U.S. Cultural Envoys Lead Dance Workshops in Cochabamba

From November 17-20, U.S. Cultural Envoys Aysha Upchurch and Juliana Calderon will hold West African and hip hop dance workshops at the Centro Boliviano Americano (CBA) in Cochabamba. To see a video of the first workshop, please click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page. During their stay in Cochabamba, Aysha and Juliana will also visit public schools and dance studios. On Saturday, November 21, workshop participants will conduct a performance at mARTadero. Please click here for the full program schedule in Cochabamba. All events are free and open to the public.

United States Responds to Natural Disaster in El Salvador

On November 7-8, heavy rainfall related to Tropical Storm Ida caused floods and landslides in much of the central and eastern areas of El Salvador, including the capitol city of San Salvador, which has resulted in more than 190 deaths and severe infrastructural damage and agricultural losses. At least 14,000 people have been forced from their homes and are staying in temporary shelters.(full text...)

U.S. Embassy and CBA La Paz Sponsor Celebration of Afro-descendant Dances

On November 12, 2009, the U.S. Embassy and the Centro Boliviano Americano (CBA) in La Paz held an encounter of Afro-descendant dances in the CBA Auditorium. U.S. Cultural Envoys Aysha Upchurch and Juliana Calderon performed traditional African dances and demonstrated how many of the same steps and movements have been incorporated into modern-day hip hop. The Bolivian group Saya Orisabol performed several Afro-Bolivian dances, including saya and semba. The large and diverse audience asked a number of questions about the history and significance of the different dances, and several audience members joined the performers on stage to practice their dance steps. 

U.S. Embassy Donates Books to Casa Nacional de Moneda in Potosí

U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer David A. Hodge at an American short-story reading session for children.

In response to an invitation from the Ministry of Cultures, Vice Ministry of Inter-Culturalism, the Cultural Office of the U.S. Embassy participated on November 4-8 in the first Book Fair of the Southern city of Potosi.
Over 400 books were showcased for a public who was eager to read academic works and literature by American authors translated to Spanish.
The residents of Potosi were also pleased to know that all the books and publications exhibited by the U.S. Embassy were donated to the Archive and Library of Casa Nacional de Moneda, where the general public will have a chance to read them without any charge.
Also, as a part of the ongoing initiative “Estados Unidos y Bolivia, unidos en la lectura,” the U.S. Embassy organized reading sessions for schoolchildren who visited the fair. Nearly 500 children enjoyed listening to classic and modern American stories read by Embassy staff.

U.S. Embassy Sponsors Dance Program in La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz

Experienced dancers and educators Aysha Upchurch and Juliana Calderon will lead a series of workshops and talks in four different cities from November 12-23. All events are free and open to the public. Please click here for the schedule in La Paz and El Alto. More details on the program in Cochabamba and Santa Cruz will be available soon.

U.S. Speaker John Zemko Discusses Entrepreneurship in La Paz and Tarija

Under the auspices of the Department of State's U.S. Speaker Program, John Zemko, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in Washington, D.C., addressed about 150 Bolivian young professionals on public policy strategies to foster entrepreneurship.  During the Third International Meeting to Promote Entrepreneurial Culture sponsored by the Bolivian Entrepreneurship Network in Tarija on November 5-6, Mr. Zemko spoke about the initiatives that CIPE is carrying out in various countries throughout the world in support of youth education in the field.  He also emphasized the importance of the private sector’s participation in the promotion of institutional reforms and good governance to create better understanding of a market-based economy in a democratic system. 

FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS

With the objective of discussing human rights and gender equality in international police forces, President Evo Morales inaugurated the First International Meeting of Women Police Officers with the participation of 97 Bolivian policewomen and 24 delegates from 12 countries.  Bolivian Police Lt. Col. Rosario Cabrera stated that the service of women is vital in police forces and, therefore, it was important to exchange experiences in order to strengthen gender equality. The event was organized by the Bolivian Police General Command, in coordination with the Commission of Human Rights of the Bolivian Congress Lower Chamber. It was presided over by Congresswoman Elizabeth Salguero and received support from the U.S. Embassy's Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) and the Embassy of Switzerland.(full text...)

05 November 2009

United States Bolsters Environmental Expertise in Latin America
Program supports training of region’s next generation of conservationists

By Bridget Hunter
Staff Writer

Wild populations of animals like the Brazilian tapir are declining rapidly as their habitats are destroyed.

Washington — Wildlife conservation professionals from more than 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are meeting in Montelimar, Nicaragua, to create a system for training the next generation of conservationists in the region.

The meeting, conducted the week of November 1 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the nongovernmental organization Fauna & Flora International (FFI), aims to create an educational program to help develop a cadre of conservation professionals in Latin America. More than 50 top conservation practitioners are participating in designing the program.(full text...)

04 November 2009

U.S.-Sponsored Program Aims to Fight Emerging Pandemic Threats
USAID funds collaborative efforts to identify and block emerging diseases

By Bridget Hunter
Staff Writer

Washington — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will spend millions of dollars during the next three to five years to combat emerging pandemic threats (EPT) worldwide. Details of the program were announced by the agency November 3.

USAID said the program, which builds on USAID’s historical successes in disease surveillance, training and outbreak response, aims to pre-empt or combat, at their sources, newly emerging diseases of animal origin that could threaten human health. (full text...)

04 November 2009

First Lady Honors After-School Arts Projects That Inspire Youth
Youth programs in Mexico, China, Egypt are among award recipients

By Jeffrey Thomas
Staff Writer

First lady Michelle Obama presented awards to 19 outstanding after-school programs, including four from China, Egypt and Mexico.

Washington — In Campeche, Mexico, children with Down syndrome attend two dance workshops each week to learn traditional and contemporary dances at La Chácara Children’s Culture Center.

In China’s Sichuan province, children from low-income families train in opera, dance and the visual arts at Green Path of Art, which provides its students with academic and financial assistance.

In Muqqatum, a community on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, students at Alwan wa Awtar (Colors and Strings) can participate in a wide range of after-school and summer arts activities in the performing, visual and literary arts.(full text...)

Alturas Duo Perform in Bolivia

Alturas Duo played with renowned Bolivian Maestro Ernesto Cavour in the Municipal Theater Alberto Saavedra Pérez of La Paz.

Alturas Duo, a charango and guitar ensemble based in the United States, visited Bolivia October 18-24 for a series of workshops and performances in La Paz, El Alto, Sucre, and Potosi sponsored by the U.S. Embassy.  In La Paz, the duo performed with renowned Bolivian Maestro Ernesto Cavour to a full house at the Teatro Municipal.  In Potosi, they participated in the international festival "Los Mil Charangos" joining more than one thousand charango players from around the world.  The duo also gave master classes and concerts in El Alto and Sucre.  The charango is a small South American stringed instrument of the lute family, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo. 

Bolivia-U.S. Joint Press Statement

October 28, 2009

Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca and U.S. Under Secretary Maria Otero

Today, U.S. and Bolivian delegations concluded two days of productive discussions on a draft Framework Agreement aimed at improving bilateral relations.  The parties reiterated their commitment to establishing a more positive and collaborative relationship, as well as enhanced communication. 

The parties made significant progress on substantive points and established a roadmap aimed at finalizing an agreement in La Paz, by the end of November.  This meeting followed an initial round of dialogue held in La Paz, in May.  Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca led the Bolivian delegation.  Under Secretary Maria Otero led the U.S. delegation.

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