- English
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.
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.