GREENGATES INTERNATIONAL FAIR

I t´s been a tradition for nearly three decades now, and this time around, the Greengates International Fair outdid itself with the representation and participation of 29 countries from six continents.

For the 29th straight year, Greengates School hosted the event at the school´s Balcones de San Mateo campus on Saturday, March 4.

"This fair is a tribute to Greengates´ vast cultural diversity and proof positive of how different cultures and nationalities can coexist peacefully in a setting of mutual respect and tolerance," said Greengates Principal Susan Mayer.

"One of the fundamental values promoted on our campus is that of respect for diversity."

Mayer, who was awarded the prestigious Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II last month in London for her devoted service to British education in Mexico, also said that the multiethnic environment of the school is an ideal setting for students to learn about other cultures.

"We have students from over 50 countries at Greengates, and have always tried to instill in them a spirit of international friendship and peaceful coexistence," added Greengates PTA President Itzamna Vásquez.

Nearly 4,000 people attended the event, which included bagpipers, belly dancers, a Japanese drum show and a "batucada" (a Brazilian-style carnival), as well as a poignant Parade of Nations in which students and parents from every corner of the globe marched together in a show of national pride and international unity.

There were also presentations of Chinese lion dances, Thai classical ballet, Colombian estampas, Israeli folklore ballet, Korean martial arts, African tribal dance, Indian Punjabi dance, Lebanese music, Argentine tango and Hawaiian hula.

For the first time in the fair´s history, the Lebanese community in Mexico participated with a performance by the Yalbalna Folklore Ballet, and Pakistan and Cyprus were represented with food and handicraft stands.

After the cultural presentations, the raffle was held, with prizes of round-trip tickets to Europe courtesy of Lufthansa and Iberia Airlines.

As always, one-third of the proceeds of the fair will go to help local children´s charities, and the rest will go toward academic scholarships and the purchase of new equipment for the school.

"Last year, we made nearly 350,000 pesos, and this year, we are hoping to top that number," Mayer said.

"There has never been a more enthusiastic participation by our students and parents, so we are feeling optimistic that this will turn out to be our most successful fair ever."

The British international school was founded in 1951 with just 60 students and six teachers. Today, it is accredited through Cambridge University in England and boasts a student body of more than 1,100 and 90 teachers.

Greengates is recognized globally for its extraordinary academic standards and offers students the international baccalaureate degree which allows them to continue their university-level studies in colleges and institutions throughout the world.

AMSOC ART AUCTION

The Westhill Institute and the American Society (Amsoc) co-sponsored an art auction on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Westhill University campus.

More than 200 works, including paintings by Mexican masters Francisco Toledo, Rafael Coronel, David Siquieros and Rudolfo Morales, were available for bids, as well as pieces created by Westhill´s Carpatos campus and the institute´s Santa Fe elementary, middle and high schools.

American Society President Andrew Sherman, who is also the dean of both Westhill University and Westhill Institute, explained that the proceeds of the evening will go to support philanthropic activities of the Westhill Institute PTA and Amsoc.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DAY

Dominican Republic Ambassador to Mexico Pablo Mariñez and his wife Julieta hosted a lavish culture fest and national day celebration at the Naval Club in Lomas de Chapultepec on the eve of Monday, Feb. 27.

The event included a sampling of traditional Dominican cuisine plus a live performance by a Caribbean band.

After Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island of Hispaniola in 1697, which in 1804 became Haiti, the remainder of the island, known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own sovereignty.

The Dominicans were instead conquered by the Haitians, who ruled the region for the next 22 years.

Finally, the territory attained full independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844.

In 1861, the young republic voluntarily returned to the Spanish empire, but two years later a war was launched that restored independence in 1865.

SAHARAWI NATIONAL DAY

Although its territory and very existence are still highly contested internationally, the people of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) celebrated the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of their statehood last week, and here in Mexico, the SADR Embassy´s charge d´affaires, Ahmed Mulay Ali Hamadi, hosted a reception to commemorate the occasion at Parque México in Colonia Condesa on Thursday, March 2.

"The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic is the only Spanish-speaking country in the Arab world and in northern Africa," Mulay Ali pointed out during the event, which included a recital of Saharawi poetry.

"We are now recognized by nearly 80 countries worldwide. This year, Uruguay and Ecuador recognized us, and last year, we were recognized by South Africa and Kenya."

The diplomat went on to say that the SADR is committed to finding a peaceful resolution to its fight for independence from Morocco, as demonstrated by its voluntary destruction of more than 4,000 landmines late last month, but added "should we not find a pacific resolution, we are ready to resort back to an armed struggle."

The SAHR, which was officially proclaimed by the Polisario Front revolutionary movement on Feb. 27, 1976, is still unrecognized as a state by the United Nations and does not currently control the majority of its territory, the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara.

It is, however, recognized by Mexico.

At this point in time, Morocco administers the majority of the disputed territory as part of its Southern Provinces, and the remainder is controlled by the SADR as the Free Zone.

INDIAN VICE MINISTER VISIT

India´s vice minister of external affairs, Shashi U. Tripathi, was in town last week on a three-day visit to beef up bilateral ties, particularly in the commercial and economic fields, and Indian Ambassador to Mexico Rajiv Kumar Bhatia and his wife Kumkum offered a dinner in her honor at their residence on Friday, March 3.

During dinner, Tripathi pointed out that two-way trade has now reached a total value of more than US$1.5 billion, but added that "although this figure seems high, it is really quite small compared to the potential exchange."

She went on to say that most of Mexico´s trade with India consisted of oil and oil-based products, while Indian trade with Mexico is extremely diversified.

"India and Mexico are two long-time friends who are just beginning to rediscover one another," she said.

"We now need to look at opening our bilateral visa policies to facilitate visits by entrepreneurs and tourists."

Tripathi later said that Indian investment in Mexico now amounts to about US$1.5 billion, and "there are currently several projects in the pipelines for joint-venture projects" in the pharmaceutical, engineering and tire-production sectors.

Tripathi was also honored by a dinner offered by Indian Embassy Minister Yogendra Pratap Singh and his wife Manju at their residence on Saturday, March 4.

Therese Margolis is a journalist living in Mexico and specializing in international relations and global affairs. therese@prodigy.net.mx