On February 24, 2004, the Scholars class of 2005
and the Scholars Professors had the opportunity to attend a special
session at the Organization of the American States. The OAS, located
about two blocks away from the White House, is considered by many as
one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. It is found right next
to the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitution Hall
and the American Red Cross headquarters. The session began with a guided
tour of the OAS building detailing the symbols and history behind its
Spanish and Italian architecture, the tree planted by Woodrow Wilson,
and the Aztec Garden. Next, we went to the second floor and walked through
the Hall of the Heroes to see the statues of heroes from the different
countries that compose the Organization. We got a quick look at the
Hall of the Americas, where concerts and Inter-American conferences
take place. The signature of the Panama Canal Treaty, signed by President
Carter in 1977, is one example of a historical conference that has taken
place in the Hall of the Americas. In this hall, on the day of our trip,
there was to be an emergency conference regarding the crisis in Haiti.
We arrived at the Miranda Room—yes, the same room in which the
decision was taken to suspend Cuba as one of the member states of the
OAS. In this room, there are chairs with the name of the specific countries
carved in wood, in which Ambassadors have sat during briefings. Professor
Cliff Collins sat in the Haiti chair! In the Miranda Room, we participated
in discussions on a variety of topics. Those included the objectives
and purposes of the OAS, among them the protection of human rights,
the fight against poverty, the promotion of democracy, peace and security,
free trade, the promotion of equity among genders, challenges for attaining
full exercise of rights for women specifically in the workplace, and
the trafficking of archaeological goods. The first discussion was interrupted,
as the unfolding crisis in Haiti forced speaker, who serves as the Chief
of Cabinet, to be present at the Conference which was concurrently being
held in the Hall of the Americas. By this time the United Nations Security
Council had approved sending troops to stabilize the humanitarian deterioration
of the situation in Haiti. Others speakers included an advisor on Cultural
Affairs and the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission
on Women. Lastly, the Scholars took a trip to the Museum of the OAS,
which is located about two blocks away from the main building. Right
before going to the Museum, we took a shortcut through a tunnel where
the world’s longest underground mural is painted. This tunnel
was influenced by a combination of African and Cubist arts. We arrived
at the Museum of the OAS where the Curator introduced us to the Surrealist
collection and lectured us on the influence of murals in Latin American
art. In sum, it was an interesting journey that opened our eyes and
minds to the world of international relations.
