Patricia Phelps De Cisneros, Carlos Fuentes, and Peter Munk Honored at Americas Society 28th Annual Spring Party

Posted on: June 9th, 2008
Filed Under: [ People ] [ Press Releases ]
Tags: book, Canada, Carlos Fuentes, latin america, Professor, teacher
Knowledge is Power!

Americas Society held its 28th Annual Spring Party last night at Cipriani Wall Street, located in New York City’s Financial District. At the party, which was attended by some 600 prominent members of the international culture, business, and diplomatic worlds, Americas Society awarded gold medals to Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Carlos Fuentes, and Peter Munk in honor of their creative and philanthropic contributions to the arts, education, and social initiatives within the Americas.

The program included a welcome from Americas Society Chairman William R. Rhodes; introductions of the honorees by David Rockefeller, Americas Society founder and distinguished philanthropist, and The Right Honourable M. Brian Mulroney, former Prime Minister of Canada; and remarks by the honorees. The ceremony concluded with a brief, inspiring talk by Mr. Fuentes, who offered reflections on the history of dialogue between Latin America and the United States and the importance of Americas Society in that endeavor.

Honorees
Patricia Phelps de Cisneros is founding chairman of the Fundacion Cisneros, which is committed to enriching educational opportunities in Latin America and increasing global awareness of the breadth of Latin America’s contributions to world culture. Mrs. Cisneros and her husband, Gustavo A. Cisneros, established the foundation in the belief that education is key to overcoming poverty and, along with freedom of expression, is vital to democracy. Among the programs Mrs. Cisneros has founded are AME (Actualizacion de Maestros en Educacion), a comprehensive professional-development program for teachers, and Piensa en Arte, an art-in-education program based on the acclaimed Coleccion Patricia Phelps de Cisneros.

Carlos Fuentes, celebrated as one of the greatest writers in the
Spanish-speaking world, regularly comments from an international perspective on social issues impacting the Western Hemisphere. He has received many prizes, including the Cervantes Award, and has been featured in the Americas Society publication Review. As a social historian and diplomat, Mr. Fuentes founded the Iberoamerican Forum, which brings together political, literary, and business personalities of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds. He has been a teacher and fellow at several universities, including Brown University, where he is currently professor at large. His books include The Death of Artemio Cruz, The Old Gringo, and The Buried Mirror.

Peter Munk, Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, is founder and chairman of the board of Barrick Gold Corporation, the largest gold producer in the world, currently celebrating its twenty-fifth successful year in operation. Mr. Munk’s charitable foundation supports a range of philanthropic causes in the fields of medicine, education, and research. Additionally, Barrick Gold has renewed its commitment to educational initiatives in Latin America. His significant donations established the leading Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto, and the Centre for Research, Innovation and Technology at the Technion Institute in Israel. He also established the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, a world-class health-care facility in Toronto.

Americas Society
Americas Society is the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, the Society’s mission is to foster an understanding of the political, social, and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. Its mission is also to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship. Together with its affiliate, the Council of the Americas, a business group committed to encourage free trade, open markets, democracy, and the rule of law throughout the Americas, the Society has become the leading national organization in creating international awareness issues impacting the Western Hemisphere.”*