Issues and Solutions
International Association of Caribbean Organizations

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Issues and solutions:

Types of issues affecting the people of the Caribbean

bulletPoverty
bulletLack of marketable skills
bulletJuvenile delinquency
bulletUnstable markets for worldwide business partners

IACO's proactive solution involves the following initiatives

bulletCitizenship Classes: To promote good citizenship and positive contributions to the society.
bulletBasic business administration: To promote self-sufficiency among the peoples of and from the Caribbean
bulletCelebrate the cultures of the Caribbean: To encourage the cultural understanding, economic development and political cooperation of all the nations of the Caribbean .
bulletEstablish an inter exchange program: To collaborate with other organizations and individuals that have similar purposes and goals                                                                            

Short term program: Local involvement

Long range plan: International collaboration

IACO's affiliations and tax exempt status

IACO is a level 1 (the highest) member of the City of Atlanta's Advisory Committee on International Relations. This is a true testament to IACO's multi-national focus.

Donations to IACO are tax-deductible under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

IACO’s tax exempt mission involves

1. Bridge-Building for Economic Development

 We will engage other non-profit organizations, underprivileged individuals, governmental organizations, professional volunteers and resources in open dialogue and communication for the improved economic conditions of the underprivileged of the Caribbean community. We will convey information between non-profit groups, governmental organizations and engage professional volunteers to provide assistance in areas of self-employment for the underprivileged. We will achieve this by assisting the non-profit organizations in the Caribbean community to set up non-profit business incubators and educational centers for the underprivileged. This assistance will be done by being the channel for the direct resource allocation from our own and other non-profit and governmental organizations in the economically developed societies such as the United States.

We will also do research to find possible purchasers of the products and services of the underprivileged individuals from these non-profit business incubators and educational centers.

We will use family income level to determine the underprivileged status of an individual. Individuals with family income levels at or below the poverty line as determined by the various governments of the Caribbean community will be selected. These selected individuals must then be registered by the non-profit or governmental organizations of their local community. This activity will occupy fifty percent (50%) of our time.

2. Technical Assistance

We will provide expert training and advice to non-profit and governmental organizations seeking to better serve the registered underprivileged individuals within the Caribbean community in the educational and cultural development areas. This activity will occupy twenty percent (20%) of our time.

3. Research and Advocacy

We will research the issues and problems that directly affect the political cooperation amongst the various Caribbean communities and advocate for proactive solutions to those challenges. This will involve annual agenda of community concerns, focus groups, printed publications, community forums and dialogues, surveys, educational letters to the newspaper editor and more. Through this process we will create positive lasting changes to help the economic, educational and social well-being of the various Caribbean communities.

We will not promote nor endorse any specific political candidate or political party nor will they be permitted to use our name in their campaigns. We welcome local political figures at our fund raising events, but will limit their presentations to the IACO issues. Political candidates are not permitted to advertise on sashes, t-shirts, buttons, etc. at any of our events. Our efforts will involve the education of these political candidates and parties as to the needs and concerns of the Caribbean community. This activity will occupy twenty percent (20%) of our time.

4. Basic Administration

As part of on-going administration we will manage resources, volunteers, employees and funds. We will conduct public relations and fund-raising activities to secure additional resources. These activities will be essential to furthering our exempt purpose because without such resources our organization will not be able to operate. An example of this fund raising and public relations activity will be our Caribbean Service Day, where we recruit members of the Caribbean community and others to provide humanitarian assistance to other non-profit organizations serving the underprivileged of their local community, for example soup kitchens for the homeless. This activity will occupy ten percent (10%) of our time.

“By whom” – All of the above activities will be conducted by the volunteers and employees of the organization.

“Where” – All of the above activities will be conducted in Atlanta , Georgia and Caribbean communities worldwide.

"When” – All of the above activities are on-going, year-round activities of the organization. The organization was officially initiated at the first meeting of the Board of Directors October 2003.