BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 22. We are committed to respecting human rights, especially those of young people, Vice President of the African-Caribbean Association Rutshainy Jeanet Holder said during the international conference on the Bonaire island in Baku, TurkicWorld reports.
"It is crucial that young professionals receive the opportunities they deserve in their own countries. We encounter numerous challenges in finding employment. Often, we must study abroad to obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree, only to return and find our degrees unrecognized. We are told we lack experience and are denied probationary periods to prove our skills," she emphasized.
Holder stressed that it is high time for employers to start thinking outside the box and bending over backwards with their requirements.
"Companies are not implementing training and mentoring programs specifically for graduates and young workers. We are asking for tools and support to help us succeed and gain work experience on our island.
Since 2010, most jobs have been given to Europeans and other non-locals migrating to the island. Despite an official requirement for employers to hire locals, many do not adhere to this rule, further diminishing the chances for young locals to gain work experience," she added.
Baku is hosting an international conference focused on Bonaire, an island that is under Dutch colonial rule. The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group and the Movement for Human Rights and Change on Bonaire Island.
The "Path to Bonaire's Self-Determination at the UN General Assembly through Baku Initiative Group" conference has brought together representatives from Bonaire, who are fighting against colonialism, along with officials and delegates from Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, St. Lucia, the UK, Mexico, the Netherlands, the UN, and other international and regional organizations. Human rights activists, NGO leaders, experts, and researchers in the field of decolonization will also participate in the conference.
