Kansas Medical Students in Paraguay

Here is a nice article via our southern partners (CPK) about the program that has University of Kansas School of Medicine send students to Paraguay to do short rotations.

http://www.unenoticias.com/?p=5513

7 Boxes (7 Cajas) to be shown in Wichita

This is a rare opportunity.  A great Paraguayan film to be shown in Wichita.

On Saturday, April 20^th, Tallgrass Film Association presents 7 CAJAS (7 Boxes) at 7:30 pm at the Orpheum Theatre. The film’s co-Director Juan Carlos Maneglia will attend the screening and participate in a Q&A after the film. Tickets are $10 General Admission/$8 for students/teachers, seniors, military and TFA members with valid ID.

“Out of Paraguay comes one of the most original crime thrillers of 2012 and we are very fortunate to bring the film and one of its directors to Wichita.  A favorite of last year’s Tallgrass Programming Committee, this is a film not to be missed,” said TFA Co-Director of Programming Nick Pope.

MSN says 7 CAJAS is “a thriller with life, heart and excitement coursing through it until you can feel the power of the passion that made the film it sputtering off every frame like sparks from a roaring fire.”

When released in its native Paraguay in August of 2012, the film broke box office records, it won the “Films in Progress” at the San Sebastian International Film Festival where it was the first unanimous decision in the festival’s history. It went on to play at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2013 Palm Springs Film Festival and recently received the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival.  (105 mins. Spanish with English subtitles. )

The screening is sponsored by Kansas Paraguay Partners, the Orpheum Theatre, KMUW and Tom, Kathleen and Chris Wren.

 

2013 Annual Meeting

The Kansas Paraguay Partners Annual Meeting was held Saturday March 9.  The theme of the meeting was the Development of Democracy in Paraguay with a panel of political scientists who had participated in a CIRD related project in Paraguay.  Here are some photos from the meeting.

Professor Jared Larson

Professor Miguel Gonzalez-Abellas

Professor Bob Beatty

Panel of Political Scientists

Professor Michael Smith

Professor John Barnett

Paraguayan Ambassador to USA Fernando Pfanni

Professor Ed Flentje

Kansas Paraguay Partners President Jay Newton

Kansas Paraguay Partners Annual Meeting

Parking for the Kansas Paraguay Partners meeting this weekend.

If you are coming in on the turnpike take Lawrence exit 202 (US 59S, Iowa Street).  Drive south on Iowa to 9^th street.  Turn left or east and proceed to Mississippi (there is a convenience store on the left and a liquor store on the right).  Turn right toward the campus.

There is a parking garage on the left that is on the north side of the Kansas Union (the meeting place).  You can park there for $1.50 per hour or you can proceed to the south side of the Spencer Art Museum, turn right and proceed to parking lot 91.  After 5 pm on Friday and all day Saturday you can park there for FREE.  There is a tunnel that you can take to the Union.  There are many floors so find the elevator.

Kansas-Paraguay Annual Meeting

Final reminder – if you haven’t made a reservation for either the Friday dinner or Saturday Annual Meeting, email jpoertner@sunflower.com immediately.  We need to tell the caterers the number of attendees on Tuesday March 5.

The Kansas-Paraguay Quarterly meeting is Friday March 8 in the English Room of the University of Kansas Student Union.  There is a dinner at 6 pm ($14.50) followed by the board meeting. 

ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA

Saturday, March 9, 2013

DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY

Registration $25 Students $5

LOCATION:  University of  Kansas Student Union, Mallot Room

8:00am-9:15am:    Registration

9:15am:                    Welcome and introduction  of guest

9:15am-9:45am:     Observations concerning the impeachment of President Lugo  while traveling in Paraguay—KPP Board member Miguel Gonazlez-Abellas.

9:45am-11:00am:   Report and panel discussion of the Public Policy and Presidential Elections Project.

• Dr. John Barnett, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University.
• Dr. Bob Beatty, Professor of Political Science, Washburn University.
• Dr. Edward Flentje, Professor of Political Science, Wichita State University.
• Professor Jared Larson, St. Olaf College, Minnesota
• Dr. Michael Smith, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University.

11:00am-11:30am:   History of the Kansas Paraguay Partnership—KPP Board  member Merrill Raber.

11:30am-12:00          Transporting fire and emergency rescue equipment to Paraguay—KPP Vice-President Steve Richards and KPP Board member Scott Fromme.

12:15pm                      Lunch

1:15pm                       Introduction and welcome to his Excellency Fernando Pfanni Caballero, Paraguayan Ambassador to the United States.

1:45pm                       Report of voting by the nominating Committee and the  introduction of new officers and board members.

2:00pm                     Reports and comments of members.

2:30pm                       Adjournment.

 

February is Avocado Month

Every February I harken back to the year we lived in Paraguay and to our ex-pat friend John Wiley’s avocados. John had a couple of avocado trees in his yard and had little use for the fruit (actually a large berry).  John would bring over a grocery store bag full of huge avocados.  As near as I could tell, like John, few Paraguayans ate avocados.  I guess that they had too many other fruit trees to bother with these big things. We had many dinners of what passed for guacamole. It was tough finding hot sauce.  The photo is thanks to Romy Goldberg of Discovery Paraguay.  She notes that this is a medium large avocado.  There really are larger ones.  I don’t remember the stone being that large but different trees produce different fruit.

March Newsletter

The March Kansas-Paraguay Partners newsletter is in the mail and available here. Just click on the newsletter tab at the top of this page.  It is full of great stuff.  Take a look.