March 2007

On March 30, 25 West Point Cadets visited the OAS. A tour of the Historic Building was given by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations, and Jane Thery, Chief, Institutional Relations, gave an overview of the Organization. The group also received a special briefing by Ambassador Edward B. O’Donnell, Alternate Representative of the U.S. Mission to the OAS.  

On March 26, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized a tour for 48 members of the National College of Defense of Mexico. The tour was guided by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations. Irene Klinger, Director, Department of External Relations gave the group an overview of the OAS, and Ambassador Addor-Neto, Under Secretary for Multidimensional Security briefed on security issues.  Representing the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the OAS was José Manuel Castañeda, Minister and Alternate Representative, who accompanied the group.  

On March 23, 95 Spanish teachers from Howard County Professional Development visited the OAS historic headquarters. They were welcomed to the OAS headquarters and were given a tour of the OAS Historic Building by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations and the Art Museum of the Americas with Maria Leyva, Curator of Collections, Art Museum of the Americas. The teachers divided into groups and were given an OAS overview by Irene Klinger, Director, Department of External Relations and Jane Thery, Chief of Institutional Relations. In addition, they received specialized briefings from Ann Marie Blackman, Senior Specialist, Secretariat for Political Affairs, who spoke on democracy and governance. Pedro Bastides, Deputy Chief, Natural Hazard Risk Reduction, Department of Sustainable Development, discussed the issue of water resource management in the region and Mercedes Kremenetzky, Principal Specialist, Inter-American Commission for Women, spoke about women's rights in the hemisphere.   

On March 22, 54 participants from the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program visited the OAS. This group consisted of students from around the world who are studying in the US for one year and living with host families in the greater Philadelphia area and Rotary members. The group was led by Aline Hommes.  Nelly Robinson also briefed the group on the Model OAS program.

On March 22, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations held a briefing for 30 participants of Welcome to Washington International Club, a group for the spouses of diplomats. Aline Hommes gave the group a tour of the OAS Historic Main Building and also gave a briefing about the organization. The visit was finalized by a visit to the Art Museum of the Americas

On March 20, the Department of External Relations organized a briefing for 54 students from Mexico’s Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. The students were given a tour by Aline Hommes and a comprehensive OAS briefing by Jane Thery. Enrique Martínez, Juridical Official, Office of Judicial Cooperation, also briefed the group on anti-corruption. Lastly, Alonso Martínez, Second Secretary of the Mission of Mexico to the OAS spoke to the students about the work of the mission.

On March 19, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized a briefing for 13 students from the University of Kansas. The tour was arranged by Meridian International Center, a non-profit institution that promotes international understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts. The students received a tour of the Historic Main Building by Aline Hommes and an OAS briefing by Jane Thery. Nelly Robinson spoke to the group about the Model OAS Program.

On March 15, 48 high school juniors and seniors from Key School, Annapolis, Maryland were briefed by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations. The group was also briefed on the Model OAS by Nelly Robinson. Joining the group were four students from Trinity University, in Washington, D.C.

On March 14, the Department of External Relations organized a visit for students from Penn State Erie School. Aline Hommes, led the group on a tour of the OAS Historic Main Building and also gave background information on the organization. The group was later given a briefing on democracy by Pablo Zuñiga, Principal Specialist from the Secretariat of Political Affairs. The Democratic Charter, promotion of democratic institutions, and values and practices of democracy were discussed.  

On March 13, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized a briefing for 45 participants of The Hospitality and Information Service (THIS), a part of Meridian International. The group, which included spouses of diplomats and volunteers, was given a tour and briefed by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations.  They also visited the Art Museum of the Americas where they received a tour by Maria Leyva, Curator of Collections, Art Museum of the Americas.

On March 12, twelve Model OAS students from Towson University received a tour of the OAS Historic Main Building and a briefing by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations. The students were also briefed by Steven Griner, Principal Specialist from the Secretariat for Political Affairs. Mr. Griner spoke about the Democracy Charter and Electoral Observations. Nelly Robinson, Specialist, Department of External Relations also spoke about the MOAS Program.

On March 9, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized a briefing for 22 students from the Foreign Service Institute.  The students received a tour of the Historic Main Building by Aline Hommes and a comprehensive OAS briefing by Jane Thery.  

On March 8, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized a briefing as a part of the IMF, OAS, World Bank walking tour. The tour included 33 people and was led by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations. The visit also included a walk through the underground painted tunnel with the theme “Roots of Peace” by Uruguayan Artist Carlos Páez Vilaró.

On March 6, the Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized an event with the Foreign Service Institute at their headquarters where the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, spoke to 130 diplomats about the work being carried out by the Organization. The Secretary General discussed the four principal areas of OAS programs: democracy, human rights, social development and security. He also spoke about the possibility of the OAS working with crucial hemispheric issues that have not been dealt with in the past, such as gangs and prisons. In addition, he highlighted the number of elections that were monitored last year by the OAS and the importance of promoting democracy throughout the region. The program ended with a question and answer session with the diplomats.

Photo gallery

On March 2, The Institutional Relations section of the Department of External Relations organized a tour led by Aline Hommes, Specialist, Department of External Relations for 25 students from the University of Sherbrooke, Canada. The students were given an OAS Overview by Jane Thery, Chief of Institutional Relations and information on the MOAS Program by Nelly, Robinson, Specialist, External Relations.  The students also had the privilege of meeting Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter MacKay and were invited to attend a special Permanent Council meeting where the Minister addressed the Permanent Members of the OAS.