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Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
Sample Briefing Book
for First Ladies
Divider Title:
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Welcome to Miami! I am so delighted you
will be joining me and the other First Ladies
of the Hemisphere in addressing the Summit of
the Americas agenda as it relates to the
needs of children. Enclosed is information
about the Summit and our Symposium. There
will be a resource table at the Symposium
site with additional information about the
issues we will discuss.
I very much look forward to meeting with
you and spending time together over the next
few days discussing our hemisphere's most
important resource--our children.
With warm regards and best wishes for a
pleasant stay, I am
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodbam Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Symposium on Children of the Americas
Participants
BAHAMAS
Mrs. Delores Ingraham
BARBADOS
Mrs. Beverley Arthur
BELIZE
Mrs. Kathleen Levy Esquivel
BOLIVIA
Mrs. Ximena Sánchez de Lozada
BRAZIL
Mrs. Lucia Flecha de Lima
CANADA
Mrs. Aline Chrétien
CHILE
Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei
COLOMBIA
Mrs. Jacquin Samper
COSTA RICA
Mrs. Josette Figueres
DOMINICAN REBUBLIC
Mrs. Luisa Alba de Morales
ECUADOR
Mrs. Josefina Villalobos de Durán Ballén
EL SALVADOR
Mrs. Elizabeth Calderón Sol
GUATEMELA
Mrs. María Eugenia De Léon
GUYANA
Mrs. Janet Jagan
HONDURAS
Mrs. Bessie Reina
MEXICO
Mrs. Nilda Patricia Zedillo
NICARAGUA
Mrs. Cristiana Chamorro
PANAMA
Mrs. Dora Pérez Balladares
PARAGUAY
Mrs. María Teresa de Wasmosy
PERU
Ms. Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi
TRINIDAD and TOBAGO
Mrs. Hazel Manning
UNITED STATES
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
URUGUAY
Mrs. María Julia Pou Lacalle
No Representatives attending
ANTIGUA and BARBUDA
ARGENTINA
DOMINICA
GRENADA
HAITI
JAMAICA
ST. KITTS and NEVIS
ST. LUCIA
ST. VINCENT and the GRENADINES
SURINAME
VENEZUELA
SENT BY:
12- 6-94 :10:42AM :
A/SUMMIT-
912024562317:# 2/14
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
Hosted by Mrs. Clinton
Saturday, December 10, 1994
8:15am-
Arrival, Biltmore Hotel, Country Club entrance
8:45
9:00am -
Plenary Session
10:00
Biltmore Hotel, Country Club Ballroom
3
Participants: First Ladies
Observers:
Spouses accompanying the two ranking senior
officials in each delegation
Spouses of Ambassadors to the United States
Spouses of United States Ambassadors
Spouses of United States Cabinet Members
Children accompanying Leaders
11:00-
Workshops
12:00
Youth Hcalth and Education Issues
Children's Education Issues
Children's Health Issues
Anastasia, Majorca and Marbella Rooms
Biltmore Hotel
Participants: First Ladies
11:15-
Lunch hosted by Mrs. Gore for Plenary Observers
1:00pm
Alhambra Room
Biltmore Hotel
12:30pm -
Lunch hosted by Mrs. Clinton for First Ladies
2:30
Danielson Gallery
Biltmore Hotel Country Club
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
Hosted by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Saturday, December 10, 1994
Miami, Florida
PLENARY SESSION
Welcoming remarks by Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton of the
United States
Screening of a UNICEF video presentation
-
Remarks by Dr. George Alleyne, Director-designate, Pan
American Health Organization
Remarks by Mrs. Hazel Manning of Trinidad and Tobago
Remarks by Mrs. Ximena Iturralde Sanchez de Lozada of
Bolivia
Remarks by Mrs. Josette Altmann de Figueres of Costa Rica
Closing Remarks by Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United
States
Open Discussion
Brief Intermission
WORKING GROUP SESSION
The First Ladies will break into three working groups:
1.
Children's Health Issues, chaired by Mrs. Janet Jagan
of Guyana
2.
Children's Education Issues, chaired by Mrs. Nilda
Patricia Velasco de Zedillo of Mexico
3.
Challenges in Health and Education Facing Today's
Adolescents, chaired by Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei
of Chile
WORKING LUNCHEON
Reports from the Working Group Chairs:
--Mrs. Janet Jagan of Guyana on Children's Health
Issues
--Mrs. Nilda Patricia Velasco de Zedillo of Mexico on
Children's Education
--Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei of Chile on Challenges
in Health and Education Facing Today's Adolescents
Remarks by Mrs. Maria Teresa de Wasmosy of Paraguay on the
next convening of the Wives of Heads of State and
Governments of the Americas
Closing remarks by Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
Children of the Americas
Introduction
The Hemisphere's leaders and their spouses are coming together not only as the
heads of their governments and people, but also as parents and members of
families who recognize that one driving force behind the Summit is to ensure
children's well-being now and in the future.
Virtually every element of the Summit Plan of Action will have a direct or
indirect impact on the economic, social, or physical well-being of the children of
the hemisphere.
The implementation of the Summit Plan of Action will bring about a better
standard of living for the children of the hemisphere, through increased trade
and jobs, improved access to health and education, and the protection of their
rights.
The Summit Initiatives: Impact on Children
I. Preserving and Strenghtening the Community of Democracies of the Americas
Strengthening Democracy
Helps prevent political violence, which has a profound effect on the
well-being of our children.
Promoting and Protecting Human Rights
*
Includes guarantees for the rights of children and calls for ratifying
the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child
Invigorating Society/Community Participation
Encourages the growth of civic-minded non-governmental
organizations, including those which support children's issues, and
notes the need to improve participation of young people.
Helps ensure that groups such as disabled, indigenous, and female
children receive fair and equitable treatment.
2
Combating the Problem of Illegal Drugs and Related Crimes
*
In order to safeguard children's health and their futures, we must
educate our children on the dangers of drug abuse and prevent them
from using narcotics.
*
We must continue our efforts to protect children from this threat and
prevent them from becoming involved in drug-related criminal
activities.
II. Promoting Prosperity Through Economic Integration and Free Trade
Free Trade in the Americas/Capital Markets Development and Liberalization
*
Creates more jobs, allowing families to enjoy a higher standard of
living.
*
Lessens need to depend on children to help augment the family's
income, thus reducing child labor.
*
Provides more commodity variety at more competitive prices,
helping to decrease malnutrition.
Hemispheric Infrastructure
Increases access of all sectors of society to better transportation,
electricity, and clean water.
III. Eradicating Poverty and Discrimination in Our Hemisphere
Universal Access to Education
*
All children, regardless of economic or social situation, will receive
the basic tools necessary to become full, participatory members of
society, especially girls, minorities, and indigenous groups.
*
Requiring children to attend primary school will help eradicate child
labor.
Ensures that all children have the foundation necessary to compete
in a modern economy and/or to go on to higher levels of education;
secondary school will train students for more complex jobs, allowing
them to be more competitive in the modern world economy.
3
Equitable Access to Basic Health Services
*
Reducing child, infant, and maternal mortality rates will clearly
benefit children, who are particularly vulnerable to illness and
unhealthy living conditions.
*
The success of immunization programs in eradicating the childhood
disease of polio demonstrate the importance of universal access to such
prevention programs.
Strengthening the Role of Women in Society
*
Since many of the households in the hemisphere are headed by
women, increasing their opportunities to participate in all spheres of
political, social, and economic life will improve the well-being of the
members of those households.
IV. Guaranteeing Sustainable Development and Conserving Our Natural
Environment for Future Generations
Partnership for Sustainable Energy Use/Partnership for Pollution Prevention
*
Developing cleaner sources of energy will improve the health of our
children.
*
We need to ensure that our children are left with options for
renewable sources of energy.
Partnership for Biodiversity
*
Ensures that we do not destroy the living resources or environment
of our planet, but rather preserve them for the sake of future
generations.
Children: the Foundation for the Americas of the 21st Century
The broad range of Summit objectives are aimed not only at helping children
now, but also at giving children the tools they need to provide for themselves
and their children in the future.
Future generations will be called upon to continue the work initiated at the
Miami Summit-we must prepare today's children to be the leaders of tomorrow's
integrated and democratic Western Hemisphere.
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
Themes for Working Group Session On
Children's Education Issues
Summit Goals: A primary completion rate of 100 percent and a secondary
enrollment rate of at least 75 percent by the year 2010.
(See Summit Plan of Action Initiative 16, "Universal Access to Education," for the
full text.)
Universal literacy and access to education at all levels, without distinction of race,
national origin or gender, is an indispensable basis for sustainable social and
cultural development, economic growth and democratic stability.
Although almost every country in the hemisphere has adult literacy rates of over 80
percent, there are still too many people who do not have a basic level of reading and
writing skills. Eradicating illiteracy is best approached by ensuring that children
are enrolled in and complete at least primary school. A number of factors impact on
both enrollment and completion rates, including pre-school environment, the
quality of the school's curriculum and the training received by the educators.
The nurturing and nutrition children receive early in their lives dramatically
impact on their ability to thrive when they reach school age, and can improve
future performance and reduce costly repetition and drop-out rates. Approximately
8.9 million children in this hemisphere participate in early childhood programs.
Primary school enrollment of children age 6-11 increased over the last 20 years in
all countries in the region, especially in population centers. However, enrollment
levels remain relatively low in certain regions and sub-groupings (girls, indigenous,
urban minority and rural populations).
The World Bank estimates that every year $2.5 billion are spent on grade repetition
for 20 million children in Latin America. Countries are addressing drop-out and
repetition rates by setting national goals in educational efficiency as well as
relevance of what is taught.
The Summit initiative on education calls for governments to work with the private
sector and multilateral institutions to guarantee universal access to quality
primary education; support strategies to overcome nutritional deficiencies of
primary school children in order to enhance their learning ability; and create a
2
hemispheric partnership to reform educational policies and focus resources more
efficiently.
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
Themes for Working Group Session On
Children's Health Issues
Summit Goals: To reduce child mortality by one-third and maternal mortality by
one-half by the year 2000.
(See Summit Plan of Action Initiative 17, "Equitable Access to Basic Health
Services," for the full text.)
The average infant mortality rate for the 34 countries attending the Summit is 33
deaths per 1,000 births. Major achievements in reducing that rate thus far have
been in high-impact but simple technologies such as vaccinations and controlling
diarrhea through oral rehydration. The challenge now is to move to more difficult
and complex interventions such as managing pneumonia, improving nutritional
status, and reducing neonatal mortality, while sustaining the gains already
achieved. The region-wide effort to eradicate polio, which succeeded in interrupting
transmission throughout the hemisphere, was a model of cooperation, partnership
and participation. This model can be adapted to eliminating measles, or at least
reducing incidences and deaths to the levels called for in the Narino Accord.
Maternal death rates remain a significant problem in the Americas, with national
rates ranging from a low of 5 to a high of about 600 per 100,000 live births. To
reduce maternal mortality, we need to improve and expand access to prenatal and
postnatal care and to provide safer delivery care. Community-based approaches
such as training and deployment of midwives and family planning have reduced
maternal mortality in some countries.
In addition, inequities in access to health care contribute to the concentration of
children's health problems in certain populations (e.g. rural areas, indigenous
peoples). These inequities can be addressed through systemic reforms of health
care delivery systems which can include essential community-based services for the
poor, the disabled, and indigenous groups; stronger public health infrastructure;
alternative means of financing, managing, and providing services; quality
assurance; and greater use of non-governmental actors and organizations.
The Summit Plan of Action calls for a number of actions involving the hemispheric
governments, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and the
Pan-American Health Organization, and representatives of the private sector in
focusing on and establishing a framework for health reform mechanisms. These
actions include: developing or updating country action plans or programs for
2
reform; strengthening international fora for sharing technical expertise,
information and experience on health reform efforts; and convening a special
meeting of hemispheric governments with interested donors and international
technical agencies to establish a framework for health reform mechanisms.
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
Themes for Working Group Session On
Youth Health and Education Issues
Summit Goals: Address the needs of adolescents through prevention programs for
narcotics use and abuse, the transmission of HIV/AIDS, and unintended
pregnancies, and through enhanced vocational or college-preparatory programs.
(See Summit Plan of Action Initiative 6, "Combating the Problem of Illegal Drugs
and Related Crimes;" Initiative 16, "Universal Access to Education;" and Initiative
17, "Equitable Access to Basic Health Services," for full texts.)
Youth in the hemisphere, who make up roughly a quarter of the population, must
obtain the education and training needed to be productive adults and avoid often
fatal health risks.
At current birth rates, half of the hemisphere's female population will have a child
between the ages of 15 and 19. In addition to the maternal mortality issues covered
under the symposium's health theme, these young women are exposed to sexually-
transmitted diseases-including AIDS/HIV, and often leave school to have or raise
their babies. The Summit initiative on health includes a proposal to have a basic
package of health services which includes maternal and reproductive health care,
planning information and services, and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Both female and male adolescents leave school early, for a number of reasons,
resulting in an workforce unprepared for an increasingly high-technology world
market. Educational programs aimed at keeping teenagers in school and curricula
designed to prepare students for adulthood are needed. The Summit education
initiative calls for promoting worker professional training, increasing access to and
strengthening the quality of high education, and creating a hemispheric
partnership to reform educational policies.
The problem of narcotics consumption, production, and trafficking is a huge drain
on our youth. In addition to the health problems and deaths caused by drug use,
narcotics-related violence also affects a large number of young people. In addition,
young adults without the education or training to support themselves are too often
drawn to the narcotics-related crimes of selling or trafficking narcotics. The
proposed initiative on narcotics includes a broad agenda to reduce both the demand
and supply of narcotics throughout the hemisphere.
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
Strengthening the Role of Women in Society
Summit Goals: Strengthen policies and programs that improve and broaden the
participation of women in all spheres of political, social, and economic life and
improve their access to the basic resources needed for the full exercise of their
fundamental rights.
(See Summit Plan of Action Initiative 18, "Strengthening the Role of Women in
Society," for the full text.)
The Fourth Conference of Wives of Heads of State and of Governments of the
Americas issued in October 1994 the Declaration of St. Lucia, which called for
supporting actions which further the full exercise of women's human rights,
expressed appreciation for efforts to reduce domestic violence; encouraged steps to
educate women in preparation for decision-making in all spheres; and requested
that the women's issues be addressed at a wide range of fora.
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for the nations of the hemisphere to
commit to taking many of those steps, such as recognizing and giving full respect
for all rights of women, promoting the participation of women in decision-making;
enhancing women's productivity and economic self-reliance through education and
skill development; reducing violence against women; and encouraging regional and
international financial and technical organizations to intensify their programs in
favor of women.
In addition, women remain the primary care-givers for children throughout the
hemisphere. Therefore, the importance of the development and strengthening of
the role of women in society should be recognized also in terms of the impact of
women's development on their children and its positive contribution to society.
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
Remarks
Divider Title:
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE FIRST LADIES' SYMPOSIUM ON
CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
MIAMI, FLORIDA
DECEMBER 10, 1994
Welcome to all of my colleagues and friends from across the
Americas, and to all of our distinguished guests.
It is an honor and privilege for me to host this wonderful
symposium here in Miami. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude
to the First Ladies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada
for your help and guidance in preparing for this session. Your
extraordinary efforts in previous First Ladies' meetings in
Colombia, Costa Rica, and most recently in St. Lucia, have
provided a foundation for all of our work -- today and into the
future.
I hope that in the course of our gathering here, and in the
weeks and months ahead, we will learn much from each other and
find new inspiration to address the needs of children, families,
and women across our hemisphere.
Today, we live in an age of great promise -- and great peril
-- for the 130 million children of the Americas. Great promise
because our children are our lifeline to prosperity and democracy
in the decades ahead. And we all take pleasure in knowing that
there are millions of happy, healthy children across the Americas
whose futures are filled with hope.
But there are perils too, because from the Queen Elizabeth
Islands to Tierra del Fuego, our children are shouldering burdens
rarely encountered by older generations.
Children suffering from hunger, poverty, homelessness,
inadequate health care, disease, illiteracy, violence, and abuse
are not confined to a single nation or a single continent. The
cries of desperate children are sadly heard in every nation
represented here. And it is the plight of those children that
brings us together today, not just as the spouses of heads of
state or as representatives of our governments, but as mothers,
sisters, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors and friends
who believe that every child in every country deserves a fair
chance in life.
The political leaders convening at this historic summit have
set forth an agenda to promote prosperity and democracy
throughout the hemisphère through trade initiatives, sustainable
development, and more effective government.
1
Today, summit leaders are outlining goals to ensure the
economic, social and physical well-being of children, which Dr.
Alleyne will outline later in greater detail:
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for universal
access to education so that all children, regardless of economic
or social status, racial or ethnic origin, or gender, will
receive the basic tools necessary to become full members of
society. The goal of requiring children to attend and complete
primary school is also under discussion. If this goal is
achieved, it will help eradicate child labor and give children a
greater hope of acquiring the skills and knowledge needed in a
modern global economy.
Beyond the important issue of school attendance, the Summit
initiative on education also addresses the nutritional needs of
children so they can learn more effectively.
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for equitable
access to basic health services, which will be particularly
beneficial to children, who are most vulnerable to illnesses and
unhealthy living conditions.
Specific programs being recommended will address child,
infant, and maternal mortality rates, as well as increasing
immunization efforts to eradicate childhood diseases, such as
measles, that still afflict too many children. We need only look
to the disappearance of new polio cases in the Western hemisphere
to know the success of these immunization programs.
We all know that the role of caregiver is crucial to the
development of healthy and secure children. And we all know that
the primary caregivers in society most often are women. The
Summit proposal to strengthen the role of women will increase
opportunities for women to participate in all spheres of life --
political, social, and economic.
Empowering women with economic self-reliance, access to
quality health care and education is not only a valuable step
forward in itself. It's an important step forward for children.
While we recognize that our political leaders are
responsible for devising policies and programs to meet these
important goals, we also know that, as First Ladies, we have a
significant role to play.
Just as advocacy organizations, social institutions, and
dedicated individuals are critical to progress, we, too, can help
push the agenda forward in our respective countries.
When it comes to children's issues, women have a special
calling. And that's why we have a duty to raise our voices for
2
the voiceless -- our children, the youngest and most vulnerable
among us.
This week I've had particular reason to think about the
difference one woman alone can make on behalf of children, even
against extraordinary odds. My friend, Elizabeth Glaeser, died
last weekend after losing a long battle with AIDS.
Elizabeth contracted HIV through a blood transfusion while
hemorrhaging during the delivery of her first child, Ariel.
Unbeknownst to her, her daughter, and then a son born later, also
contracted the virus.
When Elizabeth learned that she and her children had been
infected with HIV, she dedicated herself to raising awareness
about AIDS. From a small office in Los Angeles, she created the
Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which has raised over $30 million
since its founding in 1988.
Elizabeth often said she was motivated and strengthened by
the memory of her daughter, who died four years ago at the age of
seven. Her son, now 10, lives with HIV every day.
If Elizabeth could continue to contribute so much on behalf
of children throughout her own illness, I know we can make our
own contributions too. Of course, we will not all be involved in
the same ways, or even on precisely the same issues. I know, for
example, that AIDS is not as prevalent in many of your countries
as it is in mine. That's why each of us must find a venue
appropriate to our own situation as First Lady or government
representative. But whatever role we choose represents a rare
opportunity to make a difference in the lives of tens of millions
of children -- and in the future of all of the Americas.
There is an urgency to our mission. More than half of our
population in this hemisphere is under age 23. Ushering children
into the world is, of course, the province of families. But
building safe and nurturing communities for them to grow up in
making sure they have access to schools that teach them to
read and write
protecting them from avoidable diseases
training them for productive adulthoods
and honoring their
rights in the face of violence and abuse -- these are our
collective responsibilities.
This concept was eloquently expressed in a pastoral letter
issued in the United States several years ago by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that letter, entitled Putting
Children and Families First, the bishops said:
"No government can love a child, and no policy can
substitute for a family's care. But, government can either
support or undermine families. There has been an unfortunate,
3
unnecessary and unreal polarization in [the] discussion [of] how
best to help families. The undeniable fact is that our children's
future is shaped both by the values of their parents and the
policies of our nation.'
As adults, we must take responsibility for our children so
that they can learn to take responsibility for themselves. And we
must insist that society's most vital institutions -- family,
school, and church -- create the conditions necessary for our
children to fulfill all their God-given potential.
To be sure, our challenges differ from country to country,
and our recipes for progress may require different ingredients.
The purpose of this gathering is not to prescribe one solution,
but to share ideas and opinions and learn from each other's
experiences.
Here in the United States, for example, we are not doing
enough to ensure that women receive adequate pre- and post-natal
health care, particularly poor women and teenagers. In 1992, 22
percent of pregnant women in this country received no pre-natal
care.
As the rest of the world knows all too well, my nation faces
significant challenges in stopping an epidemic of gun violence
that daily claims the lives of children in our cities and towns.
Today, homicide is the leading cause of death for African
American youth in the United States and violence is the second
leading cause of death for youngsters between the ages of 10 and
14.
Combined with violence is an equally disturbing scourge of
narcotics use among our young people. Illegal drugs are readily
available in too many communities in the United States, and even
in some of our schools. Studies show that as many as seven
million children abuse alcohol and drugs to some extent
At the same time, we are making progress on behalf of some
of our children -- progress that is visible right here in Miami.
Just yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Jackson Memorial
Hospital and Drew Elementary School -- two institutions that have
achieved remarkable successes in disadvantaged communities.
Jackson Memorial Medical Center, which is affiliated with
the University of Miami, has the difficult task of caring for
some of the poorest and neediest residents of this city. The
newborn intensive care unit that I visited yesterday serves the
highest risk population in Dade County -- but the hospital has
achieved the lowest infant mortality rates in the state.
The hospital also has devised innovative ways of serving its
community. A mobile van brings doctors and nurses to those who
4
might otherwise go without necessary treatment and care.
Drew Elementary School is located in a predominantly
African-American neighborhood. Community leaders devised a
cultural exchange program in which students from Drew and a
predominantly Hispanic school called Seminole Elementary come
together for a variety of activities that promote tolerance and
understanding. To enhance communication across cultures, students
at Drew take Spanish from the second grade on.
The positive educational climate at Drew is reflected in the
student attendance rate: 95 percent of the school's students come
to class every day.
Drew has succeeded because parents, teachers, the school
principal and community leaders have worked hard to create an
environment where children feel safe, secure, and confident that
they will thrive. The adults have taken responsibility; and the
children are learning to take responsibility as well.
In every one of our nations, dedicated, energetic, and
caring people are battling on the front lines to solve some of
society's most vexing problems. The purpose of this gathering is
to educate each other about our challenges and our successes --
and to make our efforts more cooperative by sharing the knowledge
and experience each of us holds within us.
When we return to our capitals, I hope we will not be guided
solely by documents, policy papers, and official pronouncements,
but also by the desire in our hearts to see that all children
have the gift of hope in their lives.
In the words of Gabriela Mistral [Mee-strall], the visionary
Chilean educator, poet, and Nobel prize winner for literature:
"Let me be more maternal than a mother; able to love and defend
with all of a mother's fervor the child that is not flesh of my
flesh."
As she once said: "Many things we need can wait. The child
cannot
To him, we cannot say tomorrow. His name is today."
Thank you for coming to Miami, and for joining together in
this important cause.
And now, let us go from words to deeds.
[Introduce UNICEF video]
###
5
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
SUGGESTED SCRIPT
-Announcement of each First Lady into the room
-First Ladies proceed to seats at U-shaped table
-HRC gives 20 minute opening remarks, closes with:
"Now I would like to introduce the video presentation produced by UNICEF
expressly for this gathering. I know that all of us are extremely appreciative of the
extraordinary work that UNICEF has done of behalf of children around the world,
and especially in the hemisphere."
-Video is shown
-HRC remarks:
"UNICEF has asked me to let you know that they will be sending copies of this
video to you in various formats for your own use. I know that you all join me in
sending greetings to Jim Grant, the head of UNICEF and a special friend to all of
us. I know we are all grateful for his dedication to children around the world.
Now I would like to introduce Dr. George Alleyne (ah-LEAN), who will outline
for us the challenges that our hemisphere's children confront in health and
education. Dr. Alleyne is the director-designate of the Pan American Health
Organization, and we are delighted that he is here with us this morning."
-Dr. Alleyne delivers remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"Thank you, Dr. Alleyne! So many of you at this table have much experience in
these issues and your nations have developed some excellent models to meet these
challenges. So let me start this part of the session by calling on Mrs. Manning
from Trinidad."
-Mrs. Manning gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"I'd like to introduce our next presenter, Mrs. Sanchez de Lozada (SAHN-chez deh
Loh-SAH-dah) from Bolivia."
Mrs. Sanchez de Lozada gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"Our final presenter at this point will be Mrs. Figueres (fee-GEH-rehs) from Costa
Rica."
-Mrs. Figueres gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"We have a little time now for more comments, and we'll have more time in the
breakout sessions. Please let us know who would like to be recognized for
additional comments." (We will provide you with a card with the names of First
Ladies who want to be recognized.)
-Discussion.
1
-When discussion time runs out, HRC
"We will continue our discussion in the breakout sessions. Please refer to your
briefing book for your section and room numbers. I want to thank all of the
distinguished observers who have joined us today, and a special thanks to Tipper
Gore, who will host a luncheon for all of our observers and distinguished guests at
this point."
-Break out sessions (HRC spends approx. 15 minutes in each room.)
-Participants proceed to First Ladies Lunch. All First Ladies are seated around one
U-shaped table.
-HRC delivers opening remarks:
"I hope that all of you have found our discussion as stimulating as I have. So that
we can all benefit from the insights that were presented in the working groups, I'd
like to call on the chairs of the three groups. First, the chair of our children's
education working group, Mrs. Zedillo (seh-DEE-oh) of Mexico.
-Mrs. Zedillo gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Next, the chair of our children's health working group, Mrs. Jagan (JAY-gehn) of
Guyana."
-Mrs. Jagan gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
-"Finally, the chair of our adolescent health and education working group, Mrs.
Frei (FRAY) of Chile.
-Mrs. Frei gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Thank you. Does anyone else have anything else to offer? Now I would like to
turn to Mrs. Wasmosy (wahs-MOH-see) of Paraguay to hear about Next Steps.
-Mrs. Wasmosy gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Now I ask you to indulge me as I summarize the highlights of our discussion..."
(The First Ladies will have received a copy of your statement and hopefully it will
serve as talking points for them as well.)
###
STATEMENT OF FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
SUMMARIZING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE
FIRST LADIES SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN
Today, December 10, 1994, the First Ladies or their designees
from throughout the hemisphere participated in a symposium on
"Children of the Americas."
The Children of the Americas Symposium paralleled the proposed
Summit of the Americas goals in the areas of improving access to
health care and education for children and adolescents.
The First Ladies shared information on successful programs from
their nations on a wide range of issues, including: ensuring
universal access to primary education, improving primary and
secondary school completion rates, reducing maternal and infant
mortality rates, endorsing a basic package of health and
services, increasing immunization and programs that combat
communicable diseases, and treatment and prevention of narcotics
use.
The major gains that have been achieved in bringing adequate,
affordable and quality health care and education to the millions
of children of the hemisphere were highlighted. In particular,
the First Ladies and others praised the success of immunization
programs in preventing new cases of polio in the Western
Hemisphere. However, there was also a recognition that many
challenges remain -- challenges that the leaders of the
hemisphere have made part of their agenda at the Summit and for
the future.
The First Ladies committed themselves to continuing to play a
role -- whether as individuals, prominent persons, or the spouse
of the nation's leader -- in helping their nations meet the needs
of children.
Mrs. Wasmosy of Paraguay graciously invited the other first
ladies of the hemisphere to attend the Fifth Conference of Wives
of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas, scheduled to
be held in October 1995. Mrs. Wasmosy stated that children's
health and education issues would be a fundamental topic at the
meeting, noting that, "We must not forget that they (children)
are our tomorrow and the future of humanity will depend on them."
STATEMENT OF FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
SUMMARIZING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE
FIRST LADIES SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN
Today, December 10, 1994, the First Ladies or their designees
from throughout the hemisphere participated in a symposium on
"Children of the Americas."
The Children of the Americas Symposium paralleled the proposed
Summit of the Americas goals in the areas of improving access to
health care and education for children and adolescents.
The First Ladies shared information on successful programs from
their nations on a wide range of issues, including: ensuring
universal access to primary education, improving primary and
secondary school completion rates, reducing maternal and infant
mortality rates, endorsing a basic package of health and
services, increasing immunization and programs that combat
communicable diseases, and treatment and prevention of narcotics
use.
The major gains that have been achieved in bringing adequate,
affordable and quality health care and education to the millions
of children of the hemisphere were highlighted. In particular,
the First Ladies and others praised the success of immunization
programs in preventing new cases of polio in the Western
Hemisphere. However, there was also a recognition that many
challenges remain -- challenges that the leaders of the
hemisphere have made part of their agenda at the Summit and for
the future.
The First Ladies committed themselves to continuing to play a
role -- whether as individuals, prominent persons, or the spouse
of the nation's leader -- in helping their nations meet the needs
of children.
Mrs. Wasmosy of Paraguay graciously invited the other first
ladies of the hemisphere to attend the Fifth Conference of Wives
of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas, scheduled to
be held in October 1995. Mrs. Wasmosy stated that children's
health and education issues would be a fundamental topic at the
meeting, noting that, "We must not forget that they (children)
are our tomorrow and the future of humanity will depend on them."
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
SUGGESTED SCRIPT
-Announcement of each First Lady into the room
-First Ladies proceed to seats at U-shaped table
Button
-HRC gives 20 minute opening remarks, closes with:
Remain
seated
"Now I would like to introduce the video presentation produced by UNICEF
expressly for this gathering. I know that all of us are extremely appreciative of the
extraordinary work that UNICEF has done of behalf of children around the world,
and especially in the hemisphere."
-Video is shown
-HRC remarks:
"UNICEF has asked me to let you know that they will be sending copies of this
video to you in various formats for your own use. I know that you all join me in
sending greetings to Jim Grant, the head of UNICEF and a special friend to all of
us. I know we are all grateful for his dedication to children around the world.
Now I would like to introduce Dr. George Alleyne (ah-LEAN), who will outline
for us the challenges that our hemisphere's children confront in health and
education. Dr. Alleyne is the director-designate of the Pan American Health
Organization, and we are delighted that he is here with us this morning."
-Dr. Alleyne delivers remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"Thank you, Dr. Alleyne! So many of you at this table have much experience in
these issues and your nations have developed some excellent models to meet these
challenges. So let me start this part of the session by calling on Mrs. Manning
from Trinidad."
-Mrs. Manning gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"I'd like to introduce our next presenter, Mrs. Sanchez de Lozada (SAHN-chez deh
Loh-SAH-dah) from Bolivia."
Mrs. Sanchez de Lozada gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"Our final presenter at this point will be Mrs. Figueres (fee-GEH-rehs) from Costa
Rica."
-Mrs. Figueres gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"We have a little time now for more comments, and we'll have more time in the
breakout sessions. Please let us know who would like to be recognized for
additional comments." (We will provide you with a card with the names of First
Ladies who want to be recognized.) Covumbia- ask yany others
-When -Discussion. discussion time runs out, HRC says:
"We will continue our discussion in the breakout sessions. Please refer to your
briefing book for your section and room numbers. I want to thank all of the
distinguished observers who have joined us today, and a special thanks to Tipper
Gore, who will host a luncheon for all of our observers and distinguished guests at
this point."
photo.
-Break out sessions (HRC spends approx. 15 minutes in each room.)
-Participants proceed to First Ladies Lunch. All First Ladies are seated around one
U-shaped table.
-HRC delivers opening remarks:
"I hope that all of you have found our discussion as stimulating as I have. So that
we can all benefit from the insights that were presented in the working groups, I'd
like to call on the chairs of the three groups. First, the chair of our children's
education working group, Mrs. Zedillo (seh-DEE-oh) of Mexico.
-Mrs. Zedillo gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Next, the chair of our children's health working group, Mrs. Jagan (JAY-gehn) of
Guyana."
-Mrs. Jagan gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
-"Finally, the chair of our adolescent health and education working group, Mrs.
Frei (FRAY) of Chile.
-Mrs. Frei gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Thank you. Does anyone else have anything else to offer? Now I would like to
turn to Mrs. Wasmosy (wahs-MOH-see) of Paraguay to hear about Next Steps.
-Mrs. Wasmosy gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Now I ask you to indulge me as I summarize the highlights of our discussion..."
(The First Ladies will have received a copy of your statement and hopefully it will
serve as talking points for them as well.)
###
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE FIRST LADIES' SYMPOSIUM ON
CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
MIAMI, FLORIDA
DECEMBER 10, 1994
Welcome to all of my colleagues and friends from across the
Americas, and to all of our distinguished guests.
It is an honor and privilege for me to host this wonderful
symposium here in Miami. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude
to the First Ladies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada
for your help and guidance in preparing for this session. Your
extraordinary efforts in previous First Ladies' meetings in
Colombia, Costa Rica, and most recently in St. Lucia, have
provided a foundation for all of our work -- today and into the
future.
I hope that in the course of our gathering here, and in the
weeks and months ahead, we will learn much from each other and
find new inspiration to address the needs of children, families,
and women across our hemisphere.
Today, we live in an age of great promise -- and great peril
-- for the 130 million children of the Americas. Great promise
because our children are our lifeline to prosperity and democracy
in the decades ahead. And we all take pleasure in knowing that
there are millions of happy, healthy children across the Americas
whose futures are filled with hope.
But there are perils too, because from the Queen Elizabeth
Islands to Tierra del Fuego, our children are shouldering burdens
rarely encountered by older generations.
Children suffering from hunger, poverty, homelessness,
inadequate health care, disease, illiteracy, violence, and abuse
are not confined to a single nation or a single continent. The
cries of desperate children are sadly heard in every nation
represented here. And it is the plight of those children that
brings us together today, not just as the spouses of heads of
state or as representatives of our governments, but as mothers,
sisters, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors and friends
who believe that every child in every country deserves a fair
chance in life.
The political leaders convening at this historic summit have
set forth an agenda to promote prosperity and democracy
throughout the hemisphere through trade initiatives, sustainable
development, and more effective government.
1
This builds on the groundersh children loud d al
the 1990 world Sussait for Me 1994
Today, summit leaders are outlining goals to ensure the
economic, social and physical well-being of children, which Dr.
nariño
Alleyne will outline later in greater detail:
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for universal
Accrd.
access to education so that all children, regardless of economic
or social status, racial or ethnic origin, or gender, will
receive the basic tools necessary to become full members of
society. The goal of requiring children to attend and complete
primary school is also under discussion. If this goal is
achieved, it will help eradicate child labor and give children a
greater hope of acquiring the skills and knowledge needed in a
modern global economy.
Beyond the important issue of school attendance, the Summit
initiative on education also addresses the nutritional needs of
children so they can learn more effectively.
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for equitable
access to basic health services, which will be particularly
beneficial to children, who are most vulnerable to illnesses and
unhealthy living conditions.
Specific programs being recommended will address child,
infant, and maternal mortality rates, as well as increasing
immunization efforts to eradicate childhood diseases, such as
measles, that still afflict too many children. We need only look
to the disappearance of new polio cases in the Western hemisphere
to know the success of these immunization programs.
We all know that the role of caregiver is crucial to the
development of healthy and secure children. And we all know that
the primary caregivers in society most often are women. The
Summit proposal to strengthen the role of women will increase
opportunities for women to participate in all spheres of life --
political, social, and economic.
Empowering women with economic self-reliance, access to
quality health care and education is not only a valuable step
forward in itself. It's an important step forward for children.
While we recognize that our political leaders are
responsible for devising policies and programs to meet these
important goals, we also know that, as First Ladies, we have a
significant role to play.
Just as advocacy organizations, social institutions, and
dedicated individuals are critical to progress, we, too, can help
push the agenda forward in our respective countries.
When it comes to children's issues, women have a special
calling. And that's why we have a duty to raise our voices for
2
the voiceless -- our children, the youngest and most vulnerable
among us.
This week I've had particular reason to think about the
difference one woman alone can make on behalf of children, even
against extraordinary odds. My friend, Elizabeth Glaeser, died
last weekend after losing a long battle with AIDS.
Elizabeth contracted HIV through a blood transfusion while
hemorrhaging during the delivery of her first child, Ariel.
Unbeknownst to her, her daughter, and then a son born later, also
contracted the virus.
When Elizabeth learned that she and her children had been
infected with HIV, she dedicated herself to raising awareness
about AIDS. From a small office in Los Angeles, she created the
Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which has raised over $30 million
since its founding in 1988.
Elizabeth often said she was motivated and strengthened by
the memory of her daughter, who died four years ago at the age of
seven. Her son, now 10, lives with HIV every day.
If Elizabeth could continue to contribute so much on behalf
of children throughout her own illness, I know we can make our
own contributions too. Of course, we will not all be involved in
the same ways, or even on precisely the same issues. I know, for
example, that AIDS is not as prevalent in many of your countries
as it is in mine. That's why each of us must find a venue
appropriate to our own situation as First Lady or government
representative. But whatever role we choose represents a rare
opportunity to make a difference in the lives of tens of millions
of children -- and in the future of all of the Americas.
There is an urgency to our mission. More than half of our
population in this hemisphere is under age 23. Ushering children
into the world is, of course, the province of families. But
building safe and nurturing communities for them to grow up in
making sure they have access to schools that teach them to
read and write
protecting them from avoidable diseases
training them for productive adulthoods
and honoring their
rights in the face of violence and abuse -- these are our
collective responsibilities.
This concept was eloquently expressed in a pastoral letter
issued in the United States several years ago by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that letter, entitled Putting
Children and Families First, the bishops said:
"No government can love a child, and no policy can
substitute for a family's care. But, government can either
support or undermine families. There has been an unfortunate,
3
unnecessary and unreal polarization in [the] discussion [of] how
best to help families. The undeniable fact is that our children's
future is shaped both by the values of their parents and the
policies of our nation.'
As adults, we must take responsibility for our children so
that they can learn to take responsibility for themselves. And we
must insist that society's most vital institutions -- family,
school, and church -- create the conditions necessary for our
children to fulfill all their God-given potential.
To be sure, our challenges differ from country to country,
and our recipes for progress may require different ingredients.
The purpose of this gathering is not to prescribe one solution,
but to share ideas and opinions and learn from each other's
experiences.
Here in the United States, for example, we are not doing
enough to ensure that women receive adequate pre- and post-natal
health care, particularly poor women and teenagers. In 1992, 22
percent of pregnant women in this country received no pre-natal
care.
As the rest of the world knows all too well, my nation faces
significant challenges in stopping an epidemic of gun violence
that daily claims the lives of children in our cities and towns.
Today, homicide is the leading cause of death for African
American youth in the United States and violence is the second
leading cause of death for youngsters between the ages of 10 and
14.
Combined with violence is an equally disturbing scourge of
narcotics use among our young people. Illegal drugs are readily
available in too many communities in the United States, and even
in some of our schools. Studies show that as many as seven
million children abuse alcohol and drugs to some extent
At the same time, we are making progress on behalf of some
of our children -- progress that is visible right here in Miami.
Just yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Jackson Memorial
Hospital and Drew Elementary School -- two institutions that have
achieved remarkable successes in disadvantaged communities.
Jackson Memorial Medical Center, which is affiliated with
the University of Miami, has the difficult task of caring for
some of the poorest and neediest residents of this city. The
newborn intensive care unit that I visited yesterday serves the
highest risk population in Dade County -- but the hospital has
achieved the lowest infant mortality rates in the state.
The hospital also has devised innovative ways of serving its
community. A mobile van brings doctors and nurses to those who
4
might otherwise go without necessary treatment and care.
Drew Elementary School is located in a predominantly
African-American neighborhood. Community leaders devised a
cultural exchange program in which students from Drew and a
predominantly Hispanic school called Seminole Elementary come
together for a variety of activities that promote tolerance and
understanding. To enhance communication across cultures, students
at Drew take Spanish from the second grade on.
The positive educational climate at Drew is reflected in the
student attendance rate: 95 percent of the school's students come
to class every day.
Drew has succeeded because parents, teachers, the school
principal and community leaders have worked hard to create an
environment where children feel safe, secure, and confident that
they will thrive. The adults have taken responsibility; and the
children are learning to take responsibility as well.
In every one of our nations, dedicated, energetic, and
caring people are battling on the front lines to solve some of
society's most vexing problems. The purpose of this gathering is
to educate each other about our challenges and our successes --
and to make our efforts more cooperative by sharing the knowledge
and experience each of us holds within us.
When we return to our capitals, I hope we will not be guided
solely by documents, policy papers, and official pronouncements,
but also by the desire in our hearts to see that all children
have the gift of hope in their lives.
In the words of Gabriela Mistral [Mee-strall], the visionary
Chilean educator, poet, and Nobel prize winner for literature:
"Let me be more maternal than a mother; able to love and defend
with all of a mother's fervor the child that is not flesh of my
flesh. H
As she once said: "Many things we need can wait. The child
cannot
To him, we cannot say tomorrow. His name is today."
Thank you for coming to Miami, and for joining together in
this important cause.
And now, let us go from words to deeds.
[Introduce UNICEF video]
5
THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CHILDREN
The Health and Education Dimension¹
Sir George Alleyne2
Madam Chairperson, Mrs. Clinton, First Ladies of the Americas, ladies and gentlemen.
First let me congratulate Mrs. Clinton, First Lady of the United States for having selected this
critical issue as the topic of this special symposium and express thanks on behalf of the Pan
Ame rican Health Organization for having been given the opportunity to participate in this unique
event.
The expectations of this summit have been very high and the world is watching as the heads of
state establish the basic principles that should furge a new future for the people of the Americas.
The essence of this new future is that the social conditions should so change that our people can
look forward to that security which is at the heart of human development. One of the best
indicators of the brightness of that future is the well-being of our children - a well-being that
allows them to exercise fully their life options. For many of our children the social conditions
that surround them are issues of life or death, or cvcn worse, they may bc condemned to a
something akin to a living death as they eke out an existence in circumstances that do not kill
but will not support life as it should be lived.
The increasing number of high level meetings and agreements that fix the attention of our leaders
on the well-bcing of children is a testimony to the general concern that exists. A very recent
accord that invokes the name of the great Colombian patriot Antonio Nariño is a stirring call for
the commitment of governments to address the health, education and civlc rights of our children
and provide a healthy environment - not tomorrow, but now. As a result of action on many
fronts and concern by many persons, governments and agencies we have advanced, but even as
we advance, the magnitude of the remaining task becomes even clearer.
I will attempt in this brief presentation to show where we are, some of the impediments to more
rapid progress and what in my judgement a group like this might do to advance the cause of
children.
It is one of the peculiar deficiencies of our systems that the health of our children is measured
most often by the rate at which they die. In Latin America and the Caribbean 600,000 infants
die each year, there are 47 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births, and for the 34 countries
attending this Summit the infant-mortality rate is 33 per 1,000 live births. We often dissemble
and congratulate ourselves because these rates are falling steadily - 30 years ago the rate was
three times as high. But any complacency should be wiped away by the knowledge that most
of these deaths are preventable. Latin American and Caribbean countries have infant death
1 Remarks to be given at the Summit of the Americas, Miami, Florida, 10 December 1994.
2 Assistant Director, Director Elect of the Pan American Health Organization, Pan American
Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the World Health Organization
273
05:11
,
ratcs that compare favorably with those of other developing countries. but perhaps this is not a
good comparison. A recent publication from my Organization shows that if the current
downward trends are maintained, the infant mortality rate in Latin America and the Caribbean
30 years from now will be what it was in North America in the 1950s. This is a lag time of
over half a century, and the tragedy is that most of these deaths are due to lack of simple
technologies that are available now but are inaccessible because of social conditions, lack of
basic services and infections that can be prevented or treated.
The commonest of these infections are pneumonia and diarrhoea. In some countries as many
as one quarter of the deaths of children are due to pneumonia. We estimate that last ycar there
were some 200 million episodes of diarrhea in children and 200,000 of these children died.
Acute respiratory infections and diarrhea are not peculiar to children of developing countries but
they are more likely to die than their brothers and sisters in the developed world.
One of the reasons why they die is that their infections are often complicated by malnutrition.
The data, imperfect as they are, show that in some countries up to one third of children below
the age of 5 years are malnourished. In the majority of 14 countries surveyed recently over
20% of children were stunted and the figure was as high as 55% in one case. At least one in
every five children had not reached his or her growth potential. Again we may point out
improvements, and in almost every country surveyed the nutritional status of children has got
better over the years. But the poorest countries have rates of childhood malnutrition that are
more than ten times those for the USA and countries like Chile and Costa Rica.
Immunizations are among the most cost effective health technologies available and this
hemisphere has shown some remarkable achievements in vaccinating its children. At least 80%
of children are immunized against the common infections and BCG, or the vaccine against
tuberculosis, 1S given to 93% of the children under 1 year of age. As evidence of the success
of immunization, this hemisphere was the first in the world to certify that transmission of the
polio virus has been interrupted, and it is a source of pride to all health workers that in the last
three years no child has been afflicted with paralytic poliomyelitis. The incidence of measles
is declining dramatically, and diphtheria and whooping cough are receding.
The successes against the vaccine preventable diseases lead us to ask why so many children still
die. Part of the answer lies in the inadequacy of health services. A recent survey of just over
1,600 maternal and child health services in T atin America and the Caribbean showed that 80%
were unsatisfactory and close to 14% were in a critically poor condition.
Inadequate services do not contribute only to the deaths of children; their mothers also die. It
is nothing short of a scandal that in some of the poorest countries of our region, for every
100,000 babies bom, over 300 women die of complications related to that birth. They die from
the complications of abortion, from hemorrhage or from infections - all of which are eminently
preventable UI treatable if only the services cxisted. The differences between the rich and the
poor are dramatized here as the maternal mortality reported for Haiti for example is some 80
times higher than that for Canada.
- 3 -
There has been progress in education, but many deficiencies still exist. In Latin America as a
whole 86% of children age 6-11 years have access to formal education. The major problems
do not lie in the access, but in the use made of the facilitics, the repeat and drop out rates and
the lower school attainments in rural areas. It is estimated that 20% of children enter school
late, 42% repeat their first grade and there is an overall primary school repetition rate of 29%.
It is estimated that over US$4 billion is spent each year to teach these primary school repeaters.
What a waste! The repetition rales are falling albeit slowly, and the high current rates in some
countries do not indicate a lack of schools but 2 lack of quality in the programs offered.
Some of the difficulties encountered at the primary school level are due to the culture shock
experienced by children leaving home and entering an educational environment to deal with a
foreign language of instruction. There is often lack of basic educational materials as well as
poor preparation and remuneration of teachers.
The data 1 have cited for health and education are mostly given as national averages and while
they show the differences among countries, they hide the real differences that exist within all
countries of the Americas - differences between the sexes, between urban and rural dwellers.
between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples and more starkly between the rich and the poor.
These differences, translated into inequity in terms of access to and use of services, are the root
causes of the health problems of our children that may impair their ability to learn even when
the educational services are available.
This is a most propitious time to address these social inequalities that result in unnecessary
deaths of our children and poor educational attainment. A decade ago when most of the
countries of the Americas were in the grip of a severe economic crisis, a call for equity fell on
less than sympathetic ears. But now, with the region as a whole showing signs of good financial
health, it is opportune to advocate vigorously for the social equity that will result in better health
for our children. As Ms. Nancy Birdsall points out, countries are more likely to achieve equity
in health if they experience moderate to high economic growth rates.
But there is another reason why our voices should be louder now. During the dark economic
days of the 1980s, there were large armies of health and education workers who laborcd to
maintain the modest improvements that occurred during those times. We owe it to them to see
that there is an even greater rate of change now that the situation has improved.
There is almost universal agreement on the broad measures to be taken to improve the situation,
including reform of the health system to embrace the fundamental principles of primary health
care. There must be universal literacy and access to education for all.
But I wish to suggest some things that the talented and motivated participants in this symposium
might do to accelerate the rate of change in the status of our children.
The first and perhaps the most important commitment for any influential group is to be advocates
for a systemic approach to tackling the social inequity that results in poor health and educational
cove
TIRC
4
potential. Health and education are two of the essential contributors to. and indicators of,
genuine human development. We must appreciate that these interact between themselves and
power economic growth which is but another component of that human development; and the
three, when linked together contribute to one of the basic principles of this summit - that of
preserving and strengthening the community of democracles of the Americas.
You might usefully insist that all countries dedicate more attention to monitoring the human
condition. Problems not brought to light never get addressed. Unless 0118 countries establish
systems for adequate collection and analysis of some of the basic social indicators such
as those relating to health and nutrition and educational attainment, wc will not make the correct
diagnoses or suggest the appropriate therapies. These data must be collected and analyzed with
the same zeal and enthusiasm that is dedicated to measuring the status of our nations' financial
health.
You might arm yourselves to make the proper arguments both in the corridors and at the tables
of power. There are very strong moral and ethical reasons for investing in health and education.
Healthy well educated youth have better opportunities to exercise their life options and this is
the essence of human development. Health in and of itself is a resource for our living. But be
not afraid to buttress your reasoning with the arguments that show how investment in health and
cducation can spur economic growth and equally importantly, yields social benefits by
contributing to the correction of the unequal distribution of wealth in a nation. Investing in
education raises the productivity and enhances the flexibility of our people in the face of
changing labor market conditions, and you should also note that the returns of education
investment are higher for females than for males.
You might wish to make a firm commitment to mobilize actively the key social partners in your
efforts to redress the situation of children. These partners include the public sector, the private
sector, the nongovernmental organizations, organized labor and the media. All can be induced
to see that sheer self-interest dictates that they should join in the efforts to ensure the health and
education of our children.
Finally, you must keep insisting that we must not be complacent with our rate of improvement.
Edward Jenner first vaccinated a little boy against small pox in 1796 and it took nearly 200 years
before this Region's children were free of that scourge. Thomas Francis first undertook massive
vaccination of children against poliomyelitis in this country in 1954; 40 years later this
hemisphere is free of that disease. Let us continue shortening the time between the discovery
and application of the simple measures that can make our children healthy, wise and wealthy in
the true sense of the word. Let us for example decide that no child should be infected with
measles, and undertake to make measles vaccine available in every corner of our hemisphere.
This can be a concrete contribution to the goals of this summit for reducing child mortality.
I hope your discussions go well and I know that I speak for numerous agencies and organizations
that are ready willing and able to help you to make a real difference to the quality of life of the
children of this hemisphere and of those who bear them.
ID. SPEECH.MIA
I December 1994
Symposium on Children of the Americas
Participants
No
Photo
Available
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Ms. Zulemita Menem
Mrs. Delores Ingraham
Mrs. Beverley Arthur
Daughter of the President
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of Prime Minister
No
Photo
Available
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Mrs. Kathleen Levy Esquivel
Mrs. Ximena Sánchez de Lozada
Mrs. Lucia Flecha de Lima
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of the President
Wife of-Foreign Ambassador
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Mrs. Aline Chrétien
Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei
Mrs. Jacquin Samper
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of President
Wife of President
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Mrs. Josette Figueres
Mrs. Luisa Alba de Morales
Mrs. Josefina Vilialobos de Durán Ballén
Wife of President
Wife of Foreign Minister
Wife of President
El Salvador
Guatemela
Guyana
Mrs. Elizabeth Calderón Sol
Mrs. María Eugenia De Léon
Mrs. Janet Jagan
Wife of President
Wife of President
Wife of President
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Mrs. Bessie Reina
Mrs. Nilda Patricia Zedillo
Mrs. Cristiana Chamorro
Wife of President
Wife of President
Daughter of President
No
Photo
Available
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Mrs. Dora Pérez Balladares
Mrs. María Teresa de Wasmosy
Ms. Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi
Wife of President
Wife of President
Daughter of the President
No
Photo
Available
St. Lucia
Trinidad & Tobago
United States
Mrs. Janice Compton
Mrs. Hazel Manning
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wife of the Prime Minister
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of President
No
Photo
Available
United States
Uruguay
Mrs. Tipper Gore
Mrs. María Julia Pou Lacalle
Wife of Vice President
Wife of President
Symposium on Children of the Americas
Participants
No
Photo
Available
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Ms. Zulemita Menem
Mrs. Delores Ingraham
Mrs. Beverley Arthur
Daughter of the President
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of Prime Minister
No
Photo
Available
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Mrs. Kathleen Levy Esquivel
Mrs. Ximena Sánchez de Lozada
Mrs. Lucia Flecha de Lima
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of the President
Wife of Foreign Ambassador
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Mrs. Aline Chrétien
Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei
Mrs. Jacquin Samper
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of President
Wife of President
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Mrs. Josette Figueres
Mrs. Luisa Alba de Morales
Mrs. Josefina Villalobos de Durán Ballén
Wife of President
Wife of Foreign Minister
Wife of President
El Salvador
Guatemela
Guyana
Mrs. Elizabeth Calderón Sol
Mrs. María Eugenia De Léon
Mrs. Janet Jagan
Wife of President
Wife of President
Wife of President
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Mrs. Bessie Reina
Mrs. Nilda Patricia Zedillo
Mrs. Cristiana Chamorro
Wife of President
Wife of President
Daughter of President
No
Photo
Available
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Mrs. Dora Pérez Balladares
Mrs. María Teresa de Wasmosy
Ms. Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi
Wife of President
Wife of President
Daughter of the President
No
Photo
Available
St. Lucia
Trinidad & Tobago
United States
Mrs. Janice Compton
Mrs. Hazel Manning
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wife of the Prime Minister
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of President
No
Photo
Available
United States
Uruguay
Mrs. Tipper Gore
Mrs. María Julia Pou Lacalle
Wife of Vice President
Wife of President
Symposium on Children of the Americas
Participants
No
Photo
Available
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Ms. Zulemita Menem
Mrs. Delores Ingraham
Mrs. Beverley Arthur
Daughter of the President
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of Prime Minister
No
Photo
Available
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Mrs. Kathleen Levy Esquivel
Mrs. Ximena Sánchez de Lozada
Mrs. Lucia Flecha de Lima
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of the President
Wife of Foreign Ambassador
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Mrs. Aline Chrétien
Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei
Mrs. Jacquin Samper
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of President
Wife of President
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Mrs. Josette Figueres
Mrs. Luisa Alba de Morales
Mrs. Josefina Villalobos de Durán Ballén
Wife of President
Wife of Foreign Minister
Wife of President
El Salvador
Guatemela
Guyana
Mrs. Elizabeth Calderón Sol
Mrs. María Eugenia De Léon
Mrs. Janet Jagan
Wife of President
Wife of President
Wife of President
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Mrs. Bessie Reina
Mrs. Nilda Patricia Zedillo
Mrs. Cristiana Chamorro
Wife of President
Wife of President
Daughter of President
No
Photo
Available
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Mrs. Dora Pérez Balladares
Mrs. María Teresa de Wasmosy
Ms. Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi
Wife of President
Wife of President
Daughter of the President
No
Photo
Available
St. Lucia
Trinidad & Tobago
United States
Mrs. Janice Compton
Mrs. Hazel Manning
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wife of the Prime Minister
Wife of Prime Minister
Wife of President
No
Photo
Available
United States
Uruguay
Mrs. Tipper Gore
Mrs. María Julia Pou Lacalle
Wife of Vice President
Wife of President
SCHEDULE FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
Script
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1994
7 Box visual
PAGE 3
9:00 am-
10:30 am
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
1 where sis poster where sand
Country Club Ballroom
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: Simultaneous interpretation.
NOTE: Podium will be available for remarks.
Program:
:
Announcement of each First Lady into
room.
First Ladies proceed to seats at U-
shaped table.
his
HRC to deliver 20 minute opening remarks
and introduce video presentation
produced by UNICEF for the Summit.
--
Eight minute UNICEF Video to run [on 2
video screens and 3 monitors].
--
HRC to introduce Dr. George Alleyne, lean
Director-designate of the Pan American
Health Organization.
--
Dr. George Alleyne to deliver remarks
from witness table.
C olor card coded
--
HRC to introduce the following First
Ladies:
-Mrs. Hazel Manning of Trinidad and
Tobago
-Ximena Iturralde Sanchez de Lozada of
Bolivia
OK
-Mrs. Josette Altmann de Figueres of
Red-Anetin
Costa Rica
--
Each First Lady will deliver 3-5 minute
remarks.
Health
HRC to thank the three First Ladies and
open up discussion. Mrs Sempehr- Other?
--
Open discussion for 20-30 minutes. HRC
to moderate.
--
HRC to deliver closing remarks.
PHOTO
leave
SCHEDULE FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
2
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1994
PAGE 4
Participants: Approx. 200 people to attend.
[See briefing for more info.]
10:35 am
PROCEED TO Hold
10:40 am-
10:55 am
HOLD
Segovia Room
Phone:
Fax:
NOTE: Observers proceed to lunch hosted by Mrs. Gore during this
time [in Alhambra Ballroom room].
11:00 am-
12:00 pm
BREAK-OUT SESSIONS
Red
Youth Education: Issues: Anastasia Marbella - Room 1 Blue
Health: Majorca Room - Green
CLOSED PRESS
NOTE: Simultaneous interpretation.
NOTE: First Ladies will proceed into three working groups in
separate rooms:
Nany Sir dall
Education: Anastasia Room
Chair: Nilda Velasco de Zedillo [Mexico]
Youth Issues: Marbella Room
maita moura
-
Chair: Mara Larraechea de Frei [Chile]
Health: Majorca Room
-
Dr allene
Chair: Janet Jagan [Guyana] JAGAN
Format:
-- HRC will participate in each working
group for 15 minutes:
11:05 am-
11:20 am EDUCATION
Anastasia Room
11:25 am-
11:40 am YOUTH ISSUES
Marbella Room
11:45 am-
12:00 pm HEALTH
Majorca Room
NOTE: A facilitator will be present in each
room.
SCHEDULE FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1994
PAGE 5
Participants: Approx. 7 First Ladies and 7
staff in each room. [See briefing for more
info.]
12:05 pm-
12:25 pm
HOLD
Metropolitan Board Room
NOTE: Other First Ladies proceed to lunch during this time. HRC
will join them when everyone is seated.
12:30 pm-
2:00 pm
FIRST LADIES LUNCH
Danielson Gallery
TIGHT POOL PRESS for remarks only
NOTE: Simultaneous and whisper interpretation.
NOTE: All First Ladies will be seated around one table. Toast
lectern will be available for remarks.
Program:
-- HRC proceeds to seat at table
-- Lunch is served
-- As dessert is served, HRC will deliver
opening remarks
-- Nilda Velasco de Zedillo [Mexico], Janet
Jagan [Guyana], Mara Larraechea de Frei
[Chile] will deliver reports from
working group sessions
-- Mrs. Maria Teresa Carrasco Wasmosy,
First Lady of Paraguay, will extend
invitation to attend the next First
Ladies Hemispheric Conference which she
will host in Paraguay in 1995.
-- HRC will deliver closing remarks
Participants: 24 First Ladies. [See briefing
for more info.]
2:05 pm
PROCEED TO Hold
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE FIRST LADIES' SYMPOSIUM ON
CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
MIAMI, FLORIDA
DECEMBER 10, 1994
Welcome to all of my colleagues and friends from across the
Americas, and to all of our distinguished guests.
It is an honor and privilege for me to host this wonderful
symposium here in Miami. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude
to the First Ladies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada
for your help and guidance in preparing for this session. Your
extraordinary efforts in previous First Ladies' meetings in
Colombia, Costa Rica, and most recently in St. Lucia, have
provided a foundation for all of our work -- today and into the
future.
I hope that in the course of our gathering here, and in the
weeks and months ahead, we will learn much from each other and
find new inspiration to address the needs of children, families,
and women across our hemisphere.
Today, we live in an age of great promise -- and great peril
-- for the 130 million children of the Americas. Great promise
because our children are our lifeline to prosperity and democracy
in the decades ahead. And we all take pleasure in knowing that
there are millions of happy, healthy children across the Americas
whose futures are filled with hope.
But there are perils too, because from the Queen Elizabeth
Islands to Tierra del Fuego, our children are shouldering burdens
rarely encountered by older generations.
Children suffering from hunger, poverty, homelessness,
inadequate health care, disease, illiteracy, violence, and abuse
are not confined to a single nation or a single continent. The
cries of desperate children are sadly heard in every nation
represented here. And it is the plight of those children that
brings us together today, not just as the spouses of heads of
state or as representatives of our governments, but as mothers,
sisters, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors and friends
who believe that every child in every country deserves a fair
chance in life.
The political leaders convening at this historic summit have
set forth an agenda to promote prosperity and democracy
throughout the hemisphere through trade initiatives, sustainable
development, and more effective government.
1
Today, summit leaders are outlining goals to ensure the
economic, social and physical well-being of children, which Dr.
Alleyne will outline later in greater detail:
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for universal
access to education so that all children, regardless of economic
or social status, racial or ethnic origin, or gender, will
receive the basic tools necessary to become full members of
society. The goal of requiring children to attend and complete
primary school is also under discussion. If this goal is
achieved, it will help eradicate child labor and give children a
greater hope of acquiring the skills and knowledge needed in a
modern global economy.
Beyond the important issue of school attendance, the Summit
initiative on education also addresses the nutritional needs of
children so they can learn more effectively.
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for equitable
access to basic health services, which will be particularly
beneficial to children, who are most vulnerable to illnesses and
unhealthy living conditions.
Specific programs being recommended will address child,
infant, and maternal mortality rates, as well as increasing
immunization efforts to eradicate childhood diseases, such as
measles, that still afflict too many children. We need only look
to the disappearance of new polio cases in the Western hemisphere
to know the success of these immunization programs.
We all know that the role of caregiver is crucial to the
development of healthy and secure children. And we all know that
the primary caregivers in society most often are women. The
Summit proposal to strengthen the role of women will increase
opportunities for women to participate in all spheres of life --
political, social, and economic.
Empowering women with economic self-reliance, access to
quality health care and education is not only a valuable step
forward in itself. It's an important step forward for children.
While we recognize that our political leaders are
responsible for devising policies and programs to meet these
important goals, we also know that, as First Ladies, we have a
significant role to play.
Just as advocacy organizations, social institutions, and
dedicated individuals are critical to progress, we, too, can help
push the agenda forward in our respective countries.
When it comes to children's issues, women have a special
calling. And that's why we have a duty to raise our voices for
2
the voiceless -- our children, the youngest and most vulnerable
among us.
This week I've had particular reason to think about the
difference one woman alone can make on behalf of children, even
against extraordinary odds. My friend, Elizabeth Glaeser, died
last weekend after losing a long battle with AIDS.
Elizabeth contracted HIV through a blood transfusion while
hemorrhaging during the delivery of her first child, Ariel.
Unbeknownst to her, her daughter, and then a son born later, also
contracted the virus.
When Elizabeth learned that she and her children had been
infected with HIV, she dedicated herself to raising awareness
about AIDS. From a small office in Los Angeles, she created the
Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which has raised over $30 million
since its founding in 1988.
Elizabeth often said she was motivated and strengthened by
the memory of her daughter, who died four years ago at the age of
seven. Her son, now 10, lives with HIV every day.
If Elizabeth could continue to contribute so much on behalf
of children throughout her own illness, I know we can make our
own contributions too. of course, we will not all be involved in
the same ways, or even on precisely the same issues. I know, for
example, that AIDS is not as prevalent in many of your countries
as it is in mine. That's why each of us must find a venue
appropriate to our own situation as First Lady or government
representative. But whatever role we choose represents a rare
opportunity to make a difference in the lives of tens of millions
of children -- and in the future of all of the Americas.
There is an urgency to our mission. More than half of our
population in this hemisphere is under age 23. Ushering children
into the world is, of course, the province of families. But
building safe and nurturing communities for them to grow up in
making sure they have access to schools that teach them to
read and write
protecting them from avoidable diseases
training them for productive adulthoods.
and honoring their
rights in the face of violence and abuse -- these are our
collective responsibilities.
This concept was eloquently expressed in a pastoral letter
issued in the United States several years ago by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that letter, entitled Putting
Children and Families First, the bishops said:
"No government can love a child, and no policy can
substitute for a family's care. But, government can either
support or undermine families. There has been an unfortunate,
3
unnecessary and unreal polarization in [the] discussion [of] how
best to help families. The undeniable fact is that our children's
future is shaped both by the values of their parents and the
policies of our nation."
As adults, we must take responsibility for our children so
that they can learn to take responsibility for themselves. And we
must insist that society's most vital institutions -- family,
school, and church -- create the conditions necessary for our
children to fulfill all their God-given potential.
To be sure, our challenges differ from country to country,
and our recipes for progress may require different ingredients.
The purpose of this gathering is not to prescribe one solution,
but to share ideas and opinions and learn from each other's
experiences.
Here in the United States, for example, we are not doing
enough to ensure that women receive adequate pre- and post-natal
health care, particularly poor women and teenagers. In 1992, 22
percent of pregnant women in this country received no pre-natal
care.
As the rest of the world knows all too well, my nation faces
significant challenges in stopping an epidemic of gun violence
that daily claims the lives of children in our cities and towns.
Today, homicide is the leading cause of death for African
American youth in the United States and violence is the second
leading cause of death for youngsters between the ages of 10 and
14.
Combined with violence is an equally disturbing scourge of
narcotics use among our young people. Illegal drugs are readily
available in too many communities in the United States, and even
in some of our schools. Studies show that as many as seven
million children abuse alcohol and drugs to some extent
At the same time, we are making progress on behalf of some
of our children -- progress that is visible right here in Miami.
Just yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Jackson Memorial
Hospital and Drew Elementary School -- two institutions that have
achieved remarkable successes in disadvantaged communities.
Jackson Memorial Medical Center, which is affiliated with
the University of Miami, has the difficult task of caring for
some of the poorest and neediest residents of this city. The
newborn intensive care unit that I visited yesterday serves the
highest risk population in Dade County -- but the hospital has
achieved the lowest infant mortality rates in the state.
The hospital also has devised innovative ways of serving its
community. A mobile van brings doctors and nurses to those who
4
might otherwise go without necessary treatment and care.
Drew Elementary School is located in a predominantly
African-American neighborhood. Community leaders devised a
cultural exchange program in which students from Drew and a
predominantly Hispanic school called Seminole Elementary come
together for a variety of activities that promote tolerance and
understanding. To enhance communication across cultures, students
at Drew take Spanish from the second grade on.
The positive educational climate at Drew is reflected in the
student attendance rate: 95 percent of the school's students come
to class every day.
Drew has succeeded because parents, teachers, the school
principal and community leaders have worked hard to create an
environment where children feel safe, secure, and confident that
they will thrive. The adults have taken responsibility; and the
children are learning to take responsibility as well.
In every one of our nations, dedicated, energetic, and
caring people are battling on the front lines to solve some of
society's most vexing problems. The purpose of this gathering is
to educate each other about our challenges and our successes --
and to make our efforts more cooperative by sharing the knowledge
and experience each of us holds within us.
When we return to our capitals, I hope we will not be guided
solely by documents, policy papers, and official pronouncements,
but also by the desire in our hearts to see that all children
have the gift of hope in their lives.
In the words of Gabriela Mistral [Mee-strall], the visionary
Chilean educator, poet, and Nobel prize winner for literature:
"Let me be more maternal than a mother; able to love and defend
with all of a mother's fervor the child that is not flesh of my
flesh."
As she once said: "Many things we need can wait. The child
cannot
To him, we cannot say tomorrow. His name is today."
Thank you for coming to Miami, and for joining together in
this important cause.
And now, let us go from words to deeds.
[Introduce UNICEF video]
###
5
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE FIRST LADIES' SYMPOSIUM ON
CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
MIAMI, FLORIDA
DECEMBER 10, 1994
Welcome to all of my colleagues and friends from across the
Americas, and to all of our distinguished guests.
It is an honor and privilege for me to host this wonderful
symposium here in Miami. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude
to the First Ladies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada
for your help and guidance in preparing for this session. Your
extraordinary efforts in previous First Ladies' meetings in
Colombia, Costa Rica, and most recently in St. Lucia, have
provided a foundation for all of our work -- today and into the
future.
I hope that in the course of our gathering here, and in the
weeks and months ahead, we will learn much from each other and
find new inspiration to address the needs of children, families,
and women across our hemisphere.
Today, we live in an age of great promise -- and great peril
-- for the 130 million children of the Americas. Great promise
because our children are our lifeline to prosperity and democracy
in the decades ahead. And we all take pleasure in knowing that
there are millions of happy, healthy children across the Americas
whose futures are filled with hope.
But there are perils too, because from the Queen Elizabeth
Islands to Tierra del Fuego, our children are shouldering burdens
rarely encountered by older generations.
Children suffering from hunger, poverty, homelessness,
inadequate health care, disease, illiteracy, violence, and abuse
are not confined to a single nation or a single continent. The
cries of desperate children are sadly heard in every nation
represented here. And it is the plight of those children that
brings us together today, not just as the spouses of heads of
state or as representatives of our governments, but as mothers,
sisters, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors and friends
who believe that every child in every country deserves a fair
chance in life.
The political leaders convening at this historic summit have
set forth an agenda to promote prosperity and democracy
throughout the hemisphère through trade initiatives, sustainable
development, and more effective government.
1
Today, summit leaders are outlining goals to ensure the
economic, social and physical well-being of children, which Dr.
Alleyne will outline later in greater detail:
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for universal
access to education so that all children, regardless of economic
or social status, racial or ethnic origin, or gender, will
receive the basic tools necessary to become full members of
society. The goal of requiring children to attend and complete
primary school is also under discussion. If this goal is
achieved, it will help eradicate child labor and give children a
greater hope of acquiring the skills and knowledge needed in a
modern global economy.
Beyond the important issue of school attendance, the Summit
initiative on education also addresses the nutritional needs of
children so they can learn more effectively.
The proposed Summit Plan of Action calls for equitable
access to basic health services, which will be particularly
beneficial to children, who are most vulnerable to illnesses and
unhealthy living conditions.
Specific programs being recommended will address child,
infant, and maternal mortality rates, as well as increasing
immunization efforts to eradicate childhood diseases, such as
measles, that still afflict too many children. We need only look
to the disappearance of new polio cases in the Western hemisphere
to know the success of these immunization programs.
We all know that the role of caregiver is crucial to the
development of healthy and secure children. And we all know that
the primary caregivers in society most often are women. The
Summit proposal to strengthen the role of women will increase
opportunities for women to participate in all spheres of life --
political, social, and economic.
Empowering women with economic self-reliance, access to
quality health care and education is not only a valuable step
forward in itself. It's an important step forward for children.
While we recognize that our political leaders are
responsible for devising policies and programs to meet these
important goals, we also know that, as First Ladies, we have a
significant role to play.
Just as advocacy organizations, social institutions, and
dedicated individuals are critical to progress, we, too, can help
push the agenda forward in our respective countries.
When it comes to children's issues, women have a special
calling. And that's why we have a duty to raise our voices for
2
the voiceless -- our children, the youngest and most vulnerable
among us.
This week I've had particular reason to think about the
difference one woman alone can make on behalf of children, even
against extraordinary odds. My friend, Elizabeth Glaeser, died
last weekend after losing a long battle with AIDS.
Elizabeth contracted HIV through a blood transfusion while
hemorrhaging during the delivery of her first child, Ariel.
Unbeknownst to her, her daughter, and then a son born later, also
contracted the virus.
When Elizabeth learned that she and her children had been
infected with HIV, she dedicated herself to raising awareness
about AIDS. From a small office in Los Angeles, she created the
Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which has raised over $30 million
since its founding in 1988.
Elizabeth often said she was motivated and strengthened by
the memory of her daughter, who died four years ago at the age of
seven. Her son, now 10, lives with HIV every day.
If Elizabeth could continue to contribute so much on behalf
of children throughout her own illness, I know we can make our
own contributions too. of course, we will not all be involved in
the same ways, or even on precisely the same issues. I know, for
example, that AIDS is not as prevalent in many of your countries
as it is in mine. That's why each of us must find a venue
appropriate to our own situation as First Lady or government
representative. But whatever role we choose represents a rare
opportunity to make a difference in the lives of tens of millions
of children -- and in the future of all of the Americas.
There is an urgency to our mission. More than half of our
population in this hemisphere is under age 23. Ushering children
into the world is, of course, the province of families. But
building safe and nurturing communities for them to grow up in
making sure they have access to schools that teach them to
read and write protecting them from avoidable diseases
training them for productive adulthoods
and honoring their
rights in the face of violence and abuse -- these are our
collective responsibilities.
This concept was eloquently expressed in a pastoral letter
issued in the United States several years ago by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that letter, entitled Putting
Children and Families First, the bishops said:
"No government can love a child, and no policy can
substitute for a family's care. But, government can either
support or undermine families. There has been an unfortunate,
3
unnecessary and unreal polarization in [the] discussion [of] how
best to help families. The undeniable fact is that our children's
future is shaped both by the values of their parents and the
policies of our nation."
As adults, we must take responsibility for our children so
that they can learn to take responsibility for themselves. And we
must insist that society's most vital institutions -- family,
school, and church -- create the conditions necessary for our
children to fulfill all their God-given potential.
To be sure, our challenges differ from country to country,
and our recipes for progress may require different ingredients.
The purpose of this gathering is not to prescribe one solution,
but to share ideas and opinions and learn from each other's
experiences.
Here in the United States, for example, we are not doing
enough to ensure that women receive adequate pre- and post-natal
health care, particularly poor women and teenagers. In 1992, 22
percent of pregnant women in this country received no pre-natal
care.
As the rest of the world knows all too well, my nation faces
significant challenges in stopping an epidemic of gun violence
that daily claims the lives of children in our cities and towns.
Today, homicide is the leading cause of death for African
American youth in the United States and violence is the second
leading cause of death for youngsters between the ages of 10 and
14.
Combined with violence is an equally disturbing scourge of
narcotics use among our young people. Illegal drugs are readily
available in too many communities in the United States, and even
in some of our schools. Studies show that as many as seven
million children abuse alcohol and drugs to some extent
At the same time, we are making progress on behalf of some
of our children -- progress that is visible right here in Miami.
Just yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Jackson Memorial
Hospital and Drew Elementary School -- two institutions that have
achieved remarkable successes in disadvantaged communities.
Jackson Memorial Medical Center, which is affiliated with
the University of Miami, has the difficult task of caring for
some of the poorest and neediest residents of this city. The
newborn intensive care unit that I visited yesterday serves the
highest risk population in Dade County -- but the hospital has
achieved the lowest infant mortality rates in the state.
The hospital also has devised innovative ways of serving its
community. A mobile van brings doctors and nurses to those who
4
might otherwise go without necessary treatment and care.
Drew Elementary School is located in a predominantly
African-American neighborhood. Community leaders devised a
cultural exchange program in which students from Drew and a
predominantly Hispanic school called Seminole Elementary come
together for a variety of activities that promote tolerance and
understanding. To enhance communication across cultures, students
at Drew take Spanish from the second grade on.
The positive educational climate at Drew is reflected in the
student attendance rate: 95 percent of the school's students come
to class every day.
Drew has succeeded because parents, teachers, the school
principal and community leaders have worked hard to create an
environment where children feel safe, secure, and confident that
they will thrive. The adults have taken responsibility; and the
children are learning to take responsibility as well.
In every one of our nations, dedicated, energetic, and
caring people are battling on the front lines to solve some of
society's most vexing problems. The purpose of this gathering is
to educate each other about our challenges and our successes --
and to make our efforts more cooperative by sharing the knowledge
and experience each of us holds within us.
When we return to our capitals, I hope we will not be guided
solely by documents, policy papers, and official pronouncements,
but also by the desire in our hearts to see that all children
have the gift of hope in their lives.
In the words of Gabriela Mistral [Mee-strall], the visionary
Chilean educator, poet, and Nobel prize winner for literature:
"Let me be more maternal than a mother; able to love and defend
with all of a mother's fervor the child that is not flesh of my
flesh."
=
As she once said: "Many things we need can wait. The child
cannot
To him, we cannot say tomorrow. His name is today."
Thank you for coming to Miami, and for joining together in
this important cause.
And now, let us go from words to deeds.
[Introduce UNICEF video]
###
5
SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAS
SUGGESTED SCRIPT
-Announcement of each First Lady into the room
-First Ladies proceed to seats at U-shaped table
-HRC gives 20 minute opening remarks, closes with:
"Now I would like to introduce the video presentation produced by UNICEF
expressly for this gathering. I know that all of us are extremely appreciative of the
extraordinary work that UNICEF has done of behalf of children around the world,
and especially in the hemisphere."
-Video is shown
-HRC remarks:
"UNICEF has asked me to let you know that they will be sending copies of this
video to you in various formats for your own use. I know that you all join me in
sending greetings to Jim Grant, the head of UNICEF and a special friend to all of
us. I know we are all grateful for his dedication to children around the world.
Now I would like to introduce Dr. George Alleyne (ah-LEAN), who will outline
for us the challenges that our hemisphere's children confront in health and
education. Dr. Alleyne is the director-designate of the Pan American Health
Organization, and we are delighted that he is here with us this morning."
-Dr. Alleyne delivers remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"Thank you, Dr. Alleyne! So many of you at this table have much experience in
these issues and your nations have developed some excellent models to meet these
challenges. So let me start this part of the session by calling on Mrs. Manning
from Trinidad."
-Mrs. Manning gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"I'd like to introduce our next presenter, Mrs. Sanchez de Lozada (SAHN-chez deh
Loh-SAH-dah) from Bolivia."
Mrs. Sanchez de Lozada gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"Our final presenter at this point will be Mrs. Figueres (fee-GEH-rehs) from Costa
Rica."
-Mrs. Figueres gives remarks.
-HRC remarks:
"We have a little time now for more comments, and we'll have more time in the
breakout sessions. Please let us know who would like to be recognized for
additional comments." (We will provide you with a card with the names of First
Ladies who want to be recognized.)
-Discussion.
1
-When discussion time runs out, HRC
"We will continue our discussion in the breakout sessions. Please refer to your
briefing book for your section and room numbers. I want to thank all of the
distinguished observers who have joined us today, and a special thanks to Tipper
Gore, who will host a luncheon for all of our observers and distinguished guests at
this point."
-Break out sessions (HRC spends approx. 15 minutes in each room.)
-Participants proceed to First Ladies Lunch. All First Ladies are seated around one
U-shaped table.
-HRC delivers opening remarks:
"I hope that all of you have found our discussion as stimulating as I have. So that
we can all benefit from the insights that were presented in the working groups, I'd
like to call on the chairs of the three groups. First, the chair of our children's
education working group, Mrs. Zedillo (seh-DEE-oh) of Mexico.
-Mrs. Zedillo gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Next, the chair of our children's health working group, Mrs. Jagan (JAY-gehn) of
Guyana."
-Mrs. Jagan gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
-"Finally, the chair of our adolescent health and education working group, Mrs.
Frei (FRAY) of Chile.
-Mrs. Frei gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Thank you. Does anyone else have anything else to offer? Now I would like to
turn to Mrs. Wasmosy (wahs-MOH-see) of Paraguay to hear about Next Steps.
-Mrs. Wasmosy gives remarks
-HRC remarks:
"Now I ask you to indulge me as I summarize the highlights of our discussion..."
(The First Ladies will have received a copy of your statement and hopefully it will
serve as talking points for them as well.)
###
THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CHILDREN
The Health and Education Dimension¹
Sir George Alleyne²
Madam Chairperson, Mrs. Clinton, First Ladies of the Americas, ladies and gentlemen.
First let me congratulate Mrs. Clinton, First Lady of the United States for having selected this
critical issue as the topic of this special sympostum and express thanks on behalf of the Pan
American Health Organization for having been given the opportunity to participate in this unique
event.
The expectations of this summit have been very high and the world is watching as the heads of
state establish the basic principles that should forge a new future for the people of the Americas.
The essence of this new future is that the social conditions should so change that our people can
look forward to that security which is at the heart of human development. One of the best
indicators of the hrightness of that future is the well-being of our children - a well-being that
allows them to exercise fully their life options. For many of our children the social conditions
that surround them are issues of life or death, or cvcn worse, they may bc condemned to a
something akin to a living death as they eke out an existence in circumstances that do not kill
but will not support life as it should be lived.
The increasing number of high level meetings and agreements that fix the attention of our leaders
on the well-bcing of children is a testimony to the general concern that exists. A very recent
accord that invokes the name of the great Colombian patriot Antonio Nariño is a stirring call for
the commitment of governments to address the health, education and civic rights of our children
and provide a healthy environment - not tomorrow, but now. As a result of action on many
fronts and concern by many persons, governments and agencies we have advanced, but even as
we advance, the magnitude of the remaining task becomes even clearer.
I will attempt in this brief presentation to show where we are, some of the impediments W more
rapid progress and what in my judgement a group like this might do 10 advance the cause of
children.
It is one of the peculiar deficiencies of our systems that the health of our children is measured
most often by the rate at which they die. In Latin America and the Caribbean 600,000 infants
die each year, there are 47 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births, and for the 34 countries
attending this Summit the infant-mortality rate is 33 per 1,000 live births. We often dissemble
and congratulate ourselves because these rates are falling steadily - 30 years ago the rate was
three times as high. But any complacency should be wiped away by the knowledge that most
of these deaths are preventable. Latin American and Caribbean countries have infant death
1 Remarks to be given at the Summit of the Americas, Miami, Florida, 10 December 1994.
2 Assistant Director, Director Elect of the Pan American Health Organization, Pan American
Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the World Health Organization
- ? -
rates that compare favorably with those of other developing countries. but perhaps this is not a
good comparison. A recent publication from my Organization shows that if the current
downward trends are maintained, the infant mortality rate in Latin America and the Caribbean
30 years from now will be what it was in North America in the 1950s. This is a lag time of
over half a century, and the tragedy is that most of these deaths are due lu lack of simple
technologies that are available now but are inaccessible because of social conditions, lack of
basic services and infections that can be prevented or treated.
The commonest of these infections are pneumonia and diarrhoea. In some countries as many
as one quarter of the deaths of children are due to pneumonia. We estimate that last ycar there
were some 200 million episodes of diarrhea in children and 200,000 of these children died.
Acute respiratory infections and diarrhea are not peculiar to children of developing countries but
they are more likely to die than their brothers and sisters in the developed world.
One of the reasons why they die is that their infections are often complicated by malnutrition.
The data, imperfect as they are, show that in some countries up to one third of children below
the age of 5 years are malnourished. In the majority of 14 countries surveyed recently over
20% of children were stunted and the figure was as high as 55% in one case. At least one in
every five children had not reached his or her growth potential. Again we may point out
improvements, and in almost every country surveyed the nutritional status of children has got
better over the years. But the poorest countries have rates of childhood malnutrition that are
more than ten times those for the USA and countries like Chile and Costa Rica.
Immunizations are among the most cost effective health technologies available and this
hemisphere has shown some remarkable achievements in vaccinating its children. At least 80%
of children are immunized against the common infections and BCG, or the vaccine against
tuberculosis, 1S given to 93% of the children under 1 year of age. As evidence of the success
of immunization, this hemisphere was the first in the world to certify that transmission of the
polio virus has been interrupted, and it is a source of pride to all health workers that in the last
three years no child has been afflicted with paralytic poliomyelitis. The incidence of measles
is declining dramatically, and diphtheria and whooping cough are receding.
The successes against the vaccine preventable diseases lead us to ask why so many children still
die. Part of the answer lies in the inadequacy of health services. A recent survey of just over
1,600 maternal and child health services in T atin America and the Caribbean showed that 80%
were unsatisfactory and close to 14% were in a critically poor condition.
Inadequate services do not contribute only to the deaths of children; their mothers also die. It
is nothing short of a scandal that in some of the poorest countries of our region, for every
100,000 babies born, over 300 women die of complications related to that birth. They die from
the complications of abortion, from hemorrhage or from infections all of which are eminently
preventable UI treatable if only the services cxisted. The differences between the rich and the
poor are dramatized here as the maternal mortality reported for Haiti for example is some 80
times higher than that for Canada.
3
There has been progress in education, but many deficiencies still exist. In Latin America as a
whole 86% of children age 6-11 years have access to formal education. The major problems
do not lie in the access, but in the use made of the facilitics, the repeat and drop out rates and
the lower school attainments in rural areas. It is estimated that 20% of children enter school
late, 42% repeat their first grade and there is an overall primary school repetition rate of 29%.
It is estimated that over US$4 billion is spent each year to teach these primary school repeaters.
What a waste! The repetition rates are falling - albeit slowly, and the high current rates in some
countries do not indicate a lack of schools but a lack of quality in the programs offered.
Some of the difficulties encountered at the primary school level are due to the culture shock
experienced by children leaving home and entering an educational environment to deal with a
foreign language of instruction. There is often lack of basic educational materials as well as
poor preparation and remuneration of teachers.
The data 1 have cited for health and education are mostly given as national averages and while
they show the differences among countries, they hide the real differences that exist within all
countries of the Americas - differences between the sexes, between urban and rural dwellers,
between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples and more starkly between the rich and the poor.
These differences, translated into inequity in terms of access to and use of services, are the root
causes of the health problems of our children that may impair their ability to learn even when
the educational services are available.
This is a most propitious time to address these social inequalities that result in unnecessary
deaths of our children and poor educational attainment. A decade ago when most of the
countries of the Americas wcrc in the grip of a severe economic crisis, a call for equity fell on
less than sympathetic ears. But now, with the region as a whole showing signs of good financial
health, it is opportune to advocate vigorously for the social equity that will result in better health
for our children. As Ms. Nancy Birdsall points out, countries are more likely to achieve equity
in health if they experience moderate to high economic growth rates.
But there is another reason why our voices should be louder now. During the dark economic
days of the 1980s, there were large armles of health and education workers who labored to
maintain the modest improvements that occurred during those times. We owe it to them to see
that there is an even greater rate of change now that the situation has improved.
There is almost universal agreement on the broad measures to be taken to improve the situation,
including reform of the health system w embrace the fundamental principles of primary health
care. There must be universal literacy and access to education for all.
But I wish to suggest some things that the talented and motivated participants in this symposium
might do to accelerate the rate of change in the status of our children.
The first and perhaps the most important commitment for any influential group is to be advocates
for a systemic approach to tackling the social inequity that results in poor health and educational
T:60
4 -
potential. Health and education are two of the essential contributors to. and indicators of,
genuine human development. We must appreciate that these interact between themselves and
power economic growth which is but another component of that human development; and the
three, when linked together contribute to one of the basic principles of this summit that of
preserving and strengthening the community of democracies of the Americas.
You might usefully insist that all countries dedicate more attention to monitoring the human
condition. Problems not brought to light never get addressed. Unless our countries establish
systems for adequate collection and analysis of some of the basic social indicators such
as those relating to health and nutrition and educational attainment, wc will not make the correct
diagnoses or suggest the appropriate therapies. These data must be collected and analyzed with
the same zeal and enthusiasm that is dedicated to measuring the status of our nations' financial
health.
You might arm yourselves to make the proper arguments both in the corridors and at the tables
of power. There are very strong moral and ethical reasons for investing in health and education.
Healthy well educated youth have better opportunities to exercise their life options and this 1S
the essence of human development. Health in and of itself is a resource for our living. But be
not afraid to buttress your reasoning with the arguments that show how investment in health and
education can spur economic growth and equally importantly, yields social benefits by
contributing to the correction of the unequal distribution of wealth in a nation. Investing in
education raises the productivity and enhances the flexibility of our people in the face of
changing labor market conditions, and you should also note that the returns of education
investment are higher for females than for males.
You might wish to make a firm commitment to mobilize actively the key social partners in your
efforts to redress the situation of children. These partners include the public sector, the private
sector, the nongovernmental organizations, organized labor and the media. All can be induced
to see that sheer self-interest dictates that they should join in the efforts to ensure the health and
education of our children.
Finally, you must keep insisting that we must not be complacent with our rate of improvement.
Edward Jenner first vaccinated a little boy against small pox in 1796 and it took nearly 200 years
before this Region's children were free of that scourge. Thomas Francis first undertook massive
vaccination of children against poliomyelitis in this country in 1954; 40 years later this
hemisphere is free of that disease. Let us continue shortening the time between the discovery
and application of the simple measures that can make our children healthy, wise and wealthy in
the true sense of the word. Let us for example decide that no child should be infected with
measles, and undertake to make measles vaccine available in every corner of our hemisphere.
This can be a concrete contribution to the goals of this summit for reducing child mortality.
I hope your discussions go well and I know that I speak for numerous agencies and organizations
that are ready willing and able to help you to make a real difference to the quality of life of the
children of this hemisphere and of those who bear them.
ID: SPEECH.MIA
1 December 1996
TO:
THE PRESIDENT
THE VICE PRESIDENT
THE FIRST LADY
MRS. GORE
WHAT:
THE KENNEDY CENTER PRESENTS:
THE CONCERT OF THE AMERICAS
WHEN:
Saturday, December 10, 1994
TIME:
Pre-Gala Reception: 6:40-7:15pm
Concert:
7:30-9:00pm
WHERE:
The James L. Knight Center
Miami Convention Center
# OF GUESTS:
Pre-Gala Reception: 30
Concert: 4,000
ATTIRE:
BLACK TIE
FROM:
Ann stock, Sarah Farnsworth
6:15 p.m.
Pre-Gala Reception guests arrive and are escorted
to the Jasmine Room. Ann Stock to greet.
6:40 p.m.
THE PRESIDENT, THE VICE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST
LADY and MRS. GORE arrive in the Jasmine Room
for a Pre-Gala Reception. (Approx. 30
participants.)
Format: Mix and mingle/WH Photo Only
LEADERS and their guests begin to arrive and are
escorted to the Jasmine Room by Military Escorts.
Fred Duval to greet curbside. (Note: Delegation
members are escorted to their seats in the Knight
Center.)
7:15 p.m.
Reception guests are escorted to their seats in
the Knight Center.
THE VICE PRESIDENT and MRS. GORE proceed to
their seats in the Knight Center.
7:20 p.m.
Chief of Protocol Raiser and Ann Stock begin to
line up Leaders and spouses/designates in Gala
seating order.
NOTE: THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY and the
Leaders and their spouses/designates are seated as
a group on the Concert Floor. Seating is in
"lottery" order with Mrs. Clinton seated next to
Prime Minister Patterson of Jamaica. The
President is seated on the aisle.
THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY accompanied by
the Leaders and their spouses/designates
proceed up escalators to the announce
position at the entrance to the Knight Center
where they will hold briefly for announce.
7:30 p.m.
PROGRAM BEGINS:
-- Announced as a group, THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY,
the Leaders and spouses/designates proceed to seats.
Notes: This portion is not televised. Military
officers will assist.
TAPING BEGINS (Note: The Concert will air nationally
on Wednesday, Dec. 14 on PBS and on UNIVISION, the
Spanish speaking network.)
-- Introduction of the Presidents
-- Introduction of Quincy Jones who makes welcoming
remarks and introduces Liza Minnelli.
-- Liza Minnelli
-- Taped remarks from Gloria Estefan
-- Don Francisco & Cristina
-- Salsa Blowout:
Vocals: Celia Cruz, Cheito, Rita Quintano
Musicians: Cachao, Hilton Ruiz, Luis Enrique, Sheil E.,
Tito Puente, Teddy Mulet, Dana Teboe, Nestor Torres,
Alfredo Perez, Arturo Sandoval, Luis "Perico" Ortiz
-- Adam Beach & Daisy Fuentes
-- Paul Anka
-- Paul Rodriquez & Vikki Carr
:
Ana Gabriel
--
Ballet Gran Folklorico Performance
--
Kenny G
--
Concert of the Americas orchestra performance
(The Orchestra performs to cover tape change.)
--
Geoffrey Holder
--
Rita Marley
--
Sonia Braga & Jimmy Smits
--
Daniela Mercury "O CANTO DA CIDADE"
--
Carnival Segment:
Anita Dancers, Samba Dancers, Capueiras, Berimbau
Player, Samba Float Dancers, Samba Drummers
--
Pat Morita
-- SONGWRITERS MEDLEY PERFORMANCE
-- Raul DiBlasio
-- Vikki Carr
-- Julia Migenes
-- Maria Conchita Alonso & Lalo Schifrin
:
TANGO DANCE PERFORMANCE
-- Adriana Varela, Tango Dancers, Juanjo Dominguez,
Paulino DaCosta
--
Luis Enrique
--
Morgan Freeman & Wes Studi
--
USA TRIBUTE PERFORMANCE:
-- Bebe & Cece Performance
-- Kenny G
-- Liza Minnelli
--
Jim Wolfensohn is introduced and makes remarks.
--
Michael Douglas is introduced and makes remarks.
--
THE PRESIDENT is introduced by Michael Douglas.
--
THE PRESIDENT proceeds up front steps of stage to stand
up microphone. Michael Douglas greets The President
then exits stage.
--
THE PRESIDENT makes remarks from teleprompter.
*** --
Upon conclusion of remarks, THE PRESIDENT exits front
steps of stage and returns to seat.
--
Dr. Maya Angelou is announced and makes remarks.
-- FINALE w/all cast members and choir
"FREEDOM FOR YOU AND ME"
--
GOODNIGHTS by Quincy Jones
-- ORCHESTRA PLAYS DURING ANNOUNCEMENTS:
***
-- THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY accompanied by the
Leaders and their spouses/designates exit immediately
and proceed down escalators to the Virginian Yacht.
9:15 p.m.
Approximate time.
Once they have departed, the Vice President and Mrs.
Gore exit and proceed to the Jasmine Room.
(Please refer to separate sequence for Fisher Island dinner.)
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS: KNIGHT CENTER RECEPTION ATTENDEES
PAGE i
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
TITLE
COMPANY
Barrera
Bernardo Jimenez Vice President and CFO, Pulsar International
Empresas La Moderna
Beja
Mateo Mazal
Vice President Corporate Pulsar International
Communications
Bijur
Mrs.
SPOUSE
TEXACO, Inc.
Bijur
Peter
Senior Vice President
TEXACO, Inc.
Burgos
Leanor
Spouse
Ford Motor Company
:CI
Burgos
Modesto
Marketing Coordinator,
Ford Motor Company
Ford Division
Cullen
Karon
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts
Davis
Patricia Segall
Spouse
American Express
Davis
Timothy S.
Senior Vice President
American Express
Hall
Elliot
Vice President -
Ford Motor Company
Washington Affairs
Hall
Shirley
Spouse
Ford Motor Company
Hartenstein
James C.
Division Vice President, American Express Travel
Latin America and
Caribbean Division
Harterstein
Sally
Spouse
American Express Travel
Lay
Zenneth L.
Chairman
Enron Development
Lynch
Mrs.
SPOUSE
TEXACO, Inc.
Lynch
Patrick
President TEXACO Latin TEXACO, Inc.
America
Mark
Rebecca
Chairman
Enron Developement Company
DEC 09'94 21:16 No.013 P.02
McCausland
Violy
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts
H
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS: KNIGHT CENTER RECEPTION ATTENDEES
PAGE 2
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
TITLE
COMPANY
Montero
Mario Rodriguez President, CLM
Pulsar International
International
Sebastia
Francisco
President and C30,
Pulsar International
Gonzalez
Empresas La Moderna
Wilker
Lawrence
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts
Wolfensohn
Elaine
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts
:01
Wolfensohn
James
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts
Zambrano
Lorenzo
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts
Count:
24
DEC 09'94 21:16 No.013 P.03
"CONCERT OF THE AMERICAS"
1.
SEATING LIST (A/O: December 9, 1994, 4:24 PM)
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
Prime Minister LESTER BIRD
B-2-3
ARGENTINA
President CARLOS MENEM
B-1-4
Ms. Zulema Menem
B-1-3
BAHAMAS
Prime Minister SIR HUBERT A. INGRAHAM
D-1-1
Mrs. Delores Ingraham
D-1-2
BARBADOS
Prime Minister SIR OWEN S. ARTHUR
B-2-7
Mrs. Beverley Arthur
B-2-6
BELIZE
Prime Minister MANUEL ESQUIVEL
A-1-5
Mrs. Kathleen Levy Esquivel
A-1-4
BOLIVIA
President GONZALO SÁNCHEZ de LOZADA
C-1-4
Mrs. Ximena Sánchez de Lozada
C-1-5
BRAZIL
President-Elect FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSO
D-1-7
CANADA
Prime Minister JEAN CHRÉTIEN
B-1-1
Mrs. Aline Chrétien
B-1-2
CHILE
President EDUARDO FREI
B-1-11
Mrs. Marta Larraechea de Frei
B-1-10
COLOMBIA
President ERNESTO SAMPER PIZANO
C-2-5
Mrs. Jacquin Samper
C-2-4
COSTA RICA
President JOSE MARIA FIGUERES
D-1-8
Mrs. Josette Figueres
D-1-9
DOMINICA
Prime Minister DAME EUGENIA CHARLES
B-1-7
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
President JOAQUIN BALAGUER
D-1-12
ECUADOR
President SIXTO DURÁN BALLÉN
C-2-9
Mrs. Josefina Villalobos de Durán Ballén
C-2-8
EL SALVADOR
President ARMANDO CALDERÓN SOL
B-1-6
Mrs. Elizabeth Calderón Sol
B-1-5
GRENADA
Prime Minister NICHOLAS A. BRATHWAITE
C-1-8
GUATEMALA
President RAMIRO DE LÉON CARPIO
D-2-1
Mrs. Mariá Eugenia De Léon
D-2-2
GUYANA
President CHEDDI JAGAN
A-1-3
Mrs. Janet Jagan
A-1-2
SEATING LIST (CONTD)
2.
HAITI
President JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE
A-1-1
HONDURAS
President CARLOS ROBERTO REINA
D-1-10
Mrs. Bessie Reina
D-1-11
JAMAICA
Prime Minister P.J. PATTERSON
C-1-3
MEXICO
President ERNESTO ZEDILLO
B-2-1
Mrs. Nilda Patricia Zedillo
B-2-2
NICARAGUA
President VIOLETA BARRIOS DE CHAMORRO
D-1-3
Mrs. Cristiana Chamorro
D-1-4
PANAMA
President ERNESTO PÉREZ BALLADARES
B-1-13
Mrs. Dora Pérez Balladares
B-1-12
PARAGUAY
President JUAN CARLOS WASMOSY
B-1-9
Mrs. Mariá Teresa de Wasmosy
B-1-8
PERU
President ALBERTO FUJIMORI
D-1-5
Ms. Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi
D-1-6
ST. KITTS & NEVIS
Prime Minister KENNEDY ALPHONSE SIMMONDS
A-1-6
ST. LUCIA
Prime Minister JOHN COMPTON
B-2-11
Mrs. Janice Compton
B-2-10
ST. VINCENT AND
Prime Minister JAMES F. MITCHELL
D-2-3
THE GRENADINES
SURINAME
President RONALD VENETIAAN
B-2-8
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Prime Minister PATRICK MANNING
C-2-7
Mrs. Hazel Manning
C-2-6
UNITED STATES
President BILL CLINTON
C-1-1
Mrs. Hillary Clinton
C-1-2
URUGUAY
President LUIS ALBERTO LACALLE
C-1-6
Mrs. Mariá Julia Pou Lacalle
C-1-7
VENEZUELA
President RAFAEL CALDERA
B-2-14
Mrs. Alicia Pietri de Caldera
B-2-13
PROTOCOL
Ambassador MOLLY RAISER
C-2-3
1592
A
\
J.146E
SECTION B (KOWS 1-3)
B
HAITI
/
2
GUYANA
3
BELIZE 5 ST. KITTS
DOMINICA
4
CANADA
ARGENTINA
EL SALVADOR
PARAGUAY
CHILE
PANAMA
ROW I
W2
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
2
3
4
5
SURINAME
6
MEXICO
ANTIGUA
BARBADOS
ST.LUCIA
VENEZUELA
7
Row 2
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
2
3
ROW 3
4
5
6
>
8
Row 3
9
I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
REVISED 12/9/94 3:00P
(c., smail
C VISTAGE /
Section D (Kows
HONDURAS DOMINICAN 12 REPUBLIC
ROW
BRAZIL COSTARICA
11
10
9
CLINTON
JAMAICA BOLIVIA
GRENADA
PERU
8
URUGUAY
L
I
my
ROW
I
NICARAGUA
6
ROW2
2
5
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
B
9
BAHAMAS
4
3
2
13
12
-
11
10.
9
PROTOCOL
ST.VINCENT
8
J
COWMBIA
TRINIDAD
EQUADOR
Row 2
6
ROW3
3
5
I
3
6
7
GUATEMALA
4
2
4
5
8
9
3
14
2
13
1
12
=
10
9
8
7
6
ROW 4
ROW 3
5
4
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
3
14
2
13
12
1
11
10
8
9
7.
6
5
Row5
4
3
2
13
14
12
11
10
9
8
1
6
5
4
3
2
TO:
THE PRESIDENT
THE FIRST LADY
WHAT:
VIRGINIAN YACHT BOAT RIDE
FISHER ISLAND DINNER
WHEN:
Saturday, December 10, 1994
TIME:
Boat Ride: 9:30pm-10pm
Dinner:
10:00pm-11:30pm
Fireworks on Boat: 11:50pm-12:10am
WHERE:
Boat Ride: The Virginian
Dinner: Fisher Island
Fireworks: Viewed from the Virginian
Departure: Terminal Island
# OF GUESTS:
Leaders and their spouses/designates only
ATTIRE:
BLACK TIE
FROM:
Ann stock, Sarah Farnsworth
9:30 p.m.
Upon conclusion of the Concert of the Americas,
THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY accompanied by the
Leaders and their spouses/designates proceed to
the Virginian Yacht en route to Fisher Island.
NOTES: Approx. 30 minute ride. Press and staff
will be on separate boats.
10:00 p.m.
The Virginian arrives at Fisher Island.
THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart yacht
followed by the Leaders and proceed to Mansion.
NOTES: Pool press for arrival. strolling strings
to line walk.
THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY accompanied by
the Leaders proceed to Dining Room for dinner.
Once all are seated, dinner is served.
11:00 p.m.
THE PRESIDENT will make a formal toast.
(Closed press)
President Violeta Chamorro of Nicaragua will
respond.
11:30 p.m.
THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY invite
guests to return to the Virginian for dessert
and coffee.
11:50 p.m.
Fireworks display viewed from the Virginian en
route to Terminal Island.
12:10 a.m.
The Virginian arrives on Terminal Island. The
Leaders and their spouses/designates depart in
motorcade order.
THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY are the last
to depart. (Closed Press)