GFLSCI NEWS
Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International Monthly Newsletter
For more info visit our website at www.gflsci.org
May 2008 Edition
Top Stories
GFLSCI 2008 Newsletter
Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International is now sending out a monthly e-newsletter for 2008. Included will be information and news of upcoming events, review of past events, country chair's updates, news about our programs including education, economic development, agriculture and so much more. If you would like someone to be added to our e-newsletter mailing list please forward them to info@gflsci.org with full contact information. Also visit our website to learn more about our organization.
GFLSCI celebrated “La Dolce Vita” with our Sister City Rimini at the Meet the Board/Membership Drive Event
It was an evening to remember when Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International on behalf of our Treasurer Steven Naimoli and Community Partnerships chair Kim Naimoli hosted a very special "Meet the Board/Membership Drive" event at Cafe Pisa on April 28, 2008. GFLSCI was honored to welcome the following delegates from our Sister City Rimini: Laura Chiodarelli, City Manager, Paola Taddei, Counselor for the Department of Public Works and Massimo Totti, Director for the Department of Public Works on their visit to the City of Fort Lauderdale. A special guest visit from The Honorable Jim Naugle, Mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale, made this event truly memorable. GFLSCI members and guests had the opportunity to meet our board and learn more about our organization. Special thanks to Cafe Pisa for providing a lovely venue which truly set an atmosphere of “Dolce Vita” at this special gathering!
Doing Business with Ghana
Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International held a special seminar on April 16, 2008 at the African American Research Library to promote business opportunities entitled "Doing Business in Ghana and West Africa". The seminar focused on the current economic opportunities and trends in Ghana and other West African countries. Present were economic experts who are working on increasing economic ties between Florida and Ghana as well as South Florida companies who are currently doing business in Ghana. Speakers included the President Ghanaian Association of South Florida, Bob Anderson, Tony Okonmah with the Democracy in Africa Foundation, Bryant Salter from Enterprise Florida, Inc., Deborah Wilkinson representing Broward County Office of Economic Development, and Nathan Burrell with The Honey Project.
Special thanks to Arlon Kennedy, Gino Jamison, and Henrique Ikeda from Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International and Samantha Zerbe from Broward County Office of Economic Development for coordinating this seminar. Also a very special thanks to Brown & Brown Insurance for the wonderful cocktail reception following the seminar.
Meet Our New Board Member: Chair for Marketing and Public Relations
My name is Paola Isaac Baraya and I am delighted to have been appointed as the latest Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities Board Member. As Chair for Marketing and Public Relations, I look forward to promote the organization’s upcoming events and activities and increase awareness about GFLSCI within our community and abroad. As an effort to always provide new and interesting activities and events to our valued members, I am also interested in hearing what you have to say. Do you have any great ideas or suggestions you would like to share with us? If so, feel free to send me an email at pbaraya@gflsci.org. I am also in the process of forming a Marketing and Public Relations Committee. If you would like to be part and get involved, don’t hesitate to reach me.
Interested in learning how to write grants?
Contributed by Marina Pavlov
Writing a good grant can be a challenge. By joining the Fund Development and Grants Committee you can attain valuable experience in writing grants that will stand out from the rest. So why not participate today? The Committee is now seeking 10 new members. If you are interested, please email Marina Pavlov at marina.fano@gmail.com
South Florida Ideas Exchange 2008 Events
May 8-May 11, 2008
VisionBROWARD is hosting the 1st Annual South Florida Ideas Exchange filled with an unparalleled line up of activities ranging from physical wellness, cultural diversity, educational forums, and environmental and conservational presentations. The 2008 program is the first of its kind in South Florida, combining elements from three neighboring counties, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade, for future collaboration and coordination with its campaign “Become the Solution”. To learn more about the program schedule and location and to register for the events, visit the website at www.SFIdeasExchange.com. Don’t Miss it!
GFLSCI Welcomes the Turkey Delegation to Fort Lauderdale
 
 
 
GFLSCI participated in the first annual International Olive Oil Festival, held in downtown Fort Lauderdale, on May 3-4. Prior to the festival, together with Mayor Jim Naugle and representatives from the Broward County and Broward Alliance, GFLSCI's Nuccia McCormick, Chairman Emeritus, Devin Avery, President, Marianne Winfield, VP Economic Development and Meltem Birkegren, Chair for Mugla-Turkey, met with a top level delegation from Turkey. The delegation, under the leadership of Deputy Undersecretary of Foreign Trade was on a visit in Florida for "Strategy to develop Trade and Economic Relations with American States".
One Village Planet and GFLSCI Join Forces to Support A Sustainable Agro-Forestry Industry in Ghana.
Contributed by Dan Warren, Environment Chair
 
As part of Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International's initiative in Ghana, One Village Planet, an environmental nationally recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) organized under the Laws of the Republic of Haiti, created a large tree nursery in Agogo, Ghana. Last year, over one million tree seedlings were produced and distributed. This year, by expanding the tree nursery, One Village Planet expects to produce over two millon seedlings.
With the expressed permission and support from Chief Nana Akuoko Sarpong to work in Ghana, Sister Cities Environment Chair Dan Warren received his first opportunity to visit Ghana as an environmental consultant thanks to an invitation from Jo Moskowitz of Citrix Systems, Inc. Following a request from Chief Nana Sarpong to expand on is already existing program of planting 20,000 trees per year, One Village Planet with the support of the Environment Committee of Sister Cities, was able to provide one million seedlings last year and will perhaps be able to provide over two million this year.
The long term goal of this program is to protect the remaining ancient forests of Agogo by building capacity for a sustainable agro-forestry industry. Trees are being planted on grasslands or savannas where ancient forests used to thrive before they were ravaged by unsustainable harvests of colonial powers and post-independence exploiters. Chief Nana Sarpong began this tree program years ago by planting teak trees which are now being sustainably harvested and sold for telephone poles at a low price.
Dan Warren recently met with the Honorable Jim Naugle, Mayor of the City of Ft Lauderdale, who has offered to help in seeking solutions to greatly increase the benefit to the community of Agogo by looking for more lucrative markets such as the boat industry. Samples of teak will be provided to a local hardwood manufacturer that could potentially lead to future business. This collaboration presents a promising opportunity in our efforts to support the economic development of Ghana. Cheers to our great Mayor for his great work and dedication!
The Haiti School Furniture Project
Improving the classroom educational experience for hundreds of students in Haiti
Humanitarian Committee, Antonio Marcelli, Chair
This is what an old school chair from Haiti looks like
 
 
These are the desks we were able to provide for the children
 
Now the kids can learn while being comfortable
Over the past several months, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International Humanitarian Committee has, in partnership with the Haiti committee, carried out a large donated school furniture shipment to rural communities near our Sister City Cap-Haïtien.
The school furniture was donated to Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International by Dewhurst Associates, a construction company who acquired it from the National School of Technology in Hialeah, Florida. But with this great opportunity, came a great challenge. Two 2,400 foot shipping containers, one filled with 262 student combo desks and the other filled with a wide variety of large school furniture and audio-visual equipment had to be delivered to several rural schools in Haiti within a one week period!
The Humanitarian Committee, in dire needs of funds to carry out this momentous project, reached out to Sister Marie Vittetoe, CHM, a medical laboratory volunteer in Haiti living in Iowa, who offered to help raise the necessary funds at lightning speed. Together with the Cap Haitien committee and Sister Marie, the Humanitarian committee identified the Haitian schools which were in great need of sturdy school desks and furniture, and within the allotted week’s time they had loaded and shipped the two containers packed to the roofs! Hundreds of students in Haiti now have the chance to benefit from the proper furniture necessary to improve their classroom educational experience. What a successful mission!
The Humanitarian committee would like to thank the following people and organizations for their generous support for this project which has improved the classroom educational experience for hundreds of students in Haiti:
Congregation of Humility of Mary, Davenport, Iowa
Peace & Justice Commission of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Iowa City, IA.
Sister Marie Vittetoe, CHM, Iowa City, Iowa
Evalee L. Mickey, North Liberty, Iowa
David Ross, VP, Sea Freight Agencies, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Paule Lilly, Account Executive, Sea Freight Agencies, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
Bernie Gonzales, Dewhurst Associates, Boca Raton, Florida
Rick Philpot, Project Mgr., Dewhurst Associates, Boca Raton, Florida
National School of Technology, Hialeah, Florida
Mayor Michel Saint Croix, Cap Haitien, Haiti
Archbishop Hubert Constant, Diocese of Cap Haitien, Haiti
The Cap Haitien Sister Cities Committee, Cap Haitien, Haiti
Caribbean American Shipping, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Although we have physically completed our humanitarian project to provide much needed school furniture to more than a dozen schools in our Sister City Cap-Haïtien, we are still $3,000 short of the amount needed to pay the costs of the project.
We urgently need your support. You can contribute to this project by contacting:
Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International : Haiti School Furniture Program
101 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 300
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Tel: 954-828-4536
Email: info@gflsci.org
Country Chairs News
Australian Mission
The City of Fort Lauderdale, along with GFLSCI will lead a delegation of Florida Marine businesses and governmental leaders on a 4-day mission to Gold Coast, Australia. The objective of this mission is to strengthen the commercial relations between South Florida and the largest marine economy in Australia. Fort Lauderdale’s and other Florida business will have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with Australian corporations in Sanctuary Cove.
Now is the ideal time to export US marine products into Australia. The Australian dollar has strengthen giving US businesses investing in Australia a big advantage.
You still have time to join this mission, please contact Nabeel Youakim, GFLSCI/Gold Coast Australia Chair on 954 612 1755 or email – Nabeel.Youakim@Citrix.com
Fort Lauderdale / Cap-Haitien Sister Cities Program
Committee Report for April 2008
Contributed by Dr. Lissa Jean-Pierre, Cap Haitien, Haiti Chairperson
A Further Step Towards Environmental Restoration: Anthracite from Venezuela
At our monthly meeting in April, the Haiti committee of GFLSCI continued discussions on the use of anthracite as an alternative fuel system in the region of our Sister City Cap-Haitien.
We are partnering on this project with our Venezuelan Sister City. Auguste Poujols, GFLSCI chair person for Margarita Island, Venezuela, presented a report on the preliminary contacts he has made with his country where the idea was very well received.
We will be eligible to receive large quantities of Anthracite pellets from Venezuela, properly packed and ready for distribution and use. In order to make this pilot project statistically significant, we plan on covering 1% of the general population: 100,000 inhabitants.
A project feasibility study is being prepared with the help of GFLSCI Environmental Chair Dan Warren which will be presented to the Venezuelan Parliament for final approval. Dan is also a longtime active member of the Haiti committee.
“Starmania” – A Fundraising Opportunity for Haiti
We also discussed the possibility of a Haiti fundraiser by having the Opera "Starmania" perform here in Fort Lauderdale. “Starmania” is a group of artists from Haiti which have recently returned from a very successful tour in Montreal, Canada.
Visit from the Cap-Haitien Mayor Michele Saint Croix to Fort Lauderdale
During April, we were honored to receive the visit of Cap-Haitien Mayor Michele Saint Croix, who met with our committee and also with Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle. It was their third meeting during the past year. One Sister Cities project they both support is the creation of a Sister Schools program between schools in Cap-Haitien and Fort Lauderdale. Each pair of schools and their students would communicate with each other via email and Video Conferencing, promoting cross cultural awareness and encouraging students to learn more about each other’s education curriculums and environmental concerns. In the coming month we will identify two pilot schools to launch the Sister Schools program.
Promoting Science and Mathematics in Haitian School through the Robotics Program
Also at the April meeting, Mark Moorman, founder of LakayMarie.org, a partner organization to our Haiti Sister Cities program, made a presentation on the Robotics program to promote science and mathematics in Haitian schools. The program began two years ago in two schools and has now expanded to 14 schools in Cap-Haitien. In February LakayMarie.org and the First Lego League organized the first ever Regional Robotics Competition with over 100 participants. The competition attracted thousands of cheering students. Many of the students have participated in some international competitions.
All of these exciting projects are in their embryonic phase ! New GFLSCI members, join us now and participate with us ! We are looking to increase the Haiti committee membership. Anyone interesting in participating with us in these exciting projects may contact me at Lissa@DrJeanPierre.com
At our next meeting we will still have some important questions to answer for the Alternative Fuel Project, such as funding for transportation, local distribution of the product, and education on environmental protection.
Thank you for your participation and encouragement!
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