PLANS FOR THE IAVE LATIN AMERICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE

From the 27 to the 29 of September of this year the Regional Conference of Latin America will take place in the city of Bogotá, capital of Colombia.

We want to welcome you by telling you about our country, our capital and the conference.

The country is located in the Northwest corner of South America, with  coasts in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. Its language is Spanish.

Bogotá has more than 8 million inhabitants and has an average temperature of 14C (57 F) degrees all year round without seasonal variations. At night, the temperature may drop as low as 5C (40F).

The city is known for its cultural activity. Different artists, symphony orchestras and national and international musical groups offer concerts during the year. Bogotá has 45 theatres, 58 museums, 62 art galleries, 40 movie theaters and 28 churches of tourist interest. During the last five years Bogotá has had a very positive transformation. Today it is recognized  internationally for its different initiatives in urban development, citizen security and life quality.

Bogotá has received many awards in the last five years.  Among them are: the World Capital of Books 2007, recognition of UNESCO; the Union of Capital Cities of Ibero America granted in 2007 a special recognition as the Iberoamerican Capital of Culture and, the City with a Heart given by the United Nations in 2005 for its volunteer work as a force that contributes to Bogotá urban development.

The Conference will be hosted in Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest and most traditional Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus. It has an enrollment of 22.000 students, is composed of 18 Schools comprising 61 departments and 181 academic programs in to different areas of knowledge, giving the university its multidisciplinary nature. Its campus has 45 buildings in 44.5 acres and is located in a strategic and easily accessible part of the city.

The theme of the conference is “Volunteering: Key in Social Responsibility”. It will have three plenary sessions: Poverty in Latin America and Volunteering; Volunteering and Social Responsibility; and Personal Testimonies of world figures such as Juanes, Shakira or Juan Pablo Montoya.

The Conference will have four parallel forums: (1) Poverty and Inequality in Latin America (2) Environment, (3) Corporate Volunteering and (4)Youth Volunteering.  Several workshops in different topics according to main themes are included in the program.

Registration fee are as follows:   

IAVE Members – USD$50 until July 31; USD$70 from August 1
Non-IAVE Participants – USD$100 until July 31; USD$120 from August 1

With this fee each person will receive: a CD with the plenary sessions and the forums; a bag, tag, pen and notebook; two lunches; three coffee breaks and a city tour. Persons that bring a group of a minimum of 10 participants will not pay registration

Colombia has a very affordable exchange rate. The price of four and five star hotels runs from US$60 to USD$170 for double rooms with breakfast included.  Other accommodations are retreat houses that cost USD$ 28 for individual rooms with private bath and breakfast  

For more information: mariatgnecco@gmail.com.

We will be waiting for you!!!