized in an unprecedented event developed abroad,” he said.
Evaluation process
The National Evaluation Committee received the profiles of the finalists from the provinces and in an extended debate held in the facilities of the Instituto Superior CEF Santo Domingo decided to choose the last 45 finalists, after discussing the quality of the participants’ performances and the projects presented, actions and discoveries, as well as the national impact of the facts that consolidate each action shown in the profiles. For the final result, each provincial committee decided to choose the best profile as a finalist in each category presented in their province.
The representations were made up of local personalities of high connotation in public life and the private business sector in each province, as well as a number of independent entities linked to youth and social commitment in the country.
The high-level jury was also made up of representatives from institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Dominican Agribusiness Board, Banco Agrícola, Acción Empresarial para la Educación – Educa, Carmen Heredia de Guerrero, the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, the Ministry of Education, Cruz Jiminián Foundation, the Mescyt, the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), the Association of University Rectors, Synergies Corporation Group and Cisama Foundation, the Dominican College of Journalists, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Fuerza del Pueblo (FL) and Opción Democrática.
Also, the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE), Sur Futuro Foundation, Ministry of Environment, Rotary International Rep. Dom., Mepyd-CASFL, Universidad Iberoamericana, Ministry of Culture, UASD and the General Directorate of Fine Arts.
In addition, the Junior Chamber International, Parlacen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Dominicans Abroad, Vice Minister Carlos de la Mota and Jessica Monegro, for the Dominican Consulate in NY. Also present were representatives of Supérate, the MLB in the DR, the Dominican Olympic Committee, the Creso Foundation, Miderec, the Pastoral Juvenil, the liaison of the Executive Branch with the Evangelical Church and the Chamber of Deputies.
About the National Youth Award
It is the highest recognition granted by the Dominican State through the Ministry of Youth to outstanding young Dominicans in various fields.
Applicants have the opportunity to choose the category that fits their evaluative proposal and the lines include 15 categories of different formative areas. These are: Contributions to the Rural Community, Contributions to Human Rights (Children, Adolescents and Youth), International Sports, National Sports, Cultural Development (Art and Culture), Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Political Leadership, Religious Leadership, Pre-University Student Merit, University Student Merit, Preservation and Promotion of Natural Resources, Voluntary Social Services in favor of the Community, Professional Improvement, Personal Improvement and Achievements and Contribution to the Dominican Community Abroad.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do
