newsletter - AJBID.oRG
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newsletter - AJBID.oRG
NEWSLETTER IDB-IIC Retirees Association AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2010 • No.145 INSIDE From the Editor Contributions Always Welcome Keep That Feedback Coming! From the Editor By Alexandra Russell 1 New Name Contest 2 Our Board at Work New Members Tax Questions 3 Chile Chapter Luncheon From Our Members: 3 4 5 6 7 Staying Well Ode to Tomatoes Down the Chubut River Walking Group The Joy of Volunteering Correction in Financial Times Feeding the Homeless 8 Catoctin Getaway Letters to the Editor: 9 From Alvaro Beca From David Mangurian IDB News: 10 IDB-DC Solidarity Program Haiti Drive General News: 11 Bicentennials in Latin America On Culture: 12 Teatro Colón Reopens Obituaries: 13 Inés Olmo Jorge Ferraris Julio Alcaine Michael Gomez José Melgar Carlos Montero Photo: Mario Ramos Association News: Many thanks to all our readers who sent their feedback on the last issue, which was overwhelmingly positive, and to those who sent suggested new names—see how to vote below. And special thanks to the members who responded to our call for stories, several of which appear in this issue. Alvaro Navarro reports on fishing in the Chubut River in the Patagonia region of Argentina (page 5) and Nila Martínez-Sutter has a touching story about volunteering to help medical care providers in Honduras (page 6). We also have Letters to the Editor: one from Alvaro Beca, president of the Association’s Chile Chapter on a current issue; and one from David Mangurian of the Washington area, with concrete suggestions for the Newsletter (see page 9). Reader response to our suggested Association activities was very supportive as well, with some members volunteering to help with a prospective housing exchange and home visits to ailing members. We are working to organize those services, and more volunteers are welcome. In this issue, Camille Gaskin-Reyes launches her column “Staying Well” with an article on eating “consciously”—see what that’s all about on page 3. We welcome your feedback, ideas, articles and especially updates on fellow retirees: please keep it coming! Got ideas for the Newsletter? Send them to: [email protected] or [email protected] Association News New Name Contest Vote Online! Thanks to several very creative (and prolific!) members, we have a slate of 36 suggestions for a new name for our Bimonthly Bulletin. Now it’s up to you the readership to choose the one you like best. To vote, click on the link to our online vote [click here to visit link]. See the results in the next issue. 2 Newsletter - IDB-IIC Retirees Association Our Board at Work A sneak peek at our Association’s Board monthly meeting on September 1st shows the members in the middle of an exchange with Director Martín Stabile, who was attending by videoconference. The minutes of Board meetings are posted online in English and Spanish on the Association website (www.ajbid.org). Making a point: [clockwise from lower right] Secretary Gabriela Sotela has her say, as President Saúl Hanono chairs the meeting, with Alvaro Ramírez looking on and Martín Stabile participating from Uruguay. The big screen: [from left] Deputy Secretary Magdalena Sanguinetti, Camille Gaskin-Reyes, Henry Green (owner of the Panama hat), Arne Paulsen and Treasurer Ira Kaylin interact with Martín Stabile on the video monitor. New Members The men in white are [from left] Henry Green, Arne Paulsen and Ira Kaylin. The Association welcomes the following new members: Maria Elena Arana de López Pilar D. Bilecky Raúl Enrique Couchonnal Winston A. Cox Yadira Dennis Bruce Ferguson Peter Kalil Jorge C. Lamas Eduardo I. Marquez Arnoldo R. Martinez Rosario Saco Blanca Santamaría R. Jorge Uribe Sergio Varas Olea Take note: [from left] Deputy Treasurer Fausto Medina-López and Magdalena Sanguinetti are serious about keeping track of the proceedings, while Camille Gaskin-Reyes shares her views. Photos by: S. Alexandra Russell Tax Info Questions about Tax Reimbursement Procedures? By Jim Taylor Retirees who pay U.S. taxes are often confused about how Management calculates their tax reimbursement. The Association’s Tax Reimbursement Committee has initiated a conversation with Bank Management about the possibility of preparing a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document that would help clarify tax reimbursement procedures. If you have any questions or concerns that you would like to see addressed, please send them to [email protected]. 3 Newsletter - IDB-IIC Retirees Association Chile Chapter Luncheon By Alvaro Beca The Chile Chapter of the Retirees Association held their spring luncheon on September 29 at Pinpilinpausha restaurant in Santiago. The 23 attendees enjoyed a delicious meal and fine company. María Luz Oñate, Alvaro Beca (Chapter President) and Sergio Mansilla Magda de Schmalzle and Beatriz de Urrutia Silvia de Morales, M. Teresa de Figueroa, Julita and Alvaro Beca, and Gloria and Francis Peacock From Our Members Staying Well! Eating Consciously and Loving it By Camille Gaskin-Reyes Gladys Grace, César Williams, Manuel Mariño and Ronald Gompertz Carlos and Maruja Sepúlveda, Manuel Mariño and Julita Beca According to Ayurveda or ancient Indian medicine, good food is one of our best medicines to stay healthy and fit. But how we eat is just as important as what we eat. The way we prepare or consume a meal is as essential to its nourishing effects as its actual composition of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In retirement, we are freed from the everyday working grind, so the act of eating with what I call full consciousness becomes a beautiful symphony in itself. Instead of eating meals hurriedly at our desks or on the run, we now have the time to savor each morsel and transform eating from a mere refueling exercise into a wonderful, rejuvenating and even healing experience. Try paying attention to these simple principles and watch your quality of nourishment improve. continued on page 4 4 continued from page 3 Listen to your appetite Eat when you are really hungry, not out of boredom or to satisfy emotional needs. Before eating, observe your natural appetite. Are you really hungry? And stop eating before you are uncomfortably full. Light your fire We all have a digestive fire, called agni in Sanskrit, which is the origin of the word "ignite". The best way to stimulate the agni is to eat freshly prepared, savory food in a pleasant environment. Minimize canned, frozen and highly processed foods, as well as nutritionally empty drinks like sodas. Be present Pay attention to what you are eating. Focus on the sensations, sights, flavors and aromas of your food. This in itself enhances your digestion. Just think of Pablo Neruda's luscious "Ode to Tomatoes" to evoke the fragrance of the produce, and as he described it, "its gift of fiery color and cool completeness." Avoid distractions Watching TV, talking on the phone or working while eating distracts from the sensory experience of a meal. Instead, listen to soft, pleasant background music, especially classical music, which will enhance it. Go for color and taste Choose or prepare foods with bright colors: those vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes are rich in vital energy and pleasing to the eye. For most people, lightly cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw ones. If you eat meat, use lean cuts. Try to make sure that in addition to colors, you include a variety of tastes in your meal, from sweet to sour to salty and pungent. Enjoy! In the next issue: herbs and wholeness True happiness is in the little things: a little mansion, a little yacht, a little fortune… Newsletter - IDB-IIC Retirees Association Ode to Tomatoes By Pablo Neruda Translated by Margaret Sayers Peden The street filled with tomatoes midday, summer, light is halved like a tomato, its juice runs through the streets. In December, unabated, the tomato invades the kitchen, it enters at lunchtime, takes its ease on countertops, among glasses, butter dishes, blue saltcellars. It sheds its own light, benign majesty. Unfortunately, we must murder it: the knife sinks into living flesh, red viscera, a cool sun, profound, inexhausible, populates the salads of Chile, happily, it is wed to the clear onion, and to celebrate the union we pour oil, essential child of the olive, onto its halved hemispheres, pepper adds its fragrance, salt, its magnetism; it is the wedding of the day, parsley hoists its flag, potatoes bubble vigorously, the aroma of the roast knocks at the door, it's time! come on! and, on the table, at the midpoint of summer, the tomato, star of earth, recurrent and fertile star, displays its convolutions, its canals, its remarkable amplitude and abundance, no pit, no husk, no leaves or thorns, the tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness. 5 Down the Chubut River By Alvaro Navarro Newsletter - IDB-IIC Retirees Association the classic fisherman’s vest with lots of pockets for “indispensable” accessories, boxes of fishing flies and of course fishing rods and reels. The trip took us some 60 miles down the clear waters of the Chubut River. The stretch in question has a moderate flow that is not as mighty and rough as other rivers in southern Argentina or in Chile. In some parts, it has a bit of whitewater, in others it flows gently, varying in depth from a few inches, in which cases we had to tow the boats, to several feet. It’s a river that requires skill to navigate, because the slightest misstep might make the boat crash against a tree in one of the many bends along the way. The author embarks on a fishing trip in Patagonia with three friends. Never in my life would I have imagined that at the age of almost 70 I would spend a week living like a Boy Scout, traveling down a river by boat, camping at the end of each day and sleeping in a tent. But that is precisely what I did when three friends and I embarked on a trip down the Chubut River. The expedition meant packing up the whole house with us for a week. The list of items needed is practically endless: inflatable boats, tents, flashlights, tables, chairs, sleeping bags, grilling supplies, pots, pans, buckets, soap, sponges, plates, cups, glasses, forks, knives, spoons, cheese, salami, beer, wine, soft drinks, oil, tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, lettuce, lamb, rump steak, chicken, eggs, bacon, rice, milk, drinking water, bread, coffee, black tea, mate tea, sugar, tarps to cover everything during the trip to keep the supplies from getting wet if it rained, rope to tie everything down, etc., etc. Sizeable trout like this fine specimen can be found in the Chubut River, but are protected and must be returned to the water. In addition to all of that, there was the paraphernalia each traveler had to bring, including proper attire, taking into account that it gets cold in Patagonia at night, special waterproof clothing and boots for fishing so you can wade into the water without getting wet, and So, given all this background, what was our daily routine like? The primary purpose of the trip was to fish, so we had to get our poles ready and start casting our lines from the shore, which in some areas was full of vegetation, in some had steep embankments and in others was lined with trees that provided shade from the sun. The biggest trout like to shelter in such spots, where they wait confidently for the river to bring them their daily ration of food. There are also smaller trout in mid-stream. Fishing under these conditions isn’t difficult, but requires concentration and precision. Another feature of the stretch we took is that it does not have any access points in between the two ends, creating ideal conditions for the development of fauna and flora to feed the fish that live there. As a result, a large number of trout grow to a good size, and a fisherman of intermediate skill can hook some 10 of them a day. At noon, we would find a spot along the shore to rest and have lunch. After we ate, we would pack up everything (including the trash) and get back on the river. We would paddle down until 7:00 pm., then find a protected area on the shore and set up camp with the tents, a campfire and the grill. While we were making dinner we would have a drink and appetizers and share some good conversation. What did we eat? Well, grilled lamb or pasta or rump steak, or chicken with vegetables, always washed down with a nice red wine. At around 10:00 the night chill would send us to bed. I had the chance to share some beautiful days in the pristine nature of Patagonia with great friends. What else could you ask for to enjoy a perfect vacation? The ringed kingfisher is native to Patagonia. 6 Newsletter - IDB-IIC Retirees Association IDB Walkers Keep Fit When I was still an active employee at the IDB, I joined an informal group of lunchtime walkers, many of whom were members of the IDB Runners Club eager to do some alternative kind of exercise on the days that they did not run. When we retired, we decided to keep up the tradition of exercise and camaraderie and even expand it a bit, since we had the leisure to do so. We now meet once a week, generally on a Wednesday or Thursday, and walk or hike for two to three hours, covering eight to 10 miles, depending on the terrain. The basic objective is exercise, but to the extent possible we try to plan routes that pass through scenic surroundings, points of historical or cultural interest, and end at an interesting watering hole. Participants take turns organizing the walks, with the organizer planning the itinerary for that particular week. We try to start and end our urban walks near a Metro station or other public transportation point, but on some occasions when we venture farther afield, we carpool. For example, we’ve walked along the Potomac River Life After the IDB The Joy of Volunteering By Nila Martínez-Sutter The most gratifying thing I’ve done since I retired is to volunteer as a translator for Cure International, an NGO that provides healthcare services to the needy. The primary purpose of Cure International is to bring hope and health care to sick children and their families in developing countries. It targets poor people who can’t afford to go to a doctor, a hospital or a local clinic. Photo by Steve Doherty By Arne Paulson The IDB Walkers visit to the FDR memorial near the Tidal Basin: (from left) Arne Paulsen, Marie-Joëlle Haas, David Tither, Mike O’Donnell, and Julie Feinsilver. from Rosslyn to Alexandria, along the C&O Canal and around Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia. Each week’s walk is announced by email at the beginning of the week, in order to take weather forecasts into account. There is no charge for any of the walks, but of course participants are expected to pay for their portion of the lunch and bar bill. We welcome new walkers: if you are interested in joining us, please email me at [email protected] or Stephen Doherty at dohstphen@ gmail.com. All the patients get an examination, diagnosis and medication to relieve pain and cure any illnesses they may have. Cure International visits countries like Afghanistan, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and Zambia. My husband and I moved to Florida to be closer to Honduras, where most of my family live. I do gardening, which I love, belong to a book club and volunteer as a substitute teacher in a parochial school in my neighborhood. One day, a neighbor of mine, a lovely American nurse who’s also retired, told me about Cure International. She said she had been traveling to Honduras with them for 10 years. Every year in June, Cure International organizes a health brigade that travels to Honduras. The mission lasts two weeks and goes to the smallest towns and continued next page 7 Newsletter - IDB-IIC Retirees Association continued from page 6 villages in the country. All the team members meet at the San Pedro Sula airport, and from there we drive to the location scheduled for the year. This year was my fourth trip. We went to San Luis in the department of Santa Bárbara, in western Honduras, about a four-hour drive from the airport. The mission totals some 80 people, including doctors (primary care physicians and specialists), nurses and translators. We all donate our skills, talent, time, financial resources and above all, a lot of caring. During our mission we provide smiles, words of encouragement, compassion and a lot of hugs, especially for the sick children. One day, a girl about 12 years old arrived at the clinic with a vaginal infection. She did not want to talk to the gynecologist or be examined. But I started to talk to her. Very gently, with kindness and hugs, I explained to her that if she wanted to feel better she would have to talk to the doctor. Financial Times Our fellow member Héctor Luisi read an article in the August 25, 2010 edition of the Financial Times, parts of which he strongly disagreed with. He wrote a letter to that newspaper’s Editor, which was published in the September 6, 2010 issue: Eventually she agreed to be examined and we discovered that she was the victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather. We reported this finding to her mother, who had suspected as much and who promised to take measures. The girl left with a sad smile on her face, but glad to have spoken with us. During that mission, medical care was provided to over 2,000 children and adults, dental care to over 2,800 people, physical therapy to over 100 and eye exams to almost 400. Some 6,500 prescriptions were given out, of which 1,670 were to treat parasites, along with 1,570 three-month supplies of vitamins. The work was quite hard, but completing the mission was incredibly gratifying. I feel lucky and happy to have been able to contribute something for those less fortunate than me. For more information on Cure International, visit their website at www.cureinternational.org. Volunteering: Feeding the Homeless Story and photos by, S. Alexandra Russell Alternative leftist models to Chávez From Mr. Héctor Luisi Sir, Alain Beattie (“Brazilian lessons for Greece from the hair-shirt school,” August 25) asserts that the sound policies of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are all “extremely useful exemplars in a region where the alternative leftist model is the thuggish populism of Hugo Chávez.” Mr. Beattie is not quite correct; he omits other successful alternative leftist models in the region, such as those of Chile under presidents Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet, and of Uruguay under presidents Tabaré Vázquez and José Mujica. Héctor Luisi Bethesda, MD; US Volunteers serve hot vegetarian meals to the hungry. I have been attending yoga classes with instructor Víctor Landa for several years, initially at IDB headquarters and later in the church across the street. One Sunday afternoon last year, I was walking by Franklin Square in downtown Washington, just a few blocks from the Bank, when I spotted Víctor in his distinctive all-white garb. continued on page 8 Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association 8 continued from page 7 He and volunteers from the Essene Church of Peace, an interfaith, non-sectarian nonprofit organization he runs, were setting up tables of food for the many homeless people in the neighborhood. “Going to the yoga classes downtown, I used to see the homeless sitting on the benches in Victor (Vyasa) Landa, the the park next to the church,” program organizer says Víctor. “I spoke with some of them and found out that there was a way we could help.” Víctor’s School of Life encompasses many aspects of spiritually-oriented, healthy living, besides the church and Ashram (yoga studio): he also has a communitysupported agriculture (CSA) program and a mail-order service for biodynamic food. Using food from those Catoctin: Mountain getaway near DC Story and photos by S. Alexandra Russell programs and donations, the group has been serving home-cooked hot vegetarian meals at Franklin Square to 80-100 people twice a month for the past three years. Volunteers meet the second and fourth Sundays of every month to prepare food starting at 9 a.m. then go downtown at 12:15 p.m. to deliver it to Franklin Square. Soon after I retired last year I started joining them as a way of contributing to my community. “We believe that when the food is prepared with love in an atmosphere of prayer it is imbued with spiritual forces,” says Victor. In my experience, those spiritual forces extend to those who give as well. “The best contribution people can give is their hearts, hands and time,” says Victor, who also goes by his spiritual name Vyasa. Help is always welcome to prepare, transport and serve the food, he says, in addition, of course, to donations of food, supplies or money to support the program. For more information, see www.schooloflife.org. mattresses, are open from mid-April to the end of October. Each has its own outdoor picnic table and fire ring with a grill. Communal bathrooms a short walk away have hot showers. There are 25 miles of hiking trails to explore, ranging from easy to strenuous, many leading to scenic vistas, such as the falls. Along the way, you may spot deer, chipmunks, squirrels, woodpeckers and reportedly even the occasional black bear. On the Cunningham Falls side, there is swimming or boating at the lake during the warmer months. My favorite getaway from the noise and pollution of Washington is just an hour’s drive north of the city at Catoctin Mountain Park. Located near the town of Thurmont, MD, a short drive from Frederick, MD, the park is right across Rte 77 from Cunningham Falls State Park. As soon as I arrive at Catoctin, a heavily wooded area in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I can feel my lungs airing out from the cool, clean mountain breeze. My mind relaxes at the sight of the rolling mountains, clear streams and canopies of tall trees. Far from any major roads, all you hear is … nothing, but the peaceful quiet of nature, punctuated by singing birds during the day and chirping crickets at night. Though the park is close enough for a day trip, I recommend staying over for at least a night in one of the cabins at Camp Misty Mount on the Catoctin Mountain Park side. The rustic cabins, equipped simply with beds and The best-kept secret at Misty Mount is the swimming pool surrounded by trees available during the summer only to camp visitors. Mid-summer is also the time to catch a fabulous light show by fireflies hovering over the grasses at dusk. At any time of the year, though, you can enjoy a campfire and the starry night sky. If you stay over on a weeknight, you’re likely to have the whole park to yourself. Nearby orchards, such as Pryor’s at the entrance to Catoctin (http://www.pryorsorchard.com), offer locally grown seasonal produce that include several varieties of apples—be sure and try the Staymans. Even in retirement, I find an escapade to nature refreshes my body, mind and spirit. For more information, visit the Catoctin Mountain Park website at www.nps.gov/cato. 9 Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association To the Editor 1. I like that the Bulletin is short enough that I can read it in a few minutes. It is very well written and concise, to the point. The translations into English are excellent. From the President of the Chile Chapter of the Retirees Association 2. I think the main thing most of us want from the Bulletin is information about issues that affect us all, especially health insurance and our pension fund. The Bulletin has, I think, has always done a pretty good job doing this. The opinions expressed in the Letters to the Editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Board of Directors of the IDB and IIC Retirees Association. To the Editor, It’s with great disappointment that an Aide Mémoire has been received from the Bank’s Human Resources Manager and the President of the Retirees Association where they report that the Retirement Plan’s Administration Committee decided to turn down a voluntary option that would have allowed some retirees to receive all or part of their pensions in the currency of their country of residence, adjusted by that country’s price index. The decision was justified by indicating that the option was only acceptable to a minority. It should be remembered that towards the end of 2009 a survey was carried out among retirees living outside the U.S. that, for design reasons, did not allow for country breakdowns. Had survey results for retirees living in Chile been available, they would have reflected a majority acceptance, even though the proposed solution was nowhere close to their desired objectives. It’s regrettable that the Plan’s Administration Committee was unable to grasp the bias of the above-mentioned survey, declining to investigate alternative solutions to address the problem; many would like this situation to be rectified. The instability in income resulting from constant exchange-rate fluctuations remains unsustainable and it is no longer possible to keep on waiting for new studies, discussions, decisions, etc. Fluctuations between September 2009 and September 2010 were over 10%; in previous years, 35%. It is equally regrettable that the Association has not provided the support expected, but considers this case about to be closed. Sincerely, Alvaro Beca From David Mangurian To the Editor, I was glad to learn that the Retirees Bulletin will have a professional editor. It will be interesting to see what changes you make. Here are my suggestions for some changes and what to keep doing: 3. More articles about retirees. I attended Pomona College as an undergraduate. I get their lush fullcolor quarterly Bulletin with long articles on staff and graduates. I have never ever read an article. What I do turn to are the "Class notes" and obituaries, births and marriages. Class notes are always short. You might use this as a model for publishing more information about individual retirees. Call them “Retirees Notes.” Things like books or articles published, awards, particularly interesting trips, new post-IDB/IIC jobs or volunteer work. After you start this, you should start to get submissions. Put the names in bold face so readers can skim through the notes to read about people they know. Small photos could be included. 4. You might expand a few of the most interesting notes with your reporting every month. But keep the articles very short, shorter than the average Chasqui stories. Running S-H-O-R-T articles about interesting activities of retirees and “Retirees Notes” will help keep everyone more in touch and might attract more retirees to join our Association. 5. The obituaries are of interest to all of us. I think they should remain about as long as they are now, not shortened. 6. Consider publishing fewer photos of the monthly luncheon in Washington, DC, and use the space for more articles. 7. The only other suggestion I have would be a two-month events calendar: cultural events and films at the Bank, the monthly luncheon and topic, Retirees Association Board meetings that are open to any members, and any DC-area events that would be of special interest to us retirees (such as the AFI Latin American Film Festival, museum exhibits of Latin American artists or cultures). Make the calendar concise and printable as a single page. Best of luck, David Mangurian Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association 10 NEWS IDB-DC Solidarity Program The IDB Connection With the Community By Sandra Scioville and Marta Estarellas In response to the steady growth of the Hispanic and Caribbean communities in the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area, the IDB-DC Solidarity Program was established in 1998 to help them address their social, economic and educational challenges. Under the program, the IDB has built strategic partnerships with more than 50 local community-based organizations to support initiatives designed to benefit those communities, with an emphasis on education, health and economic development. The program provides grants, volunteers, surplus equipment and technical assistance to partner organizations. In its 13 years of activity, the program has awarded over $3.8 million in grants, in such areas as childcare, youth, senior citizens, health, education, immigration, employment, rehabilitation, violence prevention and business development. To be eligible for a grant, a partner organization must be a 501 (c) (3), located in the District of Columbia and provide services to the Latino and Caribbean communities. Organizations must be invited to the fund cycle in order to submit a proposal. The proposals are reviewed by the IDB-DC Solidarity Program Grants Committee, which consists of eight members, one of whom is the President of the Retirees Association. Volunteer Opportunities The program has a network of over 500 volunteers, mainly IDB staff members, their families and IDB retirees, who participate in community service activities throughout the year. These include drives to collect clothing and other basic supplies for the homeless. Retirees are always welcome to volunteer for these drives or to send contributions to the IDB-DC Solidarity Program. The contributions are also used for campaigns such as "Share the Magic," a toy and food drive for Latino and Caribbean families during the holiday season. To help its partner organizations recruit volunteers, the program regularly organizes brown-bag lunches at IDB headquarters, at which local organizations share information about their programs and services with IDB staff members, their families and retirees. To receive an invitation to the informational lunches, send an email to [email protected]. Under the program, the Bank donates its surplus equipment, such as computers, monitors, keyboards, office furniture and equipment, office supplies and books and magazines, to the program’s partner organizations to help them outfit their classrooms and offices. The IDB-DC Solidarity Program also collaborates with other multilateral organizations in the area, the Washington, D.C. government, private sector corporations and other stakeholders in order to support community development, civic engagement and local philanthropy. For information on the IDB-DC Solidarity Program, please contact Marta Estarellas by telephone at 202-623-1559 or by email at [email protected], or visit our website at www.iadb.org/solidarityprogram. Haiti’s Color of Hope Campaign By Sandra Scioville and Marta Estarellas The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 not only demolished its infrastructure, but it also took with it much of what was part of the culture of Haiti: its art. Thousands of paintings were lost in this devastation and almost all of the artists’ tools destroyed. Although the international community is helping rebuild Haiti in priority areas like water and roads, areas that are equally vital for the future of any nation are being overlooked. Understanding the urgent need to rebuild Haiti’s art and to recover the much-needed tools for the artists, the Inter-American Development Bank launched the “Haiti’s Colors of Hope” campaign on September 9-16, 2010 to raise donations in cash and art supplies for Haitian artists affected by the January 12 earthquake. The embassies of Argentina, Guatemala, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela in Washington, D.C. also supported this campaign. During the week-long drive, the IDB sought contributions from its staff, their families and former employees, as well as from persons in the Washington region interested in helping Haitian artists. The Utrecht arts supplies store (1250 I Street, NW) offered a discount for donated materials. As part of the campaign, on Monday, September 13, a group of locally based Latin American and Caribbean artists led participants in a collective painting session, headed by IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno, to fill blank canvasses symbolizing Haiti’s current plight and its hopes for a better future. The event took place in the Bank’s atrium, and the painted canvasses were displayed in the atrium throughout the week-long campaign. continued on page 13 Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association 11 continued from page 10 On September 16, the last day of the of the campaign, the IDB cafeteria offered a Caribbean lunch with emphasis on Haitian food, and a percentage of the money collected during the lunch was donated to the drive. The closing ceremony featured a recital by Les Petits Chanteurs, an internationally acclaimed Haitian youth and children choir, in the atrium. After the concert, the choir received a donation of musical instruments from the Inter-American Culture and Development Foundation. The IDB-DC Solidarity Program would like to express its deep gratitude to those who contributed to this campaign. For more information, please contact Marta Estarellas, Coordinator of the IDB-DC Solidarity Program, at [email protected] or (202) 623-1559. General News Four Countries Celebrate Bicentennials in 2010 By Cinthya Cuba This year Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico celebrate 200 years of independence from Spain, on the heels of Bolivia and Ecuador, which already commemorated their bicentennials last year. Over the next 15 years several other Latin American countries will join them in marking this milestone. the Embassy of Argentina on May 25th and a concert by the Pan American Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center on the 26th. The embassy has also partnered with the Smithsonian Institution for “Argentina at the Smithsonian,” a cultural program that runs through the end of the year. The celebrating countries owe their freedom from colonial rule to the Liberators Miguel Hidalgo, Simón Bolívar, José de San Martín and Bernardo O’Higgins, who rose against Spanish rule in the Americas in the early 19th century. The Liberators took advantage of the crisis that Napoleon had left behind in Spain during the Peninsular War, which resulted in the fall of governments, social turbulence and economic stagnation. This is why our wars of independence took place around the same time. The Mexican Cultural Institute partnered with the Kennedy Center for a “Celebrate Mexico 2010” program that included a Fiesta Mexicana on September 16th with music from Veracruz, mariachis, folk dances and a reenactment of the Grito de Independencia (“Cry for Independence”). A Bicentennial Group was begun in 2007 for the purpose of coordinating the commemorations of nine Latin American nations: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay and Venezuela, which between 2009 and 2011 are celebrating 200 years of independence, with the support of a very special 10th nation, Spain. The Group has organized forums in several countries, designed to pay tribute to the countries’ rich political and cultural histories, beyond parties and concerts. The embassies and cultural centers of the countries celebrating their independence in 2010 have organized many events in Washington, D.C. These included a Thanksgiving Mass at the church Saint Stephen Martyr organized by Colombia held various dinners and receptions at its embassy and at the Organization of American States. And Chile celebrated with various cultural events, an awards ceremony and a Family Fair in Takoma Park. The bicentennials tie in with many other cultural events to be held throughout the United States in October for Hispanic Heritage Month, when we commemorate the uniquely Latin American culture that developed out of the “meeting of two worlds.” Links: Argentine Embassy: www.embassyofargentina.us Argentina at the Smithsonian: http://latino.si.edu/PDF/ SLC_Argentina2010_Program.pdf Chilean Embassy: http://www.chile-usa.org/ Colombian Embassy: http://www.colombiaemb.org/ Mexican Embassy: http://portal.sre.gob.mx/usa/ 12 On Culture Buenos Aires’s Teatro Colón Reopens Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association Along with Milan’s La Scala, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Vienna’s Staatsoper, and London’s Covent Garden, the Teatro Colón is justifiably considered one of the five best opera houses in the world. It was inaugurated in 1908 and is acclaimed for its architectural style, typical of the early 20th century, as well as for its remarkable acoustics. An impressive number of artists have performed at the Teatro Colón: composers such as Richard Strauss, Arthur Honegger, Igor Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, Camille Saint-Saëns, Manuel de Falla, Aaron Copland, and of course Alberto Ginastera; and several generations of conductors too, from Arturo Toscanini, Erich Kleiber and Fritz Busch, to Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti and Daniel Baremboim, as well as Wilhelm Furtwangler, Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein. On May 25, 2010, the bicentennial of Argentina’s May Revolution, Buenos Aires’s Teatro Colón reopened its doors. They had been closed for several years, during which time the entire building underwent extensive renovation and modernization. But what surely gave the Teatro Colón back its luster was a performance that took place at the end of August. It was a concert version of Verdi’s Aida by the Orchestra and Chorus of Milan’s La Scala, with renowned international soloists, conducted by the Argentine conductor Daniel Baremboim, who is without a doubt Latin America’s most prestigious musician today. Even the always demanding music critics of Argentina and Uruguay have been unanimous in their praises. Maestro Baremboim, a pianist and a conductor, was the Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 15 years and is currently the Music Director of Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden, as well as of the West-Eastern Divan orchestra, an extraordinary ensemble of Israeli and Palestinian musicians. He has conducted the world’s best symphony orchestras and at the world’s greatest opera houses, including Bayreuth. Amongst the thousands of singers who’ve sung there are tenors Enrico Caruso, Lauritz Melchior, Wolfgang Windgassen, Alfredo Kraus, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti; sopranos Lily Pons, Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Kirsten Flagstad, Victoria de los Angeles, Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Montserrat Caballé, Kiri Te Kanawa and Renée Fleming; mezzos Fedora Barbieri, Marilyn Horne, Teresa Berganza, Christa Ludwig, Régine Crespin, Frederica von Stade, Waltraud Meier and Cecilia Bartoli; baritones Titta Ruffo, Leonard Warren, Hans Hotter, Cornell MacNeil, Hermann Prey, Sherrill Milnes, José van Dam and Dmitri Hvorostovsky; and basses Fedor Chaliapin, Borís Christoff, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Samuel Ramey. Outstanding dancers such as Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Alicia Alonso, Maia Plissetskaya, Margot Fonteyn, Mijail Barishnikov and the great Argentine dancer Julio Bocca have performed at the Teatro Colón. The world’s major symphony orchestras have played at the Teatro Colón. And there’s not enough space to list all the major soloists. The Teatro Colón’s reopening season includes six operas, Puccini’s La Bohème, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Janacek’s Kátia Kabanová, Zemlinsky’s Eine Florentinische Tragödie, Massenet’s Manon and Verdi’s Falstaff; four ballets, Manon, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère and Themes and Variations, choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan, Anne Marie Holmes, Natalia Makarova and George Balanchine, respectively; as well as 18 concerts by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association 13 Obituaries Inés Olmo, 1924-2010 Farewell to Doña Inés By Enrique V. Iglesias staff alike. In those memorable Saturday lunches of Chilean empanadas and red wine, we dreamt how the new Bank would be built. We were laying the foundations of the institution we now have, a great asset of the Ibero-American community, while simultaneously strengthening the soul of a great family. Many years later, when a cruel illness afflicted her husband, she remained at his side, supporting him during his long, painful struggle. Yesterday’s staff, as well as today’s, should bow our heads at the loss of a person to whom we are and will always be indebted and to whose memory we should pay heartfelt homage. If Felipe Herrera was the Bank’s founding father, then surely Doña Inés was its mother. Rest in peace, dear Inés. Jorge Ferraris, 1929-2010 By Luis M. Rotaeche A few days ago we learned the sad news that Doña Inés Olmo, widow of IDB founder and our first President Felipe Herrera, had passed away. She was an honorary member of our Association. Those of us who knew her and had the privilege of enjoying her friendship could fully appreciate the spiritual pillars and personal values of this great lady; a great lady married to a great gentleman. I remember this kind friend during the fascinating years of the Bank’s founding, when she accompanied her husband on the long journeys that slowly established the Bank’s image and commitment to the region and its economic and social development. During those trips she provided him with comfort, counsel and that smile, which Felipe loved so much. She was his “Saint Inés,” as he affectionately and admiringly used to call her. At the same time, as she contributed to promoting the Bank’s image in the outside world, she made a huge effort to nurture a family culture inside the Bank. Her home was open to great leaders and all levels of Jorge Ferraris died in Buenos Aires at the age of 80, victim of a heart attack. During his many years at the IDB he had a deep impact on the Bank’s bearing. He was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina in 1929. He received a law degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. He was a journalist and a member of congress, in which capacity he chaired the Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. He joined the IDB in 1966 as a Loan Officer and later became Area Chief, Division Chief, Senior Deputy Operations Manager and Manager of the Project Analysis Department. He retired in 1989. Upon returning to his country of origin he became a researcher and a consultant in the fields of regional markets, the environment and public administration. He authored several publications on these issues. In 2007 he authored Por qué estamos donde estamos, a book which was an extensive examination of Argentine development and institutionality and the interrelation between them. He had recently become a political analyst and published a blog “Política y algo más,” where he commented on Argentine current events with the continued on page 14 14 continued from page 13 depth of knowledge and passion that were so much part of his character. Those of us who knew him during his long and fruitful life and who were lucky enough to have been his friends know that in addition to being keenly intelligent, Jorge Ferraris had impeccable conduct in all his activities, an unparalleled sense of ethics in life and friendship, and a curious ability to reconcile differences. It will be difficult for his widow Celia, his life-long partner, and for his son Jorge C., to learn to live without him. Julio Edmundo Alcaine Coldwell, 1923-2010 Julio Alcaine was born in El Salvador. He passed away on August 29 in Arlington, Virginia. He had a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. He had also studied Geodesy and Photogrammetry at the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and U.S. Army Map Service, with which Alcaine gained additional experience in infrastructure, project analysis and supervision in Arizona and Honduras before joining the Bank in 1965 as Assistant to the Chief of Inspection and Review Section in the Project Analysis Division. In 1967, he was appointed Resident Engineer in Bolivia and then in Chile, where he served until 1970. Alcaine was later promoted to Chief of the Technical Reports Coordination Section at Headquarters and later in his career acted as Deputy Representative in the Country Offices of Paraguay, Uruguay and Panama. He retired from the Bank in 1984. His friends and former coworkers remember him for his character, kindness and dedication. Condolences may be conveyed to his widow, Susana Alcaine, or his daughter, Julia Alcaine, at the following address: 1300 Crystal Drive, Apartment 907S, Arlington, VA 22202, or by telephone at +1-703416-7265. Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association Michael A. Gomez, 1929 –2010 Michael Gomez, an American citizen born in New Orleans, Louisiana, passed away on August 28 in Boca Raton, Florida. Gomez, who held a PhD. in Economics from Ohio State University, worked at the Bank as Senior Economist and was Chief of the Social Development Division at Headquarters from 1970 to 1987, when he retired. He served as a consultant for the Bank until 1995, working for the Office of Evaluation and Oversight on the Project Completion Review Reports, as well as on other economic analysis projects. If you would like to send condolences please e-mail the Retirees Association ([email protected]) and we will forward any messages to the family once we obtain their contact information. José Melgar Márquez, 1913-2010 José Melgar Márquez, a citizen of Peru, died in Santiago, Chile, on September 21st. A self-taught member of staff, he joined the Bank in 1962. He served as Loan Officer, Specialist I, and Statistical Analyst in the Operations Department, and later as Editor in the Office of the External Relations Advisor, in view of his experience in journalism and publishing. Melgar retired from the Bank in 1978. Condolences can be sent to his widow, Adriana Melgar, at the following address: Luis Thayer Ojeda 63, Apartamento 31, Providencia, Santiago, Chile; or by telephoning her at +(562) 335-0849. Carlos M. Montero, 1928-2010 Carlos Montero, a citizen of Argentina, died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 24. Montero obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from the School of Economic Sciences of the Universidad de Buenos Aires. He was Chief of Internal Audit of the textile company Sudamtex, S.A. in Buenos Aires. He joined the Bank in 1963 as an Accountant continued on next page 15 Newsletter | IDB-IIC Retirees Association 15 continued from page 14 Remembering our colleagues: If you were close to a retiree who recently passed, please send us your fondest memories of the person in an email to [email protected]. Publications Committee Coordinator Magdalena Sanguinetti IDB • IIC RETIREES ASSOCIATION in the Office of the Treasurer. He then served as Finance and Operations Officer in Chile, Representative in Peru, Representative in Uruguay and Representative in Chile. Montero was a great field officer. He liked to travel by car around the countries to which he was assigned, with classical music blaring in the background. He visited scores of cities and villages trying to identify projects that would have a true development impact. During his time in Peru he learned to paint mirrors with polychrome drawings that are very beautiful. His motto, taken from Martín Fierro, was "it's not a matter of being the first to arrive; it's knowing how to get there." Condolences may be sent to his widow, Verónica López de Montero, at the following address: Avenida del Libertador 1780/11-B, 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina; o by phone at +(54-11) 4802-5707. Photo: S. Alexandra Russell IDB-IIC Retirees Association 1300 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20577 Phone: 202.623.3035 Fax: 202.623.3083 e-mail: [email protected] View of the trees at Catoctin Mountain Park. See page 8 for story. www.ajbid.org Members Graciela Echaide Cecilia Gallegos Camille Gaskin-Reyes Héctor Luisi Bimonthly Newsletter Editor S. Alexandra Russell Contributors Alvaro Beca Cinthya Cuba Marta Estarellas Camille Gaskin-Reyes Enrique Iglesias Héctor Luisi David Mangurian Nila Martínez-Sutter Alvaro Navarro Arne Paulsen Luis Rotaeche Sandra Scioville Jim Taylor Translators María Amparo Cabezas María Eugenia Kyburz Mari Paez Héctor Luisi Assistants Dorian Cruz-Cantero Cinthya Cuba Graphic Designer Cielo Productions
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