January and February Filled with
RS Visitors |

Indiana Partners will be very busy in early 2004 hosting thirteen Brazilians. Our first six visitors will be our annual Gaucho Youth Ambassadors, who each year spend their January and February summer vacations in Indiana.

February Visitor from
Rio Grand do Sul |

Cecilia Luz has been awarded a short term Partners Travel Grant will visit Indiana from February 2-13. Cecilia, a teacher and community volunteer, will be looking at how volunteerism has developed in our culture and how volunteer groups operate, raise money, and train their volunteers.

Teacher in Residence Will Focus
on Drama |

Joice Cunha, a drama teacher from Porto Alegre, will visit Indiana from January 20 to February 10 as part of an annual program that supports one teacher each year for a three week visit to Indiana.

Indiana Welcomes Gaucho Youth Ambassadors |

On January 12, an excited group of Hoosier families convened at Indianapolis Airport for what has become an annual Partners event: the arrival of our Gaucho Youth Ambassadors (YAs).

Indiana Participates in Special One-Week Youth Visit |

In January this year, Indiana will participate in a special youth program for students from Brazil. Sponsored in part by International Partners of the Americas and the American Embassy in Brasilia, Indiana Partners will host four students and a teacher during the week of January 15-22.

Notre Dame Awards Peace Prize to
Brazil’s President |

President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and former President, Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) were awarded the Notre Dame Peace Prize for their work in bringing about a peaceful transition of government power at the end of 2002.

Annual Meeting |

On November 8, 2003, the Indiana Partners of the Americas held its Annual Meeting at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The following were elected to lead the Chapter during the next two years.

A special part of the November 2003 annual meeting of International Partners of the Americas in Lexington, Kentucky were honors for two outgoing Board members, our own Bill Fuller from Indiana and Vera Lia Fortini from Rio Grande do Sul.

Indiana Partner Honored |

Robert Book, a long-time friend and Board member of Indiana Partners of the Americas, was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by the Department of Animal Science of Purdue University's School of Agriculture.

SUNDAY, FEB. 1, 2004 1:30 – 3:30pm

St. Luke’s Methodist Church 100 W. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN Rooms 107-109

January and February Filled with RS Visitors |  

Indiana Partners will be very busy in early 2004 hosting thirteen Brazilians. Our first six visitors will be our annual Gaucho Youth Ambassadors, who each year spend their January and February summer vacations in Indiana. This year, we are also hosting a second youth group through an International Partners of the Americas program. This group will be comprised of four youth and a teacher. They will spend a week in Washington, D.C., then a week in Indiana.

In addition, we will host two Gauchas on Partnership visits. Joice Cunha will arrive on January 20 as our annual Teacher-in-Residence.’s A language teacher at Cultural Language Center, who founded a drama and self-expression program for personal growth for students based on her dual expertise as actress and teacher, Joice wants to now take this skill in a new direction, developing drama for language and personal growth for disabled students.

Our second Gaucha, Cecilia Luz, will arrive on February 2. Cecilia is developing a project on the Solidarity movement and its potential for community activism in Rio Grande do Sul. She hopes to see volunteer activism in operation and gain ideas on how to organize and run such a program. She will visit non-profit organizations, schools and other sites to see how children develop a volunteer spirit, how volunteers are trained, and how volunteer organizations raise money.

Cecilia Luz has been awarded a short term Partners Travel Grant will visit Indiana from February 2-13. Cecilia, a teacher and community volunteer, will be looking at how volunteerism has developed in our culture and how volunteer groups operate, raise money, and train their volunteers.

Cecilia will visit schools, non-profit organizations that utilize volunteers, and community volunteer groups. She will also make presentations about "Adopt a Hope," a volunteer project helping a poor community in Rio Grande do Sul. Cecilia will visit Terre Haute from February 2 to 5, Lafayette from February 5 to 9, Muncie from February 9 to1, and Indianapolis from February 12 to13. For more information, contact Leslie Barratt by e-mail at LeslieBarratt@indstate.edu.

Teacher in Residence Will Focus on Drama |

Joice Cunha, a drama teacher from Porto Alegre, will visit Indiana from January 20 to February 10 as part of an annual program that supports one teacher each year for a three week visit to Indiana.

Joice Cunha is a teacher of thirty years for Instituto Cultural Brasil Norte Americano (known as ICBNA or Cultural) and founder of the Drama Club of ICBNA. Joice has used drama to teach English since 1989 and was inspired by a Partners visit of Jim Nulty from Indiana’s Very Special Arts to use drama to teach people with disabilities. She will focus on this area during her visit.

Her first stop will be Indianapolis, from January 20 to 24, Muncie from January 24 to30, Lafayette from January 30 to February 5, and Terre Haute from February 5 to10. She will visit Very Special Arts, art and drama classes, performances, and schools and would like to give workshops for language teachers. For more information, contact Leslie Barratt at her e-mail address, LeslieBarratt@indstate.edu.

Indiana Welcomes Gaucho Youth Ambassadors |

On January 12, an excited group of Hoosier families convened at Indianapolis Airport for what has become an annual Partners event: the arrival of our Gaucho Youth Ambassadors (YAs). This year the group consists of three gauchos (boys) and three gauchas (girls), all of whom will spend two months in Indiana, living with families, attending school, and participating in volunteer activities.

As part of their program, the Youth Ambassadors will spend the weekend of January 31-February 1 in Indianapolis, the annual "Indy Weekend," during which they will visit sites such as the Speedway Museum, the Indianapolis Children's Museum, Circle Center, etc. This event will culminate with the Sunday Social.

All Hoosier Partners are invited to attend the Sunday Social on Sunday, February 1, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at St. Lukes Methodist Church at 100 W. 86th Street, just west of Meridian Street.

The annual Sunday Social is a chance for Partners members to meet the Youth Ambassadors, learn a bit about their culture, and visit with other Partners from around the state. The teens will give brief presentations that include music and a possible sing-along of Brazilian favorites.

Also, Indiana students interested in participating as a southbound Youth Ambassador to Brazil during the summer and families who might want to host a Brazilian Youth Ambassador in the future have a great opportunity to learn more about the program.

The Youth Ambassadors and the city where they will be hosted are:
-Bruno Braun, soccer enthusiast from Gravataí- Muncie,
-Danusa Endruweit, from Ijuí- Muncie;
-Daniel Volkmer Gomes, basketball player from Porto Alegre- Demotte
-Luiza Osório, fencing expert from Porto Alegre- Terre Haute,
-André Soares, guitarist from Porto Alegre- Terre Haute
Ana Paula Weber, with interests in dance, music and theater from Feliz- Indianapolis.

The Youth Ambassadors will depart on Monday, March 8.

Notre Dame Awards Peace Prize to Brazil’s President |  

President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and former President, Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) were awarded the Notre Dame Peace Prize for their work in bringing about a peaceful transition of government power at the end of 2002.

The annual Peace Prize was initiated in 2000 by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana with funding provided by the Coca-Cola Foundation. President Lula and Ex-President Cardoso each received a grant of $10,000. In addition, $10,000 will be contributed on behalf of each of the recipients to the institution of their choice. President Lula directed his donation to the Hunger! Zero Program and President Cardoso directed his to the Community Solidarity Program.

In choosing current Brazilian President Lula and ex-President Fernando Enrique, the Institute stated, “the prize recognizes the leadership demonstrated by both men in the national elections of the past year (2002), which represented the first democratic transition between two presidents elected in Brazil, since the 1960’s.”

Both presidents attended the award ceremony at Itamaraty Palace January 5, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Annual Meeting |

On November 8, 2003, the Indiana Partners of the Americas held its Annual Meeting at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The following were elected to lead the Chapter during the next two years.

President - Lilya Wagner
VP for Membership - William R. Fuller
VP for Public Relations - Jerome Karwowski
VP for Special Projects - Norma Singley
Secretary - Judith Roepke
Treasurer - Hal Roepke

Individuals to serve on the Chapter's Board of Directors were also chosen. In the following class lists, the names in CAPITAL letters are presented for election at this meeting. The others are incumbent members.

In other business:
* Outgoing President Leslie Barratt was authorized to represent the Chapter in voting for persons to serve on the Partners' International Board of Directors. The voting took place at the Annual Convention in Lexington, KY.

* Norma Singley reported that the Tippecanoe County Extension Homemakers are enthusiastic about contributing to the Viva Vila Project in Alegrete. The project attempts to teach young women health care, hygiene and grooming. For more information, contact Norma at noramsingley@myvine.com

Join the Youth Ambassadors for music, entertainment, snacks, lively conversation,
and friendship, as they present their remarks and a unique look at their culture at:

St. Luke’s Methodist Church
100 W. 86th Street, Indianapolis
Rooms 107-109

Directions: from 1-465 North, take Meridian St. exit, go south on Meridian to 3rd light at 86th St., Turn left (west) for 1 block. St Luke’s is on your right. Closest parking is behind church, on Northside, door .

For further information, contact: Jhani Laupus 317/257-2333, jhani@comcast.net