Board Swearing In Ceremony

By José Antonio Amaro Reyes

OPPG met with international visitors from France’s Department of “Protection sociale, travail e employ” at the request of the United States Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program

On January 23, 2013, OPPGI President Carmencita Romanach and Carmen Valdivia, Director and Chairperson of the History Committee, met with Madjid Bourabaa, Senior Consultant, and attorney Maryvonne Malisianou, both of France's Department "Protection sociale, travail e emploi" at the request of the United States Department of State's International Visitors Leadership Program. Both were touring the United States to study equal opportunity, ending discrimination and promoting universal civil law rights. After leaving Miami, they headed for Des Moines, Iowa, where they met with the President of the State Senate, the state's Director of Human Rights, and other state officials.

While visiting Miami, they sought to get a better understanding of the Cuban experience in the U.S. and share insights on how the Cuban community fought against discrimination in South Florida in the 1960’s to become some of the most influential leaders in the region today. They were particularly interested in the Pedro Pan experience as it relates to the issues of cultural assimilation, social adaption and integration, professional formation, and rise to positions of leadership in the various professions. They were so very pleased with the outcome of the meeting that they wrote to the OPPG days later expressing a strong desire to remain in touch for future interaction