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public affairs ACTIVITIES 2010


MARCH 2010

Ambassador Solomont promotes community service to Barcelona school children


Ambassador Solomont  at ASB, March 4, 2010.
Photo credit: .Canónigo Films

Ambassador Solomont made his first official visit to Barcelona this week, during which he made a stop at the American School of Barcelona (ASB) to talk about the importance of community service. The Ambassador addressed the students as the Millennium Generation and encouraged them to push forward “a new definition of civil values in the world.” He praised the students for being prime examples of their school’s commitment to not only make them good professionals but also responsible citizens for the common good by volunteering in their community in places such as the Parque de Colserolla. He urged them to “teach others through example,” encouraging, “The world has a great future with people like you.”

FEBRUARY 2010

Speakers Commemorate Black History Month at Spanish High School


Skyller Walkes

Skyller Wantes with students at IES Parque de Lisboa

African-Americans Tony Green and Skyller Walkes lectured on distinguished African- Americans and civil rights at IES Parque de Lisboa, a bilingual public high school, on February 26, 2010. During this interactive session, they engaged students in group discussions and showed video clips to illustrate their points. The presentation was timed to coincide with Black History Month, celebrated every February in the United States to educate the public about African-Americans from a cultural and historical perspective. Mr. Green and Ms. Walkes emphasized the importance of celebrating Black History Month since it is an opportunity to remember and honor the many contributions made by African Americans.
 


Mark Allen and Wendy Yao lectured at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Escuela de Arte Diez on their work as independent artists


Alen y Yao

Allen and Yao after their presentation at Universidad Autónoma

As part of the US Embassy’s support for ARCO 2010, we invited Mark Allen and Wendy Yao, two independent artists and cultural entrepreneurs from Los Angeles, California, to speak to Spanish students about their work. Mr. Allen manages Machine Project, a non-profit community space in Los Angeles whose mission is to investigate a variety of non-traditional scholarly and artistic pursuits. Ms. Yao is the impresario behind Ooga Booga, an eclectic concept boutique located in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. On February 18, over 30 music and art students and members of the community attended the presentation at Universidad Autónoma’s School of Education Sciences, which was followed by a lively question-and-answer session. The dual presentation provided a look into the independent art movement in Los Angeles and exemplified the possibilities available for budding artists with an entrepreneurial spirit. The following day, over 80 art students listened to Wendy Yao at vocational school Escuela de Arte Diez and shared their works and ideas with her in a fruitful exchange.

More information about Wendy Yao’s visit to Escuela de Arte Diez.


“Fallen Fruit: A Mapping of Food Resources in Los Angeles” toured Madrid to showcase their artwork and raise awareness about the importance of publicly accessible fruit trees in urban areas


Matias Viegener

Fallen Fruit member Matias Viegener at “Laguna de Joatzel” school

As part of the Embassy’s support for the International Fair of Contemporary Art ARCO 2010, PA invited Fallen Fruit members Matias Viegener, David Burns, and Austin Young to Madrid. They spent their week in the city and spoke at schools about their work and exhibiting photographs. The three members have worked together over the past six years planting fruit trees in cities around the world, educating the public about communal fruit trees, and mapping public areas “to identify untapped public resources and catalogue their location.” The members hope to continue their work in other cities around the world in the near future to raise awareness about the importance of publicly accessible fruit trees in urban areas.

 

USAID Administrator calls for coordinated international response in Haiti during visit to Spain


USAID Admin Shah

USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah

USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, came to Spain for an informal EU Development Ministers meets in La Granja on February 17-18. In between his bilateral meetings, Dr. Shah sat down with a reporter from Cadena SER for a brief interview on U.S. relief efforts in Haiti. Shah emphasized the importance of continued partnership and offered several examples of successes on the ground thanks to the coordinated international response, such as the distribution of a two weeks’ supply of food to over 3 million Haitians. Dr. Shah also participated in a press conference with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and representatives from the EU and the UN. In his opening remarks, Dr. Shah thanked the Spanish EU presidency for including him in the event and again highlighted the importance of continued partnership and coordinated international relief efforts in Haiti. He also emphasized that U.S. relief efforts in the country are following the UN lead.

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Cadena Ser interview
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USAID Chief on Haiti's Humanitarian Crisis, One Month Later
 

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updated: 03/05/10


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