By His Excellency, Karim Ben Becher, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia.Four years after the peaceful jasmine revolution, Tunisia has developed as an example of a peaceful democratic transition and political compromise with a new progressive Constitution and free and fair well-organized legislative and presidential elections in 2014.
An unprecedented political transition to Democracy was triggered starting from January 2011, led by transitional governing institutions, political actors and civil society representatives who agreed on a broad framework for a participatory and inclusive democratic transition process, including elections for a National Constituent Assembly (NCA) in October 2011, mandated to draft and adopt a new democratic Constitution. In a second step, transitional Authorities have organised in the period of October-December 2014, new free general elections based on the provisions of the new Constitution.This development led observers to talk about a ‘Tunisian exception’.
Political process
At first, an independent election commission organized free multi-party elections on October 23th, 2011, of the members of the National Constituent Assembly, NCA, that was tasked to draft a new constitution. The NCA appointed also an interim Government and an interim president.
Starting from 2013 a National Dialogue process was developed serving as a framework for free dialogue between political actors with the facilitation of a quartet of civil society organizations. This process became an important institution for resolving differences, and making compromise agreements at first, about key issues in the constitution being discussed inside the National Constituent Assembly (NCA).
The NCA adopted finally a new Constitution on January 26th 2014, which was regarded by the international community as the most progressive in the region, setting the rules for a fully democratic regime, providing for a democratic civil nation, the freedom of conscience and belief and establishing gender equality.
In order to bring political, social and economic stability to the country, both ruling and opposition parties agreed in the framework of the National Dialogue institution to designate Mehdi Jomaa as an interim Prime Minister. A new caretaker cabinet of technocrats was approved by the NCA, on 29 January 2014, with the task to maintain security, engineer economic reforms and organise legislative and presidential elections by the end of the year in accordance with the provisions of the new constitution.
Observers were unanimous to consider that the National Dialogue contributed significantly to the success of the democratic process in Tunisia, getting the country out of a political deadlock, and creating a compromise between electoral and consensus legitimacies. It is regarded, finally, as a real commitment by all political parties involved to look for common solutions through negotiation and mediation
The contribution of the Mehdi Jomaa Government to the country’s transition into democracy was crucial.By organising free and fair legislative elections in October 26th 2015 and then, the presidential elections in two rounds in November 23rd and December 21st , 2014, through an Independent High Authority for Elections, the country has nowadays a new Parliament and President, thus becoming the only country in the region to have peacefully achieved a democratic transition process since the beginning of the Arab Spring in 2011. It is regarded as a unique example of free elections, free press and active civil society.
On February 5th, 2015, Tunisia’s newly elected ‘Assembly of the Representatives of the People’ approved a coalition government headed by the Head of Government Habib Essid. This new government proved that Tunisia is stepping toward pluralism and stability in the framework of the second republic. The government had to push through a broad range of economic reforms, preserve the security conditions and continue the fight against extremism and terrorism.
The success of the democratic transition and continued economic reforms are expected to boost economic growth and favour social stability. The prospects for partnership and investment in Tunisiaare very positive. Big investment projects in infrastructure and energy were presented during the international conference “Invest in Tunisia, a start-up democracy”, held in Tunis in September 2014.
H. E. Karim Ben Becher, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia.Bilateral relations with the Netherlands
Bilateral relations with the Netherlands have grown steadily since the outbreak of the Yasmine revolution in Tunisia resulting in closer cooperation relations in the context of the democratic transition process, the consolidation of capabilities and reforms to meet the development challenges ahead such as unemployment, regional development and boosting economic growth.
High level visits were organised in order to give a fresh impetus to bilateral relations, such as the visit of the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mongi Hamdi, to the Hague in September 2014 and the recent visit of Mrs Liliane Ploumen, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in Tunisia with a view to strengthening cooperation relations, economic exchanges and promoting direct investment and partnership.
There are much room to further develop economic exchange, trade relations, partnership and investment with the Netherlands. Tunisian and Dutch companies should be encouraged to make additional efforts in this regard. There are opportunities particularly in the agricultural sector, horticulture and food products processing, infrastructure and energy sectors .
The “Cartago” exhibition organised in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, November, 27th2014-10 May 2015 , is a landmark in the bilateral relations. It is being held for the first time in the Netherlands and presents the history and archaeological treasures of the ancient Carthage.
The exhibition presents an overview of the rich cultural heritage of Tunisia dating back to ancient times, and represents a basic factor for the promotion of Tunisia as a leading tourist destination at the south shore of the Mediterranean with sunny beaches, a rich history and typical hotel resorts with thalasso, and world class golfing sites.
We are confident that more and more Dutch tourists will enjoy their stay in Tunisia thanks to its rich cultural heritage, its natural beauty and its numerous tourist attractions.
By Her Excellency Mrs. Teresa Paraskevi Angelatou, Ambassador of Greece to the Kingdom of The Netherlands
As we celebrated, few days ago, the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Schengen Convention, countries like Greece, being on the European border line, understand better than others common security as well as common European asylum issues.
The Schengen Convention made it possible for citizens to travel freely to visit friends and family, make business trips or visit other Schengen countries as tourists, without giving up on security. The Common European Asylum System made it possible for any alien or stateless person to seek international protection out of fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, etc.
Facing the immense challenge of a large flow of irregular migrants in the recent years, Greece has accelerated the implementation of actions for the establishment and functioning of the new Asylum Service in 2013. This new Service is independent and is operated by civil servants trained by specialists in the field with the cooperation of UNHCR and EASO, the European Asylum Support Office.
Establishing a “fair and efficient” asylum system is an integral part of a modern and comprehensive management policy of migration flows. A fair but speedy asylum procedure, as the one being implemented nowadays in Greece, ensures that purely economic migrants have no reason to resort to the asylum system, since they are aware that their claim will be denied shortly, while actual refugees receive the protection afforded by international conventions and national law within a reasonable time frame. The distinction between economic migrants and refugees is a complex process.
Migration flows towards Greece are “mixed”, since the refugees and the economic migrants use the same transit routes and entry points to get into the country. Both often lack legal documents or identity documents, thus turning to networks of facilitators so as to avoid border controls, rendering the recognition and verification of their country of origin and their need for international protection extremely difficult. As far as the asylum seekers are concerned the case workers can understand, using specific methods and “tools”, which is their country of origin and determine through the asylum procedure, which ones are refugees.
Not all irregular migrants request asylum. International experience shows that the better and more complete the official information provided to the third-country nationals relating to the legal framework for international “protection” is, the fewer non-refugees will apply for asylum. On the contrary, when the main source of information of third-country nationals is, for example, the illegal trafficking and exploitation networks, then there is a rise in international protection claims without valid reasons.
Greece has been a country of origin of refugees and migrants for many decades. During the last twenty years Greece has been turned into a country of destination and entry into the EU, due to the political and economic stability as well as due to its geographic location, which makes it a natural crossroads between the countries of northern and central Europe and the countries of Asia and Africa. Therefore it is very important to have a reliable asylum procedure as part of a comprehensive management system of migration flows, which will secure the refugee from the dangers in his country of origin, as well as our country from any exploitation of this process from persons who are not entitled to receive protection.
Apart from the speedy processing time, the Asylum Service lays particular importance to the quality of its procedures and, especially, of the decisions it issues. Emphasis is given to the correct information imparted to persons interested in asylum, to the asylum seekers and to the beneficiaries of international protection. In addition, every effort is made to ensure all the rights stipulated in national and European legislation.
In the course of its first eighteen months of operation (from June 2013 to November 2014), the Asylum Service has registered 13,289 applications for international protection. The asylum seekers who submitted their applications in Greece during the aforementioned period originate from 96 different countries. The main countries of origin are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Albania, Syria, Bangladesh, Georgia, Egypt, Nigeria, Iran, Sudan and Eritrea.
By Uhuru Tyrie-Socha.
For parents living and working abroad, selecting a suitable school for their children is one of the first priorities in any posting. For the majority, an international school is the obvious choice – lessons offered in the English language, smaller class sizes, excellent facilities and top class teachers are all appealing concepts for most parents – however, these are not the only reasons why so many parents make this choice.
The attraction of an international school education filters way beyond the confines of the classroom, as it provides students with the opportunity to learn and interact within a truly culturally diverse environment, promoting a broadminded spirit of acceptance and interest in other beliefs and values.
Photography Andy Catterall.
The global popularity of international schools is evidenced by UK-based International School Consultancy Group (ISC), whose recent research revealed a global increase in the number of students in international schools.
During the past 10 years the market has doubled in size with now more than 6,000 international schools across the world, and almost 10,000 further schools predicted to open before 2021. In just 12 months, student numbers have risen from 3.3 million in 2013, to 3.6 million last year.
Since opening its doors in The Hague more than 80 years ago, The British School in The Netherlands (BSN) has seen a huge number of changes. Not only has the school transformed in relation to its size and location, but perhaps more specifically, the BSN has evolved enormously in terms of the international makeup of its students, who now represent some eighty five nationalities. The school was founded on the principles of developing and challenging the whole individual, producing students with high aspirations and confident independence – these principles still stand at the BSN today, with the school priding itself on the fostering of strong values such as mutual understanding, respect for others and high personal endeavour.
Photography Chris Pilling.
The BSN caters for the children of many diplomats and Embassy staff located in The Hague, as well as for numerous international organisations and corporations who have their headquarters in and around the city. With around 2,250 students aged 3-18 years, spread across 4 campuses in The Hague area, the BSN is the international school of choice for more families than any other.
The rich diversity of the BSN community is deeply entwined into the school’s fabric, providing a unique dimension to the school ethos and character. The global exposure that students and children experience during their time at the school enables them to connect with each other’s cultures – in the classroom and beyond – as well as develop a strong understanding of different traditions, values and beliefs from a very early age. This is combined with a curriculum built on solid British foundations, providing a uniquely distinctive educational experience for the students.
The global reputation of the UK education system, coupled with a modern and innovative approach to teaching and learning which fosters an early acceptance of responsibility for one’s own learning, are some of the reasons many parents opt to buy into the British education system.
Following a UK curriculum means the BSN, together with other British international schools worldwide, can draw on a large pool of highly qualified teachers. Furthermore it’s broadly recognised that British school-leaving qualifications provide a passport to universities across the world – whilst many European countries accept each other’s qualifications for university entrance, A-levels are also respected further afield in countries including the USA and Canada, therefore providing students with access to some of the top institutions in the world. That said, the BSN actually provides the best of both worlds by offering a choice between the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or IB Career Related Programme and the traditional British A Level route, during the final two years of schooling.
The Association of Graduate Recruiters recently observed that many employers have problems in recruiting for graduate positions, citing a lack of candidates equipped with the necessary skills and experiences required by international organisations. As the term ‘Global Graduates’ becomes the buzz phrase amongst employers and universities, it becomes increasingly important for students to develop exactly the kind of skills they learn in an international school environment.
British International Schools around the globe, offer an exceptionally unique educational experience, blending the quality of the world renowned British education system, with a distinctively international dimension. The popularity of the BSN’s approach continues to grow – its Internationally British approach helping differentiate it from other local international schools and attracting not just expatriates from all over the world, but also an increasing number of internationally minded Dutch families as well.
Fact File – The global appeal of the UK-based curriculum is underlined by figures showing that it has by far the largest share of the international education market. ISC Research indicates that 3,115 international schools use a UK-based curriculum, leading to GCSEs and A-levels. This represents 41 per cent of the international schools market, making it more than twice as popular as the next most widely chosen, the International Baccalaureate, which is taught by 17 per cent of international schools.
By Joaquin Taveras. Fine Arts Editor, Diplomat Magazine.
20th century art was the platform of surprising vanguard movements, not only in Europe but also in the new continent. The ethnic and historic imaginary of the Caribbean served as a motor for a pictorial transformation that instead of passing inadvertently, positioned itself comfortably while influencing consecrated movements and artists. The legendary African esthetic, the weight of slavery, the figures and symbology created during colonization and the magical-religious syncretism are but a few of the elements that characterize the Caribbean artistic expressions today.
In Paris, cradle of pictorial movements, the prestige of Guyanese intellectuals helped raise the voices of Latin-American surrealism in the Negro-culture paradigm; in that context initiate the default style of the contemporary arts of the Antilles: The Naïve (also translate as Primitivism), it searches to represent fables, myths, the quotidian reality in contradistinction to imagination and dreams, all through a fresh and colorful style that flirts more with the infantile than with what’s already established by academies. Haiti was its main exponent, enhanced mainly because of the patronage of great personalities such as Henri Christophe and Alexandre Petion.
It is worth noting four transcendent events that helped Caribbean art flourish: The surrealist exposition of Paris in 1947, the posterior creation of the Centre d’Art of Puerto Principe, Contributions by French painter Andre Breton and above all the connections to The New Negro Movement, one of the most renown movements in North American arts of the 20th Century, in which one of its pioneers was Puerto Rican Arturo Alfonso Schomburg.
What differentiated Caribbean art from the rest? Essentially its search of primitivism as opposed to modernism, always with the interest of conserving and showing the beauty of such a mixed cultural identity, its complex story and the diverse socio-political realities that it endures: producing artworks with an unimaginable richness of concepts, forms, colors, textures… all in constant transformation.
Tardy but well deserved, the acknowledgement spacious modern art places like the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Saatchi Gallery in London or the Centre Pompidou in Paris give to Caribbean artists. Amongst them are: Cuban Wilfredo Lam, Dominican Paul Giudicelli, Haitian Antonio Joseph and Tobago Peter Doig.
Nowadays contemporariness of Caribbean art still explores diverse techniques and styles that go on par with the acceptance and development of multidisciplines. From Rene Mederos graffiti’s, Allora & Calzadilla’s installations, Beatriz Santiago Muñoz video, to Ana Mendieta’s performance and the creation of new galleries and spaces, Caribbean art is definitely in its prime.
By John Kennedy Stewart, International Relations and Academic Diplomatic Researcher.
When I have first contacted Dr. Eugenio Matos G. – Charge d’affaires a.i. at the Dominican Republic Embassy in The Hague and Associate Publisher for Diplomat Magazine – in summer 2013, I was honored to be invited to attend several Diplomats Meet&Greet organized by this publication and hosted by embassies at Carlton Ambassador Hotel. Diplomats Meet&Greet (DMG) was initially conceived since Diplomat Magazine’s foundation. It rapidly became a well-known initiative, boosting the image of the City of Peace and Justice – The Hague. A key counseling expertise behind the scene for this production was under Mr. Arwin Paulides’ mastermind, General Manager of Carlton Ambassador Hotel.
With its home-based at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel, Diplomats Meet&Greet is a monthly event gathering some 130 diplomats and special guests. So far, it has welcomed more than 2000 visitorsin less than 17 months, including the presence of Her Excellency, Atifete Jahjaga, President of Kosovo, on 5 December, 2013 https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2013/12/21/president-kosovo-pays-visit-diplomat-club-hague/
Likewise, some invitees come as far as from Spain, Germany, Austria, London and of course from Brussels. Many ministers, dignitaries, representatives from international organizations, Burgmeisters, Dutch entrepreneurs, members of parliament, journalists, politicians, NGOs, the military, royal families, the academia and individuals from the Dutch civil society have paid a courtesy visit to Diplomat Magazine’s Diplomat Meet&Greet at Carlton.
Ambassadors willing to host their DMG should contact Diplomat Magazine to reserve an available month. Both Diplomat Magazine and Diplomatic Card sponsor embassies to make their events an unforgettable one adapted to each diplomatic mission’s needs.
In the view of Dr. Matos “Diplomats Meet&Greet has since given the opportunity to the diplomatic corps to enhance their cultural, bilateral trade and diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has also served to international organizations to have a say in terms of press relations. Thanks to Diplomat Magazine, our Embassy in The Hague had the privilege to host its 1st Dominican Diplomats Meet&Greet in April, 2014 at Carlton Ambassador, which I consider the most successful diplomatic event for our mission since its inauguration ten years ago” said Minister Counselor Dr. Eugenio Matos, before departing to Buenos Aires, Argentina in a new diplomatic assignment.
Diplomat Magazine stands strong as the main diplomatic media in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It echoes the willingness of ambassadors and the diplomatic community to participate as contributing writers alongside the integration of Dutch volunteers keen to be introduced to the diplomatic society. “Just little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of welcoming the initiative of publishing the Diplomat Magazine, and anticipated that the international community in The Hague would undoubtedly receive it with enthusiasm. That prediction not only became true, but this Magazine quickly established itself as the leader media covering a wide range of diplomatic events, and thus as the number one consulting media for an overview of the most important diplomatic events in The Hague”, said H.E. Carlos Arguello Gomez, Ambassador of Nicaragua and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, through his welcome letter addressed to Diplomat Magazine in November, 2014 and published on page 9 on the first printed version of DM http://issuu.com/yumipepijnudo/docs/binnenwerk_dm_small
It is illustrative to open some links for a snapshot on Diplomat Magazine’s Diplomats Meet&Greet at Carlton Ambassador Hotel:
https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2014/03/07/canada-meet-greet-outstanding-event/https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2015/01/31/cuban-diplomats-meet-greet/https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2014/11/11/diplomats-meet-greet-venezuelan-style/https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2014/10/18/macedonia-diplomats-meetgreet/https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2014/04/06/8613/https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2014/09/12/african-meetgreet-sept-11th/
By John Dunkelgrün.
From April 25th through May 15th there is an exceptional exposition at the Embassy of Mexico of works by Beatriz Padilla. Padilla has worked in many countries, painting spectacular canvases in which she tries to capture the beauty of the majestic landscapes around her. Totally autodidact as a painter, she designed a special tent, that allows her to continue working outdoors, whatever the weather conditions may be.
BeatrizPadilla is much more than just an exciting Mexican painter. She is in love with nature and a passionate conservationist, especially about ‘El bosque de agua’ the water forest in central Mexico that provides the water for this city of tens of millions. Born in Tenochtitlán into a political family with a tradition of nature conservation (e.g. her grandfather was one of the originators of the Muir Woods conservation area in California), she studied at the Technical University of Monterrey and lived for many years in the artist colony of Cuernavaca .
As an environmentalist she has embarked on a journey combining the art of painting with nature conservation in a new and innovative way. The Wilderness Conservation Painting Expedition (WCPE) is an applied conservation initiative, using the arts to support and communicate conservation issues of key wildlands across the globe and assist local people in communicating their relationship with these lands and receiving benefits from doing so.
Some of these areas are “hotspots” and highly threatened, and some are already protected areas – all of them have a message to relate. While on location, Beatriz also engages with local communities. For example, on some expeditions, she leads art workshops with teenagers of native communities focusing on their natural and cultural heritage.
These workshops culminate with an exhibit, showing the potential for these teens to generate a source of livelihood from portraying the intrinsic value of their natural environment. Most recently, Beatriz has stayed for long periods of time in the rainforest of Guatemala at Richard Hansen’s El Mirador project, and in the forests of West Africa, in Gabon, with the Lowland Gorillas. The pièce de résistance of the exposition is a large canvas executed in the reservation area Buitenplaas that is the heart and soul of Princess Irene of The Netherlands.
Regular opening hours are from 9.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 17.00 beginig from April 23rd through May 15th (except Saturdays and Sundays).
The formal opening by the Ambassador of Mexico to the Netherlands, H.E. Eduardo Ibarolla- Nicolin, will be on Friday April 24th at 18.30.
For security reasons, please announce your intention to visit in advance to Ms. Sandra Lopez, cultural attaché of the embassy (slopez@embamex.nl and with cc fwiedijk@embamex.nl ).
The Embassy has limited space available, so please don’t delay or you may be disappointed.
(With thanks to “The Wild Foundation”)
By H. E. Willys Delvalle Velasco, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama.
With great determination and pride Panama has made all efforts necessary for the success of the VII Summit of the Americas, on April the 10th and 11th, and due to concerns about our region, since the very beginning proposed as the main theme: “Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation for the Americas”, a crucial meeting at which converge the countries of the Americas confirmed by high level of each delegation.
This Summit is framed by the valuable exchange of views and the discussions on regional topics based on the eight themes that supported the main programme of the meeting: health, education, environment, citizen participation, democratic governance, migration, energy and security.
Panama welcomes all participants in a friendly environment to share the concern about the difficulties that involve the countries of our hemisphere in diverse aspects, as well as the great challenges that require a common strategy, aiming to achieve the main goal: prosperity and equity for our people.
Prior and parallel to the official programme of the Summit of the Americas, several pre-Conference events have been organized to take place, including four major events to strengthen the process of the presidential meeting such as the Bussiness Forum, the Youth Forum of the Americas, the Forum of Civil Society and Rectors Forum, held for the first time as an innovative high level dialogue in Panama.
The First Forum of Rectors represent the space in which authorities of the foremost centers of highest education in the continent can present their points of view and recommendations on prosperity and on the highest level of education to the Heads of States and Government, as well as coordinate assessments and analyze the challenges of current situation on cooperation between universities.
With great enthusiasm, Panama has been totally committed to working hard and offer the appropriate conditions for a fruitful dialogue in order to promote respect for our diversity as societies and the will of looking forward for understanding through consensus, sending a strong message that all efforts should be deployed for deep hemispheric consolidation.
H. E. Willys Delvalle Velasco, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In terms of foreign policy, Panama has worked hard to promote the convergence, building bridges between nations, approaching positions and making efforts to strengthen the principles of international peace and security, returning to the historical vocation of seeking reconciliation and promoting the tools that enable the implementation of an effective and practical diplomacy.
Thus, Panama offers comparative advantages to the world including all the services that have developed around our privileged geographical position, the Panama Canal has expanded as a strategic point between the logistics and multimodal platform which is available for international trade, with last generation ports in both sides of the country, on the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts, and complemented by the activities of a highly qualified financial center.
It has also facilitated our air platform through the Hub of the Americas which is located in Panama city and connecting all the main cities and countries of the hemisphere with a convenient flight schedules, that gives the business, tourists and cargo a parallel connectivity al around the world. The legal stability remains the strength of commercial transactions, with incentives for multinational enterprises and creating sustained growth.
We see a prosperous future ahead for this five-year period, with the optimism of the hard work of the Panamanian people, at the same time it is expected that our neighbors and friends undertake joint efforts to identify opportunities that can generate benefits for the people of the Americas, with the determination to increase cooperation and strengthen common values that can create an impact in our region.
Hosting the Summit of the Americas represents and will represent Panama’s strong and decisive start of a new phase, the consolidation of a forum in which our region converges the challenge presented: is to effectively work for the welfare of the citizens of the Americas, with the expectation of generating an increase in the quality of life and human development with equity.
By Sonia Meijer, Direct Languages Center.Human intelligence is richer and more dynamic than we have been led to believe by academic education, I am passionate about communication, especially in teaching. As Philosopher Allan Bloom said : ‘Education is the movement from darkness to light ‘.I believe in education as in its general sense, it is a form of learning in which knowledge is transferred from generation to generation, this science and the art of how to teach is called Pedagogy .Education began in the earliest prehistory and skills deemed necessary in society. It is true English has become a global lingua franca over the past several decades. However learning another language opens up new opportunities and gives perspectives that you might never have encountered otherwise : like: personal, professional, social and economic; all points to the advantage to learning foreign languages .It also gives the ability to step to another culture because we live in a world where nations and people are more dependent upon one another to supply goods and services. We also live in a world of globalization and mobility, ever more urgent for people to be competent in other languages .With all these factors these are good reasons why you should be learning a foreign language .
By John Kennedy Stewart, special for Diplomat Magazine.
After his departure from the Netherlands last December for his new diplomatic post as Minister Counselor at the Dominican Republic Embassy in Buenos Aires, Dr. Eugenio Matos G was invited as guest violinist to perform at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Buenos Aires, on the occasion of the Francofonie, 2015.
The event was hosted by Head of Diplomatic Missions and dignitaries in Argentina. It took place last March 19th at the Theater of the Ministry of Foreign affairs in the presence of ambassadors, the press and special invitees. Mr. Matos, founder of Diplomat Magazine, was part of the professional Dominican National Symphony Orchestra in Santo Domingo.
He is currently in charge of the department of public affairs of the embassy.
We were proud to find this source at: http://embajadadominicana.com.ar/embajadores-de-la-francofonie/
On Monday March 30, 2015, the Amitié-Club de la Haye celebrated it’s the 50th anniversary as well as the month of the Francophone. H.E. Mrs. Ireny Comaroschi, Ambassador of Romania in the Netherlands was envisaged to deliver a lecture on Orthodox Easter traditions in her country Roumania.
Furthermore, an introduction into the tradition of decorating Easter eggs. More than 85% of Roumania is Orthodox and Easter is the largest Orthodox celebration in Romania.
For a photo-album on this event, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157651312672578/
Two artists from Bucovina performed. Bucovina is the region in the North-West part of Moldavia, the “High Country”, that is also the region of the monasteries. Cristina Timu and Maria Zinici explained the ancestral technique passed on from generation to generation, and they demonstrated the different symbols in some of the eggs.
As an environmentalist she has embarked on a journey combining the art of painting with nature conservation in a new and innovative way. The Wilderness Conservation Painting Expedition (WCPE) is an applied conservation initiative, using the arts to support and communicate conservation issues of key wildlands across the globe and assist local people in communicating their relationship with these lands and receiving benefits from doing so.
Some of these areas are “hotspots” and highly threatened, and some are already protected areas – all of them have a message to relate. While on location, Beatriz also engages with local communities. For example, on some expeditions, she leads art workshops with teenagers of native communities focusing on their natural and cultural heritage.
These workshops culminate with an exhibit, showing the potential for these teens to generate a source of livelihood from portraying the intrinsic value of their natural environment. Most recently, Beatriz has stayed for long periods of time in the rainforest of Guatemala at Richard Hansen’s El Mirador project, and in the forests of West Africa, in Gabon, with the Lowland Gorillas. The pièce de résistance of the exposition is a large canvas executed in the reservation area Buitenplaas that is the heart and soul of Princess Irene of The Netherlands.
Regular opening hours are from 9.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 17.00 beginig from April 23rd through May 15th (except Saturdays and Sundays).
The formal opening by the Ambassador of Mexico to the Netherlands, H.E. Eduardo Ibarolla- Nicolin, will be on Friday April 24th at 18.30.
For security reasons, please announce your intention to visit in advance to Ms. Sandra Lopez, cultural attaché of the embassy (slopez@embamex.nl and with cc fwiedijk@embamex.nl ).
The Embassy has limited space available, so please don’t delay or you may be disappointed.
(With thanks to “The Wild Foundation”)
The formal opening by the Ambassador of Mexico to the Netherlands, H.E. Eduardo Ibarolla- Nicolin, will be on Friday April 24th at 18.30.
For security reasons, please announce your intention to visit in advance to Ms. Sandra Lopez, cultural attaché of the embassy (slopez@embamex.nl and with cc fwiedijk@embamex.nl ).
The Embassy has limited space available, so please don’t delay or you may be disappointed.
(With thanks to “The Wild Foundation”)
Two artists from Bucovina performed. Bucovina is the region in the North-West part of Moldavia, the “High Country”, that is also the region of the monasteries. Cristina Timu and Maria Zinici explained the ancestral technique passed on from generation to generation, and they demonstrated the different symbols in some of the eggs.
Two artists from Bucovina performed. Bucovina is the region in the North-West part of Moldavia, the “High Country”, that is also the region of the monasteries. Cristina Timu and Maria Zinici explained the ancestral technique passed on from generation to generation, and they demonstrated the different symbols in some of the eggs.
