New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council
NOCDC Newsletter
Summer
June 2012 
Upcoming Projects

 

Administration of Justice

A Regional Project for Africa

July 1-8

15 Visitors

 

At-Risk Youth and Civic Engagement

Mexico

August 1-4
1 Visitor

   

Engaging Youth through Music

A Regional Project for the Near East and North Africa  

August 1-7

10 Visitors 

  

Transparency 

A Regional Project for Africa

August 7-11

7 Visitors

 

Public Health Issues

A Multi-Regional Project 

August 7-11

19 Visitors

  

Small Business
A Multi-Regional Project
August 8-11
7 Visitors

Ensuring Citizen Security in U.S. Communities
A Regional Project for the Caribbean
August 25-29
11 Visitors   

 

Israeli Energy Officials Travel to Louisiana, Meet Secretary of Interior

 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar holds a private meeting with the Israeli delegation during the Central Gulf Lease Sale on June 20.  (Photo by Bill St. John)  

From June 19-22 10 visitors from Israel traveled to Louisiana through the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program to learn about Louisiana's oil and gas industry. The delegates represented the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Finance, and other government agencies. On June 20 the visitors attended the Bureau of Energy Management Central Gulf Lease Sale, which included a brief protest by environmental groups, and enjoyed a private meeting with U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Following the sale the group met with federal and state regulators to better understand the complex permitting and lease sale process. On June 21 the group met with representatives of the Port of Fourchon and toured the Cheniere Sabine Pass Terminal in Cameron, Louisiana. The Israeli government plans to build a gas terminal to receive natural gas from its recent offshore discoveries.

 

Reception for Two IVLP Groups Held at Sibley Gallery on May 23

On May 23 the NOCDC held a cocktail reception at the Sibley Gallery on Magazine Street for two groups who traveled

Ms. Claudia UNTERWEGER of Austria, Department of State Program Officer Stephen Taylor, and Mr. Sami ZEMNI, Ph.D. of Belgium.

to Louisiana through the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Eight visitors from Latin America studying Urban Sustainable Development and 16 visitors from Europe and Eurasia studying "America's Multicultural Society" mingled with the NOCDC's Board of Directors and members and enjoyed modern mixed media works by artists Brent Houzenga and David Rex Joyner.

 

Steve Windham of Lt. Governor's Office Travels to Nepal through Reverse Exchange

 

Steven Windham (far left) and the other Legislative Fellows with their Nepalese hosts

In February 2012 Steve Windham, Executive Director of the Office of the office of Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, traveled to Nepal through the Legislative Fellows Program, a reverse exchange program sponsored by the Department of State and coordinated by World Learning's Visitor Exchange Program.  The only Legislative Fellow from Louisiana, Mr. Windham visited Kathmandu and Biratnagar, Nepal with five Americans selected from a pool of nominees from throughout the country. The politically diverse group represented diverse backgrounds of nonprofit, local government and state government professions, which provided their Nepalese hosts with a range of perspectives.

 

The purpose of the group's visit was to share their experiences and insights regarding their respective constituency groups, communities and states in the U.S. The Fellows were hosted by Nepalese exchange alumni who had visited the U.S. in a trip coordinated by World Learning. The itinerary included meetings and discussions with all levels of Nepal's governmental structure, political parties and ethnic groups. Many of the discussions focused on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights as the basis for the U.S. form of government.  Nepal has been in the process of crafting a constitution for the past six to 10 years, with delays caused by differences among the 601 members of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly.  Lack of a consensus often results from the fact that there are more than 35 political parties and 75 ethnicities seeking representation. Mr. Windham described his trip to Nepal as eye-opening and it reminded him how fortunate he is to live in the United States.

 

Having experienced a foreign exchange program first-hand, Mr. Windham expressed his appreciation for the many positive benefits that result from such exchanges, and he encourages people to get involved with the numerous international groups whose trips to Louisiana are coordinated by the New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council.  "Louisiana has a wonderful international heritage and we should be proud to share our story with all visitors.  I encourage all of our associates to continue supporting the activities of the NOCDC and participate whenever possible."

 

Adam Hayden Joins NOCDC Staff

On May 21 Adam Hayden joined the staff of the New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council as the new Program Officer. Mr. Hayden replaced Emily Ramirez, who has taken the position of NOCDC Program Coordinator. Prior to joining the NOCDC, Mr. Hayden taught English at the University of Michigan and at Dillard University as well as enrichment courses through Young Audiences of Louisiana. Mr. Hayden has a BA in History and a BA in English from Louisiana State University as well as an MFA in Poetry from the University of Michigan.

Thank You to Our Professional Resources

Thank you to our professional resources, who met with our international guests in May & June, 2012.

Advocacy Center - Ms. Lois Simpson, Executive Director    

 

AfricaNOLA - Mr. Jeff Klein, Director

 

Artfully AWARE - Mr. Lionel Lombard, New Orleans Representative

 

Audubon Nature Institute's Jr. Keeper ProgramMs. Stephanie Joseph, Volunteer Coordinator   

 

Casa Borrega - Mr. Hugo Montero, Owner

    

Cheniere Energy Partners - Ms. Patricia Outtrim, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs     

 

City of New Orleans Human Relations Commission -  Mr. Larry Bagneris, Executive Director

 

Covenant House New Orleans - Mr. Michael G. Honoré, Director, Education/Vocational Programs

 

Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) - Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director     

 

EngageNOLA - Mr. Fred Neal, Jr., Chair, EngageNOLA Board of Directors

 

Global Green - Ms. Michelle Pyne, Policy and Holy Cross Project AmeriCorps VISTA, and Ms. Christina LeBlanc, AmeriCorps VISTA

 

Good Work Network - Ms. Phyllis Cassidy, Executive Director

 

The Greater Lafourche Port Commission- Mr. Davie Breaux, Director of Operations   

 

Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation - Mr. Jeremy Boyce, Director of Community Relations  

 

Green Coast Enterprises - Mr. William Bradshaw, Co-Founder and President

 

Grow Dat Youth Farm - Ms. Johanna Gilligan, Co-Director

 

Guerrilla Garden- Mr. Joe McClendon

 

Hands On New Orleans - Mr. Peyton Juneau, Projects Supervisor

  

Ms. Cheri Hunter- Chief, Office of International Programs  

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

 

Interfaith Communications - Dr. William Mackintosh, Founder

 

Interfaith Works - Mr. Erik Schwarz, Managing Partner

 

Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans - Mr. Keith Barney, Director of Education

 

Krewe de Jieux - Mr. L.J. Goldstein, Founder

 

LA Bucket Brigade - Ms. Anna Hrybyk, Program Manager, Ms. Kristen Evans, Art-to-Action Coordinator, and Ms. EvanMarie Allison, Volunteer Coordinator

 

Launch Pad - Ms. Katy Tackett, Community Manager

 

The LensMs. Jessica Williams, Education Reporter   

 

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality - Ms. Peggy Hatch, Secretary, Mr. Rodney Mallett, Communications Director

 

Loyola University Center for Environmental Communication - Dr. Robert Thomas, Director

  

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality- Ms. Peggy Hatch, Secretary  

 

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources - Mr. Rick Heck, Director, Petroleum Lands Division, Ms. Rachel Newman, Audit Director, Mineral Income Division, Mr. David Elfert, Office of Conservation, Mr. Jason Talbot, Tract Evaluation  

 

Louisiana Green Corps - Ms. Suzy Mason, Executive Director

 

Louisiana Institute for Biofuels and Bioprocessing - Dr. Giovanna Aita, Assistant Professor

 

Louisiana Interfaith Disaster Recovery Network - Ms. Jessica Vermilyea, Chair

 

Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care Organization- Mr. Jamey Boudreaux, Executive Director  

  

Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) - Dr. Carmen Sunda, Director

 

Lowernine.org - Ms. Laura Paul, Director of Development

 

Mary Queen of Viet Nam Community Development Corporation - Ms. Diem Nguyen, Executive Director, and Ms. Tap Bui, Health Outreach Coordinator and Community Organizer

 

Masjid Ur Rahim & Islamic Shura Council - Mr. Rafeeq NuMan, Imam

 

Musicians' Village - Mr. Daryl Dickerson, Director of Music Education

 

New Orleans African-American Museum (NOAAM) - Mr. Jonn Hankins, Executive Director

 

New Orleans BioInnovation Center - Mr. Aaron Miscenich, President   

 

New Orleans, City of - Ms. Sarah Robertson, Director of International Affairs   

 

New Orleans Council on Aging Ms. Tamika L.Warmington, Director, Retired Senior Volunteer Program  

 

New Orleans Kid's Partnership - Mr. Mat Schwarzman, Director

 

New Orleans Outreach - Ms. Betsy Lopez, Volunteer Coordinator

 

New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board - Mr. Joseph R. Becker, P.E., General Superintendent

 

NO/AIDS Task Force - Mr. Enrique Moresco, Director of Operations

 

Operation REACH - Mr. Kyshun Webster, Sr., Ph.D., Founder  

 

Orleans Parish Prison Reform CoalitionMs. Renette Dominick, Member, Ms. Rosana Cruz, Member, Mr. Lou Furman, Member, Mr. Robert Goodman, Member, Mr. Don Chopin, Member   

 

Partnership for Youth Development - Mr. Eric Jensen, Director of Youth Engagement  

 

Regional Planning Commission - Mr. John King, Transportation Planner

 

Resource Works - Ms. Lisa Kaichen, President

 

Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (SENO) - Ms. Andrea Chen, Executive Director

 

Serve NOLA - Ms. Mary-Jo Webster, Director

 

Sibley Gallery- Ms. Amanda Sibley, Owner 

 

Silicon Bayou News - Mr. Zach Kupperman, Publisher

 

St. Joseph Rebuild Center - Mr. Don Thompson, Director

 

St. Paul's Episcopal School - Ms. Charlene Schwank, Interim Head of School, Ms. Debbie Waldmann, School Chaplain, Head of Religious Studies, Ms. Heather Farnsworth, Early Childhood, Lower School Spanish Teacher, Ms. Chris Bryan, Parent, and 

2nd, 3rd, and 6th grade classes

 

The Times-Picayune - Mr. Bruce Nolan, Beat Reporter, Religion, Ethics/Values

 

Tulane University Center for Public Service - Ms. Monique Labat, CPS Internship Director,and Dr. Tanya Jones, Director of Tulane's Upward Bound  

 

Tulane University, Department of History - Mr. Larry Powell, Professor of History

 

Tulane University, Environmental Law Clinic - Ms. Machelle Lee Hall, Staff Attorney and Ms.Corinne Van Dalen, Staff Attorney

 

Tulane University, Office of Multicultural Affairs - Ms. Desirée Anderson, Associate Director

 

University of New Orleans - Dr. Ed Chervenak, Professor of Political Science 

 

U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management - Ms. Cheri Hunter, Chief of the Office of International Programs  

 

Word Play New Orleans - Ms. Asia Rainey, Executive Director

 

Youth Rebuilding New Orleans - Mr. William Stoudt, Executive Director

 

Thank You to Our Hosts

Thank you to all who welcomed visitors
with home hospitality in May & June, 2012.

Mr. Dale and Mrs. Jeannie Biggers hosted three visitors from Spain studying volunteerism.   

 

Mr. Fredric Diegel and Ms. Susannah Coolidge hosted three visitors from Spain studying volunteerism.    

 

Ms. Barbara Edin hosted three visitors from Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Zimbabwe studying foreign policy and human rights.   


Mr. John and Ms. Heather Farnsworth
hosted three visitors from Israel and the West Bank studying volunteerism and youth.

Mr. Robert Freeland hosted two visitors from Brazil and Norway studying foreign policy and human rights.   

 

Mr. Oscar Levy hosted two visitors from Gaza and the West Bank studying volunteerism and youth.       

 

Mr. Dwight Norton and Ms. Alexandra Norton hosted three visitors from Spain studying volunteerism.   

 

Mr. Matthew Rufo and Ms. Rachel Heiligman hosted two visitors from Israel and the West Bank studying volunteerism and youth.    

 

Mr. Martin and Ms. Lois Simpson hosted three visitors from Palestinian Territories, Slovak Republic, and Ukraine studying foreign policy and human rights.  

 

Rabbi Uri Topolosky of Congregation Beth Israel and his family hosted one visitor from Israel studying volunteerism and youth for an overnight stay in their home.  

 

In This Issue
Upcoming Projects
Israeli Energy Officials Travel to Louisiana, Meet Secretary of Interior
Reception for Two IVLP Groups Held at Sibley Gallery on May 23
Steve Windham of Lt. Governor's Office Travels to Nepal through Reverse Exchange
Adam Hayden Joins NOCDC Staff
Thank You to Our Professional Resources
Thank You to Our Hosts
Quick Links
Overheard
by the NOCDC
... Ms. Gardeazabal Diaz, part of the Sustainable Urban Development group from Latin America, offering to help a Lower Ninth Ward neighbor carry bottled water from her nearby home to the Guerrilla Garden, where the group was volunteering...

...Mr. Yair Zaafrany from Gaza saying that he never thought he would be serving pork while volunteering with his Volunteerism & Youth group at the 5150 Triathlon...

...The muttering of voices from across Europe and Eurasia and Latin America at the Sibley Gallery on May 23 as two delegations conversed with each other and NOCDC members...

... Volunteerism & Youth Participant, Mr. Badee Aldwaik from the West Bank, asserting that he wanted to take home all of the sheep while visiting the Audubon Zoo petting zoo...

 

 

"Sandwiched between an inspirational story on how the Mary Queen of Viet Nam community rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina and a knee slapping presentation [by L.J. Goldstein] on how satire is being used to dispel stereotypes of Jews, Casa Borrega co-owner Hugo Montero explained how he is proud to be a legalized American citizen..."

 

 

Frank Justice  

Program Officer

Meridian International Center

America's Multi-Ethnic Society

May 22-26, 2012

 


Thank You to Our Corporate Sponsors

The following corporations support NOCDC and its efforts:

 
Honorary Consulate of Canada

Honorary Consulate General of the Czech Republic

Honorary Consulate of Finland

InterContinental Hotel

International School of Louisiana

Louisiana District Export Council

Southern U.S. Trade Association

NOCDC Board & Staff

 Board Members

 

Machelle Lee Hall, President

Lillian Thompson, Treasurer

Nathalie Bastin

Adrine Harrell-Carter  

Bruno Jubelin

John Lambert

Alexandra Norton  

 

Advisory Board Members

 

Hon. Jay Dardenne

Patricia Denechaud

Patricia Gay

Edward T. Hayes 

Dr. E. Ralph Lupin

Maestro Robert Lyall

Hon. Kristin Palmer

Jeffrey Stacey

Sean Wilson   

 

Staff 

 

Susannah Coolidge, Executive Director

Emily Ramírez, Program Coordinator

Adam Hayden, Program Officer

  

Interns   

Taylor Kelly, Tulane University  

Marlee Clayton, Loyola University   

The mission of NOCDC is to promote citizen diplomacy- the notion that the individual citizen can help shape U.S. foreign relations "one handshake
at a time."
(504) 529.1509
office@nocdc.com