On June 30 - July 3rd 2015 was held ASU the young leader's camp. There ASU rector and Goodwill Ambassador of the year for development Antanas Maziliauskas made a presentation for the camp participants about development cooperation and its importance in the modern world and shared his perennial experience gained in developing countries.
European Parliament and the Council by common agreement announced that 2015 is the European year for development. Therefore, in 2015 by common efforts EU and Member States' tries to draw people's attention to the problems of development cooperation and the need to deepen public awareness of activities carried out and its results. One of the means to grab the public's attention is to show an example of familiar to the public, famous personalities. Goodwill Ambassadors of European Year are the faces of European Year for development whose activities deserves country people respect. It enables them to spread accurate information about their experiences in third countries and international community's efforts to solve global challenges and problems also how the problems in distant parts of the world concern actualities in Lithuania, moreover how it is important to achieve sustainable environmental and global economic development.
Antanas Maziliauskas is one of the five Goodwill Ambassador elected by Baltic Foundation implemented project “2015 European Year for development: Goodwill Ambassadors – “News for Lithuania”. ASU rector has perennial experience in working with other countries, especially developing countries, so the sharing of experiences both with local communities and with the advancing leaders is a significant contribution in proclaiming development cooperation, its benefits and contributing to the solution of global issues.
As says A. Maziliauskas:” In my early career I had worked as a teacher in Africa for three years. There where multinational students and different people who let me understand that the world is diverse with its troubles and worries but also with its traditions, interests and needs.
Africa inspired me and became my aim. Later, I worked as an expert of the World Bank in Nigeria, as a head of project evaluation of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Mali, Yemen also as an expert of the group of FAO Special Food Supply Assessment program in Senegal, Mauritania, Ghana, Ecuador, Chile, Haiti, Bolivia. I visited specialists of Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, Moldova, Kazakhstan and other central Asian countries and advised them on water and food supply subjects.
I am pleased that my experience has been useful for people of these countries and helped them not so much to seek support, as far as learn to provide it for themselves. Accepting the challenge to become the ambassador of European Year for development I believe that in Lithuania we are enough global and sensitive to understand and help people in other countries. I think that it is important to hear real stories for Lithuanian people that to understand why it is important..”.