Yolanda Moreno

First Dancer of Venezuela

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Yolanda Moreno

First Dancer of Venezuela

Yolanda Moreno was the prima ballerina of Venezuela. Born in San Juan, she started dancing aged 13 and her talent was soon recognised. She quickly became an international star and later became a choreographer as well. During her career she gained the title of “The Venezuelan People’s Ballerina”. Over the course of her career she has performed in more than 500 choreographies and reinvigorated the public interest in Venezuelan dance and folklore. She also founded one of the most successful dance schools in Venezuela.

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Wolle Chekol

Former Minister of Finance of Ethiopia

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Wolle Chekol

Former Minister of Finance of Ethiopia

Wolle Chekol was an Ethiopian politician who served as the country’s Minister of Finance from 1987 to 1990. Born in 1941, he earned a degree in Economics from Haile Selassie I University and then an MA in Economics from the Centre for Development Economics in Massachusetts. Mr Chekol served as a senior expert in the Development Commission of Ethiopia before acting as the Africa Group’s Vice Chairman at the 1976 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The following year he was promoted to Chairman and served as the Africa Group’s Chairman at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. In 1979 he became the Minster of Foreign Trade, a position he held until 1987 when he became the Minister of Finance. After completing his term as Minister of Finance he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, a position he held from 1989 to 1991. During his career he also embarked on business ventures, acting as the General Manager of the Micor and Small Enterprise Development Programme (MSEDP) as well as being a Founding Partner and Deputy General Manager of Afroconsult PLC.

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Teo Capriles

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Teo Capriles

Athlete and Founder of the Venezuelan Federation of Swimming

Teo Capriles was a renowned Venezuelan athlete. Born in 1907, his athletic skill was evident from an early age and he excelled in cycling. In 1936 he travelled to Berlin intending to participate in the Olympics which were being held that year, but was refused permission to compete as there was no Venezuelan representation. In 1938 he participated in the Bolivarian Games and in 1946 he participated in the Central American and Caribbean Competitions winning gold medals in both. He became the most successful Venezuelan cyclist of the time. He retired aged 40, having also competed at high levels in swimming and diving. He went on to become the Founder of the Venezuelan Federation of Swimming. His sporting legacy also led to the Caracas velodrome being named after him, as well as a swimming academy. He was also a skilled painter and musician, creating over 300 works dedicated to the Venezuelan landscape.

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Rómulo O’Farrill

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Rómulo O’Farrill

Media Entrepreneur

Rómulo O’Farrill was a Mexican media entrepreneur. Born in 1917, he was the eldest son of Rómulo O’Farrill Silva, an automobile industrialist and publisher who co-founded ‘Telesistema Mexicano’, ‘Novedades’ and ‘The News’, as well as ‘Instituto Mexicano de Rehabilitación’. In 1933 he attended the United States Benedictine based school, St Anselm College, in order to learn English. After graduating in 1937, he received an MBA from the Detroit Business Centre. In 1949 Mr O’Farrill and his father obtained a concession from the XHTV-Channel 4, the first commercial television station to be used in Mexico. The first commercial broadcast from the station was the state of the union address by President Miguel Aleman Valdes in September 1950. The family’s television holdings grew and eventually developed into Telesistema Mexicano which would later be renamed Televisa. Mr O’Farrill would later manage and then become Chairman of the Board of this company. In 1969, the O Farrill’s established a newspaper company which distributed the newspaper ‘Novedades’. They also launched ‘The News’, which would become one of Latin America’s largest distributing English language dailies. During his career he sat on the boards of a number of corporations, including RCA Victor de Mexico and Sears Roebuck de Mexico. From 1962-1963 he served as President of the Inter-American Press Association. He was also a founding member of the Mexican Council of Businessmen and was appointed Honorary Consul of Ireland in Mexico, a role he held for over twenty years.

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OPEC

OPEC

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent intergovernmental organisation comprised of the following twelve oil producing countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Its aim is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies amongst member countries to ensure fair and stable prices for producers and a regular and efficient supply to consumer nations. It was formed at the Baghdad Conference in September 1960, with the five founding members being Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. For the first five years of its existence, OPEC headquarters were located in Geneva, before moving to Vienna in 1965. During the 1970′s, OPEC experienced international coverage as member countries began to seize control of their domestic petroleum industries. In 1976 the OPEC Fund for International Development was established. OPEC initiatives reduced the market impact of Middle East hostilities in 1990 to 1991. Furthermore, innovative OPEC oil prices assisted in strengthening and stabilising crude oil prices in the early 2000′s. In 2007, OPEC established stable energy markets, sustainable development practices and environmental policies as three guiding themes for the future of their policies and initiatives.

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Miguel Obando Bravo

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Miguel Obando Bravo

Cardinal and Archbishop

Archbishop and Cardinal Miguel Obando Bravo was awarded the Gold Mercury International Award in 1981 for his tireless work as a human rights defender. He was born in La Libertad, Nicaragua, in 1926 and was ordained a priest on August 10, 1958. In 1968, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Puzia di Bizacena and Auxiliary Bishop of Matagalpa. It was during this time that in Matagalpa that he dedicated his pastoral care to the Campesinos and their urgent problems. In 1970 he was promoted to the position of Archbishop of Managua. Archbishop Obando Bravo became a key figure in Nicaraguan politics during the 1970′s, due to his vocal criticism of the corrupt Anastasio Somoza regime. He questioned the government’s management of relief funds following the 1972 Managua Earthquake and highlighted human rights abuses which were being carried out by the National Guard. Archbishop Obando Bravo retained a peaceful stance, however, and acted as an intermediary between the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and the Somoza government during Sandinista hostage-taking incidents. He was also critical of the Sandinista revolutionary government’s policies and their human rights violations. Archbishop Obando Bravo’s commitment to peaceful resolutions and his desire to preserve human rights ensured he was popular amongst many Nicaraguans and led him to become a Gold Mercury International laureate.

LAUREATE PHOTOS


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Manuel Cabré

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Manuel Cabré

Hispanic Venezuelan Landscape Painter

Manuel Cabré was a renowned landscape painter. Born in Barcelona in 1890, he moved to Venezuela at a young age. As his father taught sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Caracas, he studied there and became fascinated by the Venezuelan landscape, particularly the El Avila Mountain north of Caracas. He chose to paint it from all angles and shades and as a result he received widespread recognition and praise. He later moved to Paris, living there until 1930, learning the techniques of cubism and impressionism. In 1931 he returned to Venezuela, again committing himself to painting the outdoors. He became known for his extensive skills, technique, colour and form, which were all evident in his paintings. In 1955  he received the National Award in Painting and in 1955 he won the Herrera Toro Award. Between 1942 and 1946, he served as Director of the Caracas Museum of Fine Arts. He continued painting until his death in 1984.

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Luis Herrera Campins

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Luis Herrera Campins

Former President of the Republic of Venezuela

Luis Herrera Campins is a former Venezuelan politician who served as President of Venezuela between 1979 and 1984. Born in 1925, he showed an early interest in politics and journalism and studied Law at the Central University of Venezuela. After organising a student union demonstration against the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, he was imprisoned for four months and was deported. Upon his release he continued his studies, graduating with a Law degree in 1955 from Universidad Santiago de Compostela. Following the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, Campins returned to Venezuela and in 1959 he was elected Deputy for the state of Lara, serving as Deputy/Senator for twenty years. In 1978, he was elected as President and inaugurated the following year. During his five year presidential term, Herrera continued the previous government’s economic policy of borrowing money on the world markets and eventually Venezuela came to owe the world banks more than 20 billion dollars. He also, however, developed a cultural development programme and reformed the existing educational programme. He also sought to develop Venezuela’s industry and agriculture sectors and combat corruption. His foreign policy stance was also strong, signing an agreement with Mexico in 1980 to provide Central American countries with oil. His presidential term ended in December 1983 and he died in 2007.

LAUREATE PHOTOS


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Konrad Adenauer Foundation

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Konrad Adenauer Foundation

German Political Party Foundation

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is a German political foundation associated with the Christian Democratic Union. It was established in 1955 as a ‘Society for Christian-Democratic Civic Education’, taking its name from the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Their programmes are aimed at promoting freedom, liberty, peace and justice across the world. They predominantly focus their efforts on consolidating democracy, unifying Europe and strengthening transatlantic relations. This political basis was constructed through the use of the materials and research documents they acquired whilst acting as a consultant firm and think tank. Similar to other German political foundations, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is financed mainly through federal and land government funds. Today their headquarters are located in Bonn and they have an additional 78 offices and programmes running in over 100 countries.

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José Joaquín Cabrera Malo

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José Joaquín Cabrera Malo

Forestry and Agricultural Expert

José Joaquín Cabrera Malo is a Venezuelan forestry and agriculture expert. Born in 1921, he qualified as an agricultural engineer. He worked toward reforestation and was successful in converting what was almost desert into the largest man made forest in the world, named Uverito Forest. This planting began in 1966 and it eventually went on to cover an area of around five hundred thousand acres. The forest also triggered a difference in climate change, contributing to an increased incidence of tropical rain. It also led to an increased diversity of animal species that previously did not exist in the area. He showed sustained commitment to reforestation and aimed to prevent the exploitation and clearing of forests by logging companies.

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