Remarks by Ambassador Marcie B. Ries at a Junior Achievement Albania (JAA) Gala Dinner (April 10, 2007)

Good Evening - Minister Pollo, Ms. Jenner, Mr. Grunerud, dear distinguished guests, thank you for inviting me to be here with you this evening. It always gives me great pleasure to support USAID projects, especially those dealing with young people – the successor generation.

This event marks the beginning of an organization that, I have no doubt, will contribute positively to the future by building a necessary bridge between Albania’s youth and the private sector.
Junior Achievement Albania joins the global network of Junior Achievement programs. It joins more than 100 U.S. offices and nearly 100 Member Nations.
Besides the global network, JAA has the support of the Albanian business community.
I want to take this opportunity to recognize the contributions of Raiffeissen Bank, Malev Hungarian Airlines, and the Institute for Development Research and Alternatives (IDRA). Thank you for being with JAA from the very start.

Junior Achievement was established in America in 1916 after business leaders began to recognize that an early introduction to economic education could improve the innovation, competitiveness, and productivity of America’s workforce.

In 1918, Mr. Theodore Vail, one of Junior Achievement’s co-founders and president of American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T), expressed the vision of the organization as:

"The future of our country depends upon making every individual fully realize the obligations and responsibilities belonging to citizenship. Habits are formed in youth…what we need in this country now … is to teach the growing generations to realize that thrift and economy, coupled with industry, are necessary now as they were in past generations."

I think Mr. Vail’s statement captures the entrepreneurial spirit that served the United States so well nearly a century ago and continues to do so today.
JAA will focus on the youth of this country and there is no shortage of bright, young minds in Albania’s schools.

Albania’s future development, especially its economic competitiveness, depends on the investments that are made today in the education and health of its youth.
I applaud the efforts the Albanian Government and Minister Polo have recently made to improve the national education system, particularly the increase in the resources dedicated to education, administrative reforms, and management of educational institutions.

Junior Achievement’s education programs can go a long way to help improve the quality and relevance of traditional school curricula. In particular, this program introduces in a unique way the concept of entrepreneurship.

Students are offered the opportunity to use hands-on experience to create and manage an enterprise.
Running a company, whether a concession stand at school or the manufacture and sale of products in local communities, gives a student a profound understanding of free-market concepts and best practices in private business.

Energy, vision, and the willingness to try new things, all requisites for an entrepreneur in a competitive market, are abundant in youth.

But you, the business community, have something they don't -- years of experience. You can provide them with know-how and encouragement.
Under your mentoring, they can develop their skills and productivity, a benefit for both the individual student and society.
The presence of international and national business representatives this evening is a sign of the value that your organizations place on educational development and on Junior Achievement.
The success and long-term sustainability of this organization depends on the support of the private business community. Even more importantly, your future work force could come from this pool of Junior Achievement participants.
In conclusion, I would like once again to thank Junior Achievement and the sponsors for organizing this wonderful event and I wish you all success to your program.