Current Events

• Ministers of Education of the Americas Meet in Suriname to Strengthen the Role of Teachers
  Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday March 1, 2012
  
  Ministers of Education of the Americas will meet March 1-2 in Paramaribo, Suriname, in an event coordinated by the Organization of American States (OAS) to analyze the current status of the teaching profession in the region, and propose policies and strategies that strengthen the role of professional educators.
  
  The Seventh Meeting of the Ministers of Education, to be held at the Royal Torarica Hotel in the Surinamese capital, will be inaugurated on Thursday March 1st by the President of the host country, Desi Bouterse; the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza; and the Minister of Education and Community Development of Suriname, Raymond Sapoen.
  
  The meeting is scheduled to conclude Friday, March 2, with the adoption of the "Declaration of Paramaribo: Transforming the role of teachers to meet the challenges of the XXI Century," the final text of which will be agreed upon during the meeting. OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin will attend the final session. Following the session, there will be a press conference.
  
  During the two-day meetings, the ministers will hold nine plenary sessions, seeking to determine what kind of teaching today’s student requires and what role governments play in ensuring quality education for all.
  
  Furthermore, they will discuss educational institutions, proposing mechanisms to strengthen partnerships between institutions both within the educational system and other external sectors; analyze priorities for cooperation between countries; suggest concrete actions in the framework of the OAS to strengthen the role of teachers; review progress made ​​in the previous ministerial mandates; establish the basis for the Work Plan 2012-2014 of the Commission on Education (CIE); and elect officials of the Executive Committee of the CIE for the next two years.
  
  The meeting in Paramaribo will be the Seventh Meeting of Ministers of Education led by the OAS. The first was held in Brasilia in 1998, and since then ministers have met every two years: in Punta del Este, Uruguay; Mexico City, Mexico; Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago; Cartagena de Indias, Colombia; and Quito, Ecuador.
  
  Parallel to the Ministerial Meeting, the OAS is organizing the “Virtual Educa Caribbean" Conference in the Surinamese capital, a forum open to representatives of governments, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society. The forum provides an environment for participants to exchange their experiences on how to apply the latest information and communication technologies to education. It will be the first "Virtual Educa" held in the Caribbean.
• First Virtual Educa Caribbean Conference
  Paramaribo, Suriname, Wednesday February 29, 2012
  
  From February 29 to March 2, 2012 the first Virtual Educa Caribbean conference, with a focus on the non Spanish-speaking Caribbean, will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname. This event will take place concurrently with the VII Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education organized by the Organization of American States.
• New Representative of Suriname to the OAS Presents Credentials
  OAS - Washington, D.C, Tuesday January 17, 2012
  
  The new Permanent Representative of Suriname to the Organization of American States (OAS), Niermala Hindori-Badrisingh, today presented to the Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, the credentials that accredit her to the hemispheric body.
  
  Ambassador Hindori-Badrisingh recalled that the Government of Suriname "attaches paramount importance to the role of the OAS as an eminent multilateral forum for political dialogue and collective action in the Western Hemisphere." She added that in her view "this body is ideally placed to strengthen regional cooperation among Member States in areas of mutual interest," and she acknowledged the contribution of the OAS on issues such as democracy, human rights, peace, security and integral development in the region.
  
  The Surinamese diplomat said the region faces many challenges and called to "strive towards the goal of strengthening political stability, citizen security and prosperity." The Ambassador also announced that the Government of President Bouterse has decided to establish a representation to the OAS different from that to the U.S. Embassy, ​​in order to contribute to a "more efficient and effective OAS." ...
  
  

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• Inter-Guiana Cultural Festival
  Paramaribo, Suriname, Monday August 29, 2011
  
  Within the framework of “2011 – OAS Inter-American Year of Culture” the Suriname National Commission “OAS Inter-American Year of Culture” also celebrated the Inter-Guiana Cultural Festival (August 25-29, 2011) in Paramaribo, Suriname. This event brings together citizens of Suriname, Guyana and French Guyana, celebrating and exhibiting their art, craft, dance, culinary art, theatre, fashion, and literature. The theme of this year’s Inter-Guyana Festival is “Different Cultures – One Heart Beat.”
• “2011 OAS Inter-American Year of Culture” - Official Proclamation
  Congress Hall, Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday May 19, 2011
  
  On May 19th, the official proclamation of “2011 – OAS Inter-American Year of Culture” took place in the Congress Hall in the city of Paramaribo, Suriname. At this event, Minister Raymond Sapoen of Education and Community Development, Ms. Lilian Griffith of the OAS Office in Suriname, and Minister Winston Lackin of Foreign Affairs, addressed the audience, expressing the importance of culture and the central role it plays in the economic, social and human development of our countries. The evening itself was a special, cultural manifestation of choirs, music, artists, dance and cultural groups. At this occasion, the winners of a previously organized folklore fashion show presented their winning creations.
  
  For the celebration of “2011 – OAS Inter American Year of Culture,” the Directorate of Culture of the Ministry of Education and Community Development of Suriname appointed a special National Commission “OAS Inter-American Year of Culture.” The first activity of this Commission was the official issue of a special postmark by the Suriname Postal Service, on May 18th 2011.