The
University of the Virgin Islands continues its Hispanic Heritage
Month activities on St. Croix with a special public presentation by
former Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad, at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct.
14, at the Great Hall on UVI's Albert A. Sheen campus.
UVI Associate Campus Administrator for Operations Nereida Washington said Mahuad, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, will speak on "Hispanic Challenges and Successes." This focus on an inspiring individual of Hispanic heritage who has achieved dramatic success represents a broadening of the traditional heritage month celebrations, according to Washington.
"In addition to his accomplishments as president, he also served
as mayor of Ecuador's capital, for six years," Washington said. "We
would love for the entire Virgin Islands community to come out to
hear his comments."
Mahuad is also expected to make a brief appearance during a UVI
Open House at the Pedro Cruz Park from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday,
Oct. 15. The Open House will be the concluding event of UVI's
Hispanic Heritage observance. (See related story.)
During his presidency, from 1998 to 2000, Mahuad presided over a historical peace agreement with the neighboring country of Peru, resolving a longstanding border dispute. Under the agreement, Ecuador - located on the equator in northwest South America with more than 15 million residents - renounced its claims to sovereignty of the disputed territory under the Rio de Janeiro Protocol, and Peru deeded ownership of a square kilometer of the territory to Ecuador. Before his election as president, he served as mayor of Quito from 1992 to 1998.
Mahuad will be welcomed to UVI by President Dr. David Hall, St. Croix Student Government Association President Siejah Mike and Miss UVI Daniella Henry. A question-and-answer segment will follow his keynote address.
Mahuad completed his master's degree of public administration at Harvard University in 1989. He received both a doctorate in law degree from Catholic University of Ecuador in 1978 and a bachelor's degree in political and social sciences in 1973. In 2004, he co-founded an International Negotiation Program at Harvard Law School for which he serves as senior advisor. He has five honorary degrees from universities in Peru and Ecuador, and has served as a visiting professor at the Sloan School of Management at MIT, George Washington University, the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, Babson College, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Saint Gallen and the Geneva School of Diplomacy.
Admission to the presentation and the following question-and-answer session are free and open to the public.
UVI Invites Public to Hispanic Heritage Month Open House at Pedro Cruz Park on Oct. 15
A UVI Open House at the Pedro Cruz Ball Park in Estate Profit
(across from the Diageo USVI distillery) from 1 to 6 p.m., on
Saturday, Oct. 15, will conclude the University's Hispanic Heritage
Month activities on St. Croix.
The public is invited to join in the fun and games. Food and drink,
DJ music and community softball games are scheduled throughout the
afternoon. The Open House will also feature presentations on UVI
academic programs, assistance with the admissions process and
details of the wide variety of other services offered by the
University. The UVI Health Services office and members of the
School of Nursing faculty will provide free health screenings. For
more information, call (340) 692-4161.