|
|
|
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
The
Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José
Miguel Insulza, today opened the Global Ties 2015 Meeting: "Latin
America Dialogue: Strengthening Relationships in the Western Hemisphere
through Exchange" with a speech in which he stressed the importance of
international cooperation "based on trust, understanding and friendly
relations between governments and people."
Secretary General Insulza highlighted the links between the spirit
of the meeting’s – focused on promoting dialogue in the region - and at
the OAS, where the meeting takes place. "This is a very appropriate
place for this dialogue, as this room has been used for over 100 years
to foster peaceful democratic discussion and the promotion of
hemispheric cooperation." Therefore, he said, "we are very happy to be
hosting this event that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the
International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative that brings
together citizens and emerging leaders from different countries to
promote mutual understanding, friendship and the exchange of experiences
across cultures."
The leader of the hemispheric institution also recalled that in the OAS Charter,
member states expressed their desire to achieve an order of peace and
justice, to promote solidarity and to strengthen collaboration among the
countries of the Americas, recognizing that "the spiritual unity of the
hemisphere is based on respect for the cultural values of the American
countries and requires their close cooperation for the high purposes of
civilization.” In this regard, he noted that this objective can be
achieved in different ways, emphasizing "the transformative power of
communications to accelerate change in our societies, facilitating
access to information, and increasing accountability in our
governments." "Today we are more connected than ever, but fortunately we
have not eliminated the need for people-to-people interactions," he
said.
Secretary General Insulza said that contemporary international
cooperation "is built on trust and understanding between governments and
people, that can only be fully understood through the cultivation of
friendly relationships." He added that in the framework of the OAS there
are principles on which that understanding is based, namely those of
mutual respect and tolerance for diversity of ideas, "which leads to
compromises and constructive alternatives."
In reference to the International Visitor Leadership Program, the
Secretary General stressed the importance it attaches to culture as a
channel of exchange and communication between countries. In that regard,
he noted that at the Sixth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers and
Highest Appropriate Authorities on Culture, held in August in Port au
Prince, Haiti, leaders also recognized “the intrinsic value of culture
as a distinctive, unique, and inseparable feature of all human beings
and communities, its contribution to strengthening the social fabric of
our societies. They also stressed the need to facilitate the exchange of
experiences regarding public policies, training and the strengthening
of institutional and human capacity building opportunities.” Similarly,
he recalled the OAS programs that have contributed to that end,
particularly the Scholarship Program and the Model OAS General Assembly, where students take the role of member states as part of discussions and negotiations.
The annual "Global Ties" national meeting, which will conclude
on Friday,
is organized by various agencies of the U.S. government and the Global
Ties U.S. organization, and is considered the leading forum for
developing skills, identifying key trends, and sharing best practices in
international exchange and nonprofit management. The meeting will also
feature the participation of former President of Costa Rica, Oscar
Arias; the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, of
the U.S. Department of State, Richard Stengel; the President of Global
Ties, U.S., Jennifer Clinton; and the Co-Chair of the Latin America
Dialogue, James R. Jones, among others.
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|