Excellent video with candombe music from last weekend's festivities in Montevideo, Minnesota

Patrick Moore has shared this excellent video from Pioneer Public Television with footage from last weekend's festivities in Montevideo, Minnesota, featuring candombe music.

A grant from Partners of the Americas made it possible for the musicians to be in Minnesota for the annual Fiesta Days events celebrating the Montevideo sister-city ties, with Minnesota-Uruguay Partners providing additional funding and volunteers for the activities, which featured performances in Montevideo as well as the Twin Cities. Congratulations all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOxwqZlcqd4&list=UUCQZmEgBM-3D2UVDhIzgErw

Honoring Dr. Nury Bauzan, Consul General of Uruguay

Dr. Nury Bauzán (left), Rachel Limon and Sec. Mark Ritchie

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie on Tuesday was the featured speaker at a reception in Minneapolis to honor Uruguayan Consul General  Dr. Nury Bauzán for the work she has done to support and advance the "people to people" relationships between Minnesota and Uruguay during her four-year term of service, which is ending this year.

The dinner at the Minneapolis Club, graciously hosted by Silvia Ontaneda, Ecuador's Consul General in Minnesota, and Rob Scarlett, the president of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners, and its board of directors brought together members and friends from around the region to celebrate the constructive and warm relationships that Dra. Bauzán has fostered across the state.

Secretary Ritchie and Rachel Limon, the State of Minnesota's trade representative for Latin America and a former chair of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners, presented Dr. Bauzán with an official commendation signed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton.

For her part, Dr. Bauzán presented Minnesota-Uruguay Partners president Rob Scarlett with a beautiful commemorative plaque for the anniversary year. We will miss you Nury!

Amb. Reynoso Hosts Equine Therapy Specialist from Minnesota

Amb. Reynoso (R)

U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay Julissa Reynoso hosted Minnesota traveler Lynn Baskfield, who was in Uruguay on a Partners of the Americas grant to exchange best practices in equine therapy, in her Montevideo residence last month. 

The latest stage of a project initiated by Willy Lockhart, a past board director of Partners of the Americas, the trip was the third in an increasingly advanced equine therapy exchange to share expertise. This is a fascinating field that is changing the lives of thousands of people in Minnesota and Uruguay. 

Lynn Baskfield

Willy Lockhart

Matt Clausen's article about study abroad

Many of the Minnesota-Uruguay chapter members of Partners have had the good fortune to meet Matt Clausen over the years (see photo and bio below).

Matt has made swings through the state of Minnesota (ice skating like a pro with Uruguayan Youth Ambassadors on Centennial Lakes in Edina) and has welcomed many Minnesota volunteers in the Partners of the Americas' K Street offices in Washington.

Now a vice president and senior director with Partners in Washington, Matt penned an article that was published in New Global Citizen this month that we think speaks deeply to a lot of us who studied abroad ... or aspire to do so.

Nicely done Matt! This is really inspiring.

Matt Clausen

Matt Clausen (@matthewclausen) is Vice President for Partnerships and Leadership Programs and Senior Director of President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund at Partners of the Americas. Matt leads exchange and fellowship programs, including youth leadership, professional government, business, educational and cultural, and climate change fellowship programs. Matt is Chairman of the Building Bridges Coalition, the organization that emerged from the Brookings Initiative on International Voluntary Service.

Partners President Steve Vetter Attends White House Meeting on 100,000 Strong in the Americas

We were delighted to receive word that Steve Vetter, the president of Partners of the Americas, met with U.S. President Barack Obama and other dignitaries May 5 as part of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative.

About 100,000 Strong...

Expanding and Enriching Study in the Americas

President Obama launched 100,000 Strong in the Americas to underscore the critical relationship between broader educational opportunity and greater regional prosperity. Expanding study abroad opportunities for students, our future leaders and innovators, strengthens bi-national relations and better prepares young people for the 21st century global workforce. In today’s interconnected, technology-driven world, quality education alone is not enough. We need to be more internationally-aware and cross-culturally adept. We need a generation of leaders who can reach across borders. For this, students need a broad base of skills and experiences, including exposure to other countries and cultures. That is the vision of 100,000 Strong in the Americas.

Uruguay's President to Visit United States This Month

The President of Uruguay, José "Pepe" Mujica, will be visiting the United States this month. See details here.

Andy Stermer returns to Minnesota from Uruguay music exchange

We were delighted to learn that Andy Stermer has returned to Minnesota after an extended stay in Uruguay, where he was learning the candombe music style and sharing his talents with counterpart musicians there. Andy plans to present (and we hope perform) his trip at our annual meeting next December, and we may even see him sooner at Fiesta Days activities in Montevideo, Minn. in mid June (mark your calendars!).

Carolina Fernandez Visits Minnesota on Partners Travel Grant

Carolina Fernandez, an equine therapy specialist from Montevideo, Uruguay, is in Minnesota this month to exchange best practices in the field with practitioners across the state.  Last weekend Carolina visited Montevideo, Minnesota, where she toured Lee Mar Ranch, a highly regarded equine therapy facility. Hosted by Minnesota-Uruguay Chapter members Patrick Moore and Sue von Bank, Carolina also got to try her hand at making maple syrup, which is in high season now in Minnesota. Temperatures rose into the 60s (about 16 centigrade) on Sunday for the first time in the area since last October, one meteorologist reported.

Montevideo, Minn. Drummer Performing Thursday in Uruguay's Capital

Rachel Limon, Past Chair of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners, Receives Business Leadership Award

We are delighted to share the news that Rachel Limon, a past chair of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners, has been awarded the 2013 Business Leadership Award by the Minnesota Consular Corps.

Nearly 100 diplomats, executives, government officials, politicians and special guests attended the awards dinner at the Minneapolis Club on Wednesday evening to celebrate Rachel's achievements. A number of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners members were on hand for the event.

Rob Scarlett, the current president of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners, was asked to introduce Rachel to the audience before the presentation of the award.