Five Nicaraguans politicians traveled to Escambia County in November. The goals for the national program were to provide the mayors, councilman, and party activist with the opportunities to:
· Become acquainted with the varied roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local governments in this country;
· Observe the interaction between citizens and elected officials and the importance of transparency in a democracy;
· Explore the different models of local governance and the role of political parties at the local level; and
· Share challenges, opportunities, and best practices in local governance with U.S. counterparts.
They spent their first morning at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center where John Dosh spoke about the county preparedness structure and introduced them to the facility, something of great interest to the mayors and councilman in the group. Next, the visitors met with Councilwoman Diane Mack and Janet Lander. Councilwoman Mack gave a demographic orientation to Pensacola and discussed current city issues with the group including what was then the proposed change to the city charter. Ms. Lander discussed the pros and cons of government consolidation, giving a history behind the movement as well.
Following lunch, the delegates met in city hall with Councilman Sam Hall and historian John Appleyard. Together, the two continued the theme of the morning by examining the evolution of Pensacola’s local government and discussing current challenges facing the community. The meeting ended with Councilman Hall presenting certificates of honorary citizenship to the group.
Grace McCaffery next met with the Nicaraguans to examine the challenges of addressing and accommodating the demands of a pluralistic and ethnically diverse society. The discussion was lively and included stories from each side. At the end of their time together, the Nicaraguan group made a donation towards a breast cancer benefit advertised in Ms McCaffery’s La Costa Latina, a move which surprised and touched their interlocutor.
The Native Paths Cultural Heritage & Resource Projects Center was the next stop for the politicians as they met with Robert Johns Bearheart to hear about that group’s work in bringing the history of native America to area schools. Delegates also learned about music outreach, art, artifacts, and gardening projects.
With their professional program almost complete, the group headed to the Blue Angels Show where they lunched and watched the amazing acrobats of the U.S. Navy’s precision flight team before heading to their final appointment with Girl Scout Troops 44, 135, and 477 at the Gull Point Recreational Center whose purpose was to highlight a civic education and leadership building organization, to give the delegates a chance to share information about Nicaragua, and to allow the girls the opportunity to speak about their community service projects. Many thanks go to Pat Madison and Lisa Fisk for coordinating this visit and to Betsy Huhn and Annie McHale for bringing their scouts to the meeting.
A visit to Pensacola wouldn’t be complete without a night of hospitality and Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council members Hilda & Ray Jones and Joan & Keith Wilkins provided exactly that by inviting visitors in their houses for a home-cooked meal. Thank you, Hilda, Ray, Joan, and Keith and thank you to all who helped make this stop in Florida a success.
