Venezuelan Woman Promotes Intercultural Education

Intercultural education will soon become a reality in Venezuela, if Professor Angela Diaz has anything to do with it.

She spoke at at a public event today in Washington sponsored by TransAfrica Forum. Diaz has been making her way around the U.S. capital,  speaking at Howard University and meeting Members of Congress to discuss the Afro-Venezuelan experience.

Diaz is a member of the Network of Afro-Venezuelan Organizations (La Red de Organizaciones Afrovenezolanas), has worked tirelessly over the past decade to help create a more inclusive education system. Like the U.S., Afro-descendants and Indigenous peoples in Venezuela have been too often distorted or omitted from public school curricula. Due to the work of people like Diaz, Venezuelan students will learn about all the ethnic groups that built the South American continent.

The new inclusive curriculum has been implemented in 17 states so far. Part of the process involves inviting community elders into the schools to teach.  In one school, grandparents taught students how to make a fish recipe, which is stuffed in a plantain leaf. Fish is a vital resource for residents along the Caribbean coast, many of whom identify as Afro-Venezuelan. Along with the recipe, the children learned about history, culture, art, and the environment. Sharing ancestral knowledge is the key to transmitting what has been left out of the history books.

Diaz emphasized that students are inspired when they can see themselves and their communities represented in their lessons. See more of Professor Diaz’s work with Fundación Curduvare.

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Venezuelan Women Make History and Textiles

Women make history every day, and the women of Venezuela are doing so by cultivating a community-based economic model. They are embarking on new paths to autonomy within an historic social movement that is improving the lives of millions through “social missiones” that deliver new opportunities.

Government-funded programs such as Madres del Barrio (or “Mothers of the Neighborhood”) promote  social inclusion and community action. Madres del Barrio gives women the tools to succeed personally as well as economically by offering education, training, and interest-free loans. These tools have been invaluable for women, many of whom had never before worked outside the home.

The Guardian Weekly showcases the personal story of one Caracas woman whose participation in Madres del Barrio led her to found the successful Guarayrapana Textile Cooperative. Yovita Vera had this to say about her experience:

It takes a lot of willpower to keep the cooperative working, but we couldn’t have done it without the support from Madres del Barrio. I feel like this government has finally given women the status they deserve. In the barrios, most of the families are headed by women with little or no support from men, so it makes sense for them to be in control of the finances.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Madres del Barrio deserves a round of applause!

Check out this video about Madres del Barrio in Spanish.

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Venezuela Celebrates International Women’s Day

Yesterday, March 8th, was recognized by countries around the world as International Women’s Day. In Venezuela, there were many achievements to celebrate as well as challenges ahead.

In 2007, the Law on the Right of Women to a Life Free from Violence was passed. It stipulates that 23 women’s shelters must be created throughout the country, but only two have been opened so far, according to an IPS article. Many women  rely on the “rehabilitation centers” of the government-funded social mission known as “Negra Hipólita,” which provides services to those in situations of critical poverty. A new National Institute for Women was also created recently. Its initiatives include the expansion of a helpline for women that now provides 24-hour service.

Last week, the head of the gender team of the United Nations Development Programme, Winnie Byanyima (pictured here), was visiting Venezuela. In a Spanish-language interview, Ms. Bayanyima said “the [2007] law promulgated by the Venezuelan government is very important, but it must be put into practice and monitored.”

The UN, together with Spanish International Cooperation Agency, held seminars in Caracas that allowed participants from Spain to share with Venezuelans their experiences with setting up a three-tiered system of services for women who face violence. The seminars were attended by officials from the government’s National Institute of Women as well as police and citizens.

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Venezuelan Pianist to Play at Obama Inauguration

Si se puede! A Venezuelan pianist groomed by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra will be performing at the inauguration of President elect Obama next week.

Her name is Gabriel Montero. She will perform with the master cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and clarenetist Anthony McGill — get this — right before Barack Obama takes the oath of office.

Montero says: “I’m very excited to be part of this great day. It’s going to be a great moment for the entire world.”

Montero is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. She first came north on an educational scholarship from the Venezuelan government.

In the clip below, watch her take a silly ditty that is the theme song for the BBC children’s program The Wombles and turn it into an amazingly beautiful improvised piece. Improvisation is Montero’s trademark, according to the New York Times.

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Venezuela Elected to UNESCO Cultural Committee

Venezuela was recently elected to serve on UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. “Intangible heritage” refers to popular culture, or culture that is specific to a group of people living within another culture. This includes traditional oral expressions, traditional music, dance, theater, rituals, festivals, crafts, and knowledge related to nature, among other things.

Venezuela has been working for years on endeavors that emphasize the importance of culture. Some examples are projects such as Misión Cultura, the Census of Venezuelan Cultural Heritage, and the recent call to enter the Contest of Bearers of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The effort to elevate culture is also seen in the 10-woman percussion and vocal group Eleggua. Its performers are direct descendants of African slaves who cultivated cacao and coffee along Venezuela’s central coast. The women research and recover the purest African roots in their music, fusing African polyrhythmic percussion with all-Spanish vocals. Belen Maria Palacios, a 72-year-old mother and grandmother, is the oldest member of the group — she was named a Living Cultural Patrimony by Miranda State in May 2004.

Venezuelan joins Italy, Cyprus, Croatia, Cuba, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Niger, Kenya, Jordan and Zimbabwe on UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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Venezuela Takes Fifth Miss Universe Title

After we posted last week on a documentary about Miss Venezuela, it seems that the country has nabbed its fifth Miss Universe title.

The victorious Dayana Mendoza is from Amazonas State (yes, that’s where the tributaries of the Amazon River are), but like so many Venezuelans, she also has family in New York City.

Yesterday’s win makes Venezuela second only to the U.S. — and tied with Puerto Rico — for the record number of Miss Universe titles. The last time Venezuela took home the sash was in 1996.

Read more about how Venezuelans are reacting to the news.

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Behind the Scenes With Miss Venezuela

You’ve probably heard that Venezuelan women are some of the most beautiful in the world. Well, it’s part coincidence, part hard work.

This 22-minute documentary by Journeyman Pictures ventures into the Miss Venezuela scene — and the strange world of head honcho Osmel Sosa — to see the drama and the personalities behind the scenes of Venezuela’s huge beauty industry. Get ready for some controversial stuff: plastic surgery, dieting, and racism.

Click here to watch.

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Venezuelan Sports Stars in the News

The Venezuelan race car driver Milka Duno finished 19th in the Indianapolis 500 last weekend. Despite a crash, Duno was with the lead pack for most of the race, and showed much improvement over last year’s finish in 31st place. Here are some more staggering numbers: the race lasted 3 and a half hours, the average speed of the cars was 143 miles per hour, and the winner collected $2.98 million!

Milka Duno was been one of the most exciting new recruits in indy car racing. As a talented, beautiful and seriously smart newcomer to the sport, she has attracted many fans. See our previous posts on Milka’s magnetism.

Today, we remember the baseball player Geremi González, who died last Sunday after being struck by lightning in his native state of Zulia, Venezuela. González had pitched for five different Major League Baseball teams, including the Chicago Cubs, which held a moment of silence for the player yesterday.

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Venezuelan Driver Milka Duno Accelerates with Ease

Venezuelan race car driver Milka Duno is burning up the ovals. A sophomore competitor in the IndyCar series, she is currently ranked 26th among 41 drivers, and appears to be progressing fast. Milka is one of three women set to compete in the Indy 500 this Memorial Day weekend.

Believe it or not, Milka has also made an impression in Hollywood. She graced the red carpet last Saturday at the premiere of the new movie Speed Racer, in which she plays the role of the eccentric Russian driver Kellie “Gearbox” Kalinkov.

Duno’s own story is amazing — she is a trained Naval Engineer and holds four master’s degrees. She first hopped in a race car only a decade ago, and just for fun.

Now that we’ve got your motor running, check out Milka’s career stats and read about her record-setting successes. And keep an eye out for her children’s book, Go, Milka, Go!

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International Dance Day has Venezuela Spinning

Today, April 29th, events are taking place in Venezuela to celebrate International Dance Day. This particular art form holds a special place in the hearts of Venezuelan people, who seldom turn down a chance to grab a partner and show off their steps.

Ballet performances are being featured at the massive Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas. It was built in the 1970s and since then has housed Venezuela’s Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, the group recently brought to world attention by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The theater gets its name from one of Venezuela’s most famous female musicians, Teresa Carreño, a gifted classical pianist and composer who began at an early age by tickling the ivories at the White House of Abraham Lincoln when she was only ten.

Here are some highlights from ballet performances at the Teresa Carreño Theater:

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Venezuela’s Fastest Female: Milka Duno

Venezuelan race-car driver Milka Duno rocketed to international stardom when she won the Grand Prix of Miami in 2004.

Last year, she was one of only three women in the Indy 500. Now, Duno has been signed for a second season in the IndyCar Series and is set to drive the #23 CITGO-sponsored Honda Dallara.

It so happens that Milka Duno’s talents go far beyond the race track: she holds 4 Master’s degrees in science and engineering, and has written a children’s book called “Go, Milka, Go!” Remember that old ’80s song, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”? Well, the New York Post recently reported that Milka Duno owns over 200 pairs of sunglasses. Sounds about right.

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