UNITED STATES of AMERICA

                                                                                                                                                          Meeting Minutes - MAY 17, 08

_Submission Guidelines______________________________________ 

Articles

Language:  can be in English, Creole or Portuguese

Length:  800 words (no longer than 4 pages)

Font:  12pt, double spaced

  * * * including references, if applicable

_Disclaimer_________________________________________________________________ 

This is a non-profit initiative. Therefore we anticipate it to be free of charge for the visitors. We reserve the possibility of applying a symbolic charge if we are not able to secure enough funding. After we liquidate all debts incurred and pay for all services requested, if there is any positive balance or surplus it will be set aside at the Consulate as seed money for similar programs in the community.

This document is subject to change to include community contributions.

_IMPORTANT DATES____________________________________________________ 

May 3rd, 2008:  First Call for Papers

June 1st, 2008:  Paper Submissions

June 15th, 2008:  Acceptance Notification

_Introduction______________________________________________________________ 

The Consulate General of Cape Verde in Boston is proposing a display of Cape Verdean Products, Services and Culture to be held in Boston on July 26^th, 2008, adding to the existing Community events and festivals throughout New England in celebration of the Independence of Cape Verde.

This major event aims to bring more visibility and positive attention to our community, within the dynamics of the various activities that the Consulate is undertaking.

 It will celebrate the rich heritage of the Cape Verdean presence in the United Sates, and create unique opportunities for exhibits reflecting the history and culture of the Cape Verdean people, and showcase some unique products and services. The program will also reflect the different generations of Cape Verdeans in the area and highlight their positive contributions.

The goal of this initiative is to hopefully generate unprecedented collaboration among all Cape Verdean Associations in the area, artists and promoters of Cape Verdean arts and businesses, based both here and in Cape Verde.

 A public event, open to everyone, it will promote Cape Verde as a tourist destination as well, considering that Cape Verde is the only African Nation with direct flights out of Logan Airport. 

Location and Program

The event will be held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center (RLTAC) and will run throughout the day from 9 am to 4:00pm.

The set-up at RLTAC, a modern building, will be designed  to suit the program needs. The major guidelines for the program are defined by its title:

“CAPE VERDE: A DISPLY OF PRODUCTS SERVICES AND CULTURE”

 We will be able to have live stage with some pre-scheduled folkloric presentations including music and dance. At the same time, the visitors will have the opportunity to browse through a number of stands that will provide interactive programs, with the use of modern technologies or simple displays on topics that will include: Language, storytelling, history, geography, immigration, visual arts, clothing, food, banking and other services targeting the Cape Verdean community.

 Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development and Investment opportunities in Cape Verde will also be topics of thematic workshops.

 We will also exhibit the Capeverdean virtual government through a presentation of “Casa do Cidadão”.

 There will  also be space for resource tables and kiosks.

Planning Committee

In order to bring this proposed event to fruition, we need a  planning committee that reflects the dynamic composition of our community. The members of this group must understand that this is their program. The Consulate are just the facilitators. We ask from those that accept to be part of the group to commit to attending the meetings and becoming active participants of one or more sub-committees. This initiative will require close coordination by the Consulate General with individuals or organizations leading the various program components.

We propose the following structure for overseeing the organization of this program:

Project: Cape Verde: A Display of Products, Services and Culture

Coordination: Consulate General of Cape Verde

 Honorary Committee: (will include representatives of major contributors)

Advisory Committee:  (will include many collaborators of the Consulate that may or may not be in the planning committee)

Planning Committee: (will include representatives of CV organizations and interested individuals)

Sub-committees: (made of members of the planning committee)

            Live Stage Presentation:

Public Relations and Media

Outreach and Transportation

Visual and stage design:

 Workshops:

 Logistics: 

 Welcome and Protocol

 Youth:

 Volunteers:

 Catalog: Consulate

 Other :

Displays/Stands:   (the following are examples/ideas of possible booths)

Financial Partners

 We propose a format that will defray the costs. The program, however still requires the support of major sponsors.

We already have the commitment of the RCC as a major sponsor and we will seek the support of other Massachusetts educational institutions.

The TACV- Cape Verde Airlines, The Cape Verde Investments Agency and Financial Institutions in Cape Verde have already indicated that they will support the initiative. Here, in the United States, community and mainstream businesses with strong links with the community will be invited as sponsors both directly and through the Cape Verdean American Business Association, CABO.

We will also seek to involve the City of Boston and state institutions in this project.

The Consulate General will send a letter to invite these and other institutions to participate as sponsors at different levels including hosting some of the Cultural displays.

Terms of Sponsorship and Participation

Major institutions will have the choice of renting and/or adopting a both. If you have products, you may display them in your own booth. In addition to yours, you may be able to house one of the exhibits and display your logo as the host and patron of the exhibit of your choice. The rent cost for the booth will range from $300.00 up depending on requirements of the particular display. You may also arrange to donate directly a non-profit organization presenting the exhibit.     

Another option will be advertisement in our catalog. We will be printing about 2,000 copies of a full color catalog for this event for the visitors. These catalogs will be distributed at the door, but will reach far beyond Boston since the event will bring guests from the various communities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and beyond. 

All contributions in any format are welcome and will be listed if received by the deadline.

            Commitment to sponsor: May 29,

            Complete Artwork with payment: June 16

Please note that art will need to be mailed or emailed to gttavares@cvconsulateb.org on a jpeg format, acrobat or Photoshop. Checks are to be made to the Consulate General of Cape Verde.

Last but not least we also have a category of friends of Cape Verde with your donation between $20.00 and $50.00 dollars, your name will be printed on a list inside the Catalog. 

Please consider this as an opportunity to become part of something positive for the Cape Verdean Community.

_Sub-Committees_____________________________________________________ 

Live Stage Presentation: In articulation with the Consulate will define the traditional musicians that will perform, the dancers and other stage events, including the opening and closing, design a stage program, coordinate the needs for sound and other with the logistics, designate a stage manager.

Public Relations and Media: We need two or 3 people that will work with the Consulate in contacting local media. Preferably we are looking for individuals from different cities.

Outreach and Transportation: This committee will have the responsibility of making the necessary contact and find the best deal to transport people to attend the event. This Committee should have people with experience in this filed from Brockton, New Bedford and/or Cape Cod, Pawtucket and/or Providence. Make it as cost effective as possible with sponsorships. They should make a schedule and designate pick up and drop off locations and times. Preferably a parking lot. They will also do the outreach within their respective communities to carpool people to event.

Visual and stage design: Members of this committee will have to visit the Athletic Center and work with providers of display equipment to set up the space in manner that reflects the objectives of the event. We only have the evening of Friday July 25 for the set-up. The plan has to be well detailed in order to work within the time allowed.

Workshops: The Consulate has invited the IC and the BCV to participate. We believe that they will attend and their representatives are available to present on the topics. There are two rooms available for workshops upstairs in the RLTAC.

The committee will help set up the workshops and reach out to individuals that will benefit from the presentations.

We will also have a workshop on CV E-Government. The  newly created Casa do Cidadao will be inaugurated in the United States and the Consulate will have a serving desk where you will able to do online business with Cape Verde, from getting a birth certificate to setting up your business online.

Another workshop may be on CV Ethnomusicology.

Logistics:  The Logistics for an event like this are complex and this subcommittee may have more people than the others since it may have to break in smaller groups to take care of aspects like, welcoming guests that may come from abroad, transport them, find them hosts etc.

Youth:  The Teen Center has agreed to coordinate the Youth representation at this event and …. Should write his name as the Committee Chair.  Others working with youth programs may add their names to the list. The idea is that the youth will have a presentation that could be their own stand and at the stage for a presentation to be defined.

Volunteers and event staff: This is also a strong committee. The chair needs to be very organized with strong communication skills. Most of work of the different committees will be done before the event and many will be available to volunteer the day of the event. This committee has to decide how to identify the volunteers and event staff, meet with them the day of the event, have a distribution plan, communication system etc.

Catalog: The Consulate is already making the contacts to secure a Catalog that will not only include a detailed program of the event but also articles related to the contents of the event. Anyone with ideas or suggestion for the catalog should contact G or Ambrizeth.