Our visit to Alamar was one of the highlights of the trip to Cuba. It is an example of how the country has moved away, be necessity, from large scale agriculture on state farms which relied heavily on imported inputs on to a smaller scale system that is more organic and offers real food security. It consists of 25 hectares and is a non state co operative established some 14 years ago.
The delegation paid a visit to the renowned Abel Santa Maria School which educates pupils with a range of special needs, including visually impairments and deaf-blind. The ethos of the school is very much to focus on what children can do, rather than what they can’t.
We succeeded in covering a broad spectrum of special interests from an ecumenical Evangelical Seminary to a school for blind children to the Habana Zoo.
The delegation had a productive and intensive programme whilst in Westminster, covering a number of themes including climate change, human rights, trade and political reforms. During the programme they met with Foreign Office Minister, Jeremy Browne, the Deputy Speaker and many MPs and Peers and senior officials of the House
Our visit to Chile in July 2011 must have been one of the most detailed and comprehensive itineraries that a delegation from the IPU-British Group has undertaken in many years. Our visit coincided with celebrations to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Chilean National Congress which is based in Chile’s second city and Pacific port of Valparaiso.
The turmoil in the Arab world dominated debates at the IPU Assembly in Panama in April which was attended by a delegation from Britain led by Robert Walter MP. Mr Walter – Chair of the British Group of the IPU – told delegates from over 100 countries in the IPU that recent events in North Africa could spread to other countries in the region.
Calls for a trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur – South America’s version of the Common Market – were top of the list in discussions between Uruguayan politicians and a visiting British delegation recently. In a succession of meetings, they covered a wide range of issues including the provision of a base for British Antarctic Survey ships and more co-operation between universities in the two countries.
