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| Friday, 22 October 2004 |
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The United States yesterday donated US $ 330,000 to the Colombo Plan to assist in combating drug use among Asian youth. At a brief ceremony at the US Embassy in Colombo yesterday, Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead handed over a cheque to Kittipan Kanjanapipatkul, Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan, a press release from the Embassy of the United States of America said. Lunstead conveyed his appreciation for the Colombo Plan's Drug Advisory Program (DAP) efforts in this area and noted that the contribution was a sign of the continuing US faith in the DAP's programs. The DAP will use these funds to implement two major projects: the Third Asian Youth Congress, to be held in Singapore in November 2004, and the establishment of 12 outreach centers throughout six Asian countries. At the Singapore congress, youth from the Colombo Plan's Asian member countries will be given training which will empower them to take leadership roles in drug prevention efforts in their respective countries. This is the third in a series of DAP programs involving youth funded by the US government. One of the tools developed during the Second Asian Youth Congress in Maldives in 2003 was a DAP manual entitled 'Life Skills for Youth', a copy which was presented to Lunstead at the cheque hand over ceremony. The 12 Outreach Centers will be established by the Colombo DAP, in collaboration with its member countries in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand to establish outreach/drop-in centers focused on community-based prevention, early intervention and aftercare services. This initiative is designed to address the high relapse rates of addicts in the region and the lack of effective services in the community. Kanjanapipatkul expressed his appreciation to the US government for the strong and continued support to the Colombo Plan's Drug Advisory Program and thanked Lunstead and his staff at the US Embassy for their assistance and cooperation. |
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