“Ana Maria Salazar speaks on Jefferson-Jackson Day
By Bruce Rossley

San Miguel Democrats Abroad sponsored a gala Jefferson-Jackson Day reception and dinner at the Hotel Real de Minas on March 29. The event is the traditional fundraising kickoff for the national campaign and in San Miguel for the 2008 voter-registration campaign.

After the reception, National Chairperson Howard Feldstein chaired the Annual National Committee Meeting of Mexico Democrats Abroad. He congratulated the local chapter for its efforts in the February 5 Global Primary, in which San Miguel posted the third largest voter turnout in the world, behind only London and Paris. Feldstein recapped the primary voter totals for Mexico and gave a brief history of Democrats Abroad in Mexico. He noted that two new chapters were established before the end of 2007 in Puerto Vallarta (Costa Banderas) and Mazatlan. Feldstein said, “What are our goals for 2008? Simply put, win the White House. How do we get there? Lots of hard work and planning. We need to reach many people who may not have voted before, but are eligible to vote. We are working on a plan to identify and reach out to thousands, maybe millions of Americans throughout the country.” Feldstein said that Democrats were extremely fortunate to have two excellent candidates. He continued, “We want to support our favorite candidate, but we need to be ready to back the Democratic nominee whoever that is. We cannot afford to let the Republicans continue to take our country down the wrong path. We need to ensure that a Democrat is in the White House on January 20, 2009, and that we give him or her a Democratic majority in the Congress. Let’s all pull together to make that happen!”

Dual citizen Ana Maria Salazar was the keynote speaker at the dinner following the reception. Salazar was a White House official in the Clinton administration and later Assistant Under-secretary of Defense. She is currently the host of two radio talk shows in Mexico City and president of an international consulting firm. She urged Democrats to unite behind whoever is the Democratic presidential nominee. She emphasized the importance of uniting the party to avoid a “third Bush term.” Salazar also emphasized the importance of identifying Americans and dual citizens living in Mexico. She said that the Mexican government is attempting to make it easier for Americans to live and do business in Mexico.

Gretchen Sullivan, chairperson of the San Miguel chapter, noted that Democrats Abroad is now the largest membership organization in the city. She spoke of the importance of helping all Americans and dual citizens to register to vote and cast absentee ballots for the November election. She said that this will be the main focus of the organization’s efforts in the months ahead. Sullivan also called for the Democratic Party to unite behind its eventual nominee to avoid a “disaster” in November.

Bruce Rossley is vice chairperson of San Miguel Democrats Abroad and a member of the Democrats Abroad national executive committee. He has been a San Miguel resident for six years. 

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CASA founder speaks at Global Philanthropy Forum
By Michele Connor

Nadine Goodman, founder of CASA (Centro de Adolescentes de San Miguel de Allende) has been invited to speak at the Seventh Annual Global Philanthropy Forum, to be held April 9–11, at Sofitel San Francisco Bay in Redwood City, CA.

The 2008 conference, entitled “Human Security, Human Rights and the Shared Responsibility to Protect: A conversation between elders and emerging leaders,” is dedicated discourse among elders and the next generation of philanthropists and outstanding emerging leaders from throughout the developing world.

Goodman will share this incredible honor with speakers Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson, Gareth Evans, Kenneth Roth, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Peter Gabriel, Lakhdar Brahimi and Mo Ibrahim.

The Global Philanthropy Forum is a network of over 600 philanthropists who come together annually to learn from one another and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their giving. 

Speakers at prior conferences have included former President Bill Clinton; Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; Angalique Kidjo, singer, songwriter, founder of the Batonga Foundation and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; Ted Turner of the UN Foundation; Sam Nunn of the Nuclear Threat Initiative; William Gates Sr. of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Teresa Heinz Kerry of the Heinz Family Philanthropies; James Wolfensohn, then president of the World Bank; Gordon Conway, then president of the Rockefeller Foundation; and Jeffery Sachs of the Earth Institute. 

Highlights from previous conferences can be heard on streaming video at www.philanthropyforum.org. Some of the proceedings from the 2008 conference will also be syndicated on National Public Radio throughout the US and featured in the conference transcripts. 

CASA is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the poor, particularly adolescents, rural women and their families, through health, social service, education and environmental outreach programs since 1981. Founded in San Miguel, it has created Mexico’s first government-approved midwifery school. It teaches others to teach, a pedagogy that has enabled hundreds who, in turn, have affected the lives of thousands. Its focus on advocacy, from community initiatives for health and environmental issues to sounding the call against family violence, has inspired, empowered and benefited thousands. For more information about CASA, call 154-6060 or visit www.casa.org.mx 

Michele Connor is a board member of CASA.

Pancho Villa and Pitirrin win burro prizes
By Dorothy Glenn and Sheryl MacDonald

On Saturday, March 15, six buses and many private cars carrying over 200 guests departed from San Miguel to attend the second annual Best of Burro Festival, held to benefit the children of Jalpa.  This year’s event began with a traditional Mexican comida prepared by the women of this small community and served within the ruins of the seventeenth-century vicarage.

Following the comida, the talented group of Tunas Sanmgiguelenses (martinzapatero@yahoo.com.mx) sang and performed, while the smartly dressed children displayed their English abilities and dancing talents around the tables of the guests. This was an opportunity to show some of the skills they acquired in the Leading with English program. The children’s pride in their accomplishments is justified.

Following the comida was the featured event—the hilarious burro parade and pageant consisting of 22 active, lively burros dressed in a variety of original, elegant-to-ridiculous attire, who were led, pushed, or encouraged into the center area to parade in front of the crowd, much to the guests’ amusement and enjoyment. As laughter rose, cameras snapped and cheers continued, the burros and the children played to the audience. The singing Tunas, present also at the burro parade, gallantly stepped forward and performed impromptu numbers for additional entertainment and the delight of all the visitors.

The People’s Choice winner was determined by the level of applause. This year the audience felt two entries were equally deserving of first place and each was awarded a bicycle.

The winners were Diana Elizabeth Dominguez with her burro Pancho Villa and Jimena Lizeth Vazquez with Pitirrin. Both the girls and their burros were show-stoppers.

En route back to San Miguel, some buses stopped at the Sensual Chocolatier factory to sample delicious hand-rolled truffles and purchase gift boxes. 

Proceeds from the event will help fund the Leading with English program, a library for the community, repairs to the secundaria’s basketball court and the Feed the Hungry kitchen.

The program, organized by the charitable organization Fundacion Internacional de Ninos Olvidados (FINO), is headed by Craig and Sara Tylosky and includes a group of some 20 talented and highly qualified volunteers from San Miguel. Twice a week they travel to the Jalpa primaria (elementary) school to teach enrichment programs, including their core project Leading with English, which is supported by the local teachers and residents. In addition to teaching English, the program is geared to stimulate, encourage and prepare these young children to continue their education beyond the sixth grade. 

This once-thriving community, bordering the only road to Querétaro then, was bypassed some 40 years ago by a new highway. Gradually, the few stores closed and the huge, elegant church was filled only with memories of an active congregation, including those of the many absent fathers, uncles, brothers and grandfathers who scattered, some seeking employment in the US. 

FINO and their many volunteers wish to thank the children, members of the community and guests for the good humor shown during a few unexpected, unrehearsed events which contributed to the light-hearted ambience.

FINO also thanks all of its sponsors and volunteers and hopes to expand the burro event for next year. Volunteers are always needed; contact finoac@gmail.com. 

Dorothy Glenn lives full-time in San Miguel, is a volunteer for FINO and contributor to Atención. Sheryl MacDonald makes her home in Ottawa and San Miguel.

Rotary Diabetes Conference attacks major health problem

Conference
Conference on Diabetes
Apr 10–12
smarotaryclub.org/diabetes

The first Conference on Diabetes in San Miguel de Allende, April 10–12, 2008 will bring together internationally renowned experts, local doctors, educators and social service providers to address the growing problem of diabetes in our area. The Rotary Clubs of San Miguel de Allende together with the Rotary Club of Tallahassee, Florida, are sponsoring the conference to raise public awareness and improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease. The conference has the full support of the municipality of San Miguel de Allende with principal funding from the Eli Lilly Corporation. The website, www.smarotaryclub.org/diabetes offers a full description of the program and the speakers, as well as a registration form.

On Thursday, April 10, the program at the Teatro Angela Peralta is directed to the municipality’s Vocales de Salud, but is open to the public. Free diabetes testing will be available. On Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, the venue shifts to the Hotel Real de Minas. The conference will have two separate programs, one for medical professionals (which will be translated into English and Spanish) and the other for educators and social services providers (in Spanish only).

Among other topics, the medical community will be introduced to the use of equipment that can save the eyesight of thousands of local diabetics. In a related project, the Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende-Midday is working with several US Rotary Clubs to purchase a digital camera used to detect damage to the eyes and the laser treatment needed to remove damaged retinal tissue. Only one set of this equipment now exists in the entire state of Guanajuato. The new equipment will be housed in the Hospital General and will provide free treatment to those in need. Although the goal is to have the equipment in place by the end of this year, over 300 people have already signed up for treatment. 

The conference will also provide a forum for a proclamation by President Jesus Correa of the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, designating April as Diabetes Awareness Month. Additionally, an important expected outcome of the conference will be the establishment of a San Miguel de Allende chapter of the AMD to serve as a source of continuing coordination and information on diabetes in this area.

Calling all photographers

Friday March 21 saw an incredible re-enactment of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the colonia of San Luis Rey.

Due to the article published by the Atención on March 14, a large number of people from outside the community attended. They bought with them their curiosity and their cameras. It occurred to me that it would be a wonderful gesture to give something back to the community. I thought of a photo exhibition. I spoke with one of the organizers from the community and he was very enthusiastic about the idea.

This request is directed to any of you who did take photographs of the event.

I would appreciate it if you would be willing to submit up to three of your best pictures.

Depending on the response, we will choose around 30 of the best images for this exhibit.

Please send examples in jpg format along with any inquires you might have to pixsanluisrey@hotmail.com. 

All participants will be responsible for having their images printed for this exhibition, to be announced in the near future. Look forward to seeing your images.

Esther James