Music for change.

• Author: Cattivelli, Adrian
• Position: OAS - Brief article

In October and November of this year, a series of concerts was given in Santa Lucia, Jamaica, and Haiti by orchestras made up of unprivileged children and youth. The presentations are part of a regional initiative promoted by the OAS to prevent youth violence and lower the school drop-out levels in the Caribbean.

This initiative was part of the Program for At-Risk Youth, sponsored by the Multilateral Fund of the OAS Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI). The project began last October as a three-year program, but will be given continuity afterwards with the support of national governments and the proceeds generated by the concerts themselves.

The orchestra training program for the three countries, implemented by the OAS Department of Cultural Affairs, is an adaptation of the Venezuelan National System of Youth Orchestras, a pioneer initiative that has provided musical education to some two million Venezuelans through 126 community centers. The "System" has received the UNESCO International Music Award (1993), the OAS Gabriela Mistral Award (1996), and the Principe de Asturias...