March 2014

LUXURY LIVING SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE ■

A World of News and Perspective

LIVING L U X U R Y

■ A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

■ March 2014

Th e G re aT

■ VOLUME 21, NUMBER 3

OUtdOORs

■ WWW.WASHDIPLOMAT.COM

■ MARCH 2014 Washingtonians Warm Up To Bringing The Inside Out

by Stephanie Kanowitz

With temperatures this winter hitting record lows, most Washingtonians are eager to escape the polar vortex

AFRICA

of 2014 and welcome spring, which officially starts this month. and with thoughts of milder weather come daydreams of sitting outside, admiring budding foliage and maybe even

Botswana, Tanzania ‘Diplomatic Sisters’ Share Success Stories

rolling out the grill. Continued on next page An enclosed porch with fireplace by Case Design/Remodeling Inc.

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Botswana, Africa’s oldest function­ ing multiparty democracy, and Tanzania, a socialist regime for much of its tumultuous history, could hardly be more different. But both countries are home to stories of progress, perseverance and empowerment — embodied by the two women representing them in Washington, D.C. PAGE 6

Tunisian ‘Candle’ “Tunisia is a candle in the dark, but our success remains unfinished and fragile,” says newly appointed Ambassador Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa, whose country sparked the Arab Spring. But while it recently passed a landmark new constitution, Tunisia has not escaped the religious and political strife unleashed by the very revolution it started. PAGE 11

Democrats Split With Obama On Free Trade

culture

PEOPLE OF WORLD INFLUENCE

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES

Tanner Trades Politics for Poaching

Portugal Gets Two For Price of One

John Tanner left the gridlocked halls of Congress to focus on other pursuits, finding bipartisan agreement on the issue of wildlife poaching, which is increasingly being recognized as a global security threat. PAGE 4

Worldwide Cast Takes Center Stage in D.C. Performers from around the planet converge on the Kennedy Center this month for a three­ week theater festival. PAGE 28

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norTh afriCa

UNITED STATES

President Obama wants trade promotion authority to push through sweeping trade deals with Pacific Rim and European countries, but he’s encountering resistance from his fellow Demo­ crats who say free trade isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. PAGE 8

LUXURY LIVING

March 2014

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Rosa Batoréu, wife of Portuguese Ambass­ ador Nuno Brito and mother of two uni­ versity students, is also the deputy chief of mission at the Portuguese Embassy, making her husband her boss. PAGE 29

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March 2014

CONTENTS THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT

March 2014

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8 Trade split

[ news ] 4

Outdoor living spaces

Quilts

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PEOPlE Of WOrld iNfluENCE

‘diPlOMaTiC SiSTErS’ In a continent of grim headlines, Botswana and Tanzania share a story of success embodied by their two “diplomatic sisters” in Washington.

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As this winter’s polar vortex gives way to spring, owners are bringing the indoors outside and sprucing up the porches, patios and backyards that have become extensions of their homes.

COvEr: Taken at the Tunisian Embassy by Lawrence Ruggeri of Ruggeriphoto.com.

WriTEr’S blOCk

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fabriC Of aMEriCa

‘WOrld STagES’

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A writer struggles with family secrets just as GALA Hispanic Theatre wrestles with staging Mario Vargas Llosa’s intricate story within a story.

A selection of quilts at the National Museum of Women in the Arts weaves together a different story of American history.

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diNiNg Chef Roberto Donna continues his low-key comeback with an even more laidback eatery, Alba Osteria, which offers diners a taste of Donna’s genius in an approachable setting.

CulTural CENTErS

“World Stages: International Theater Festival 2014” is a three-week extravaganza of performers from every continent on the planet converging on the Kennedy Center.

hONduraN SNub Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez worked closely with Americans as head of the Honduran Armed Forces, but the presidential candidate is no longer welcomed by Washington.

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filM rEviEWS The Indian independent film “The Lunchbox” marks a stunning feature debut from Ritesh Batra, who deftly portrays the accidental correspondence between a lonely wife and a worker on the verge of retirement.

[ culture ] 28

ibErO ‘CiTySCaPES’ Housed inside the diminutive Art Museum of the Americas are some of the greatest buildings in the Ibero-American world.

OuTdOOr liviNg

The embassies of India and Oman recently bought prime new real estate to expand their cultural footprint in the city.

ThE rOTuNda The list of foreign policy achievements that President Obama ticked off in his State of the Union speech can largely be attributed to his indefatigable secretary of state, John Kerry.

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COvEr PrOfilE: TuNiSia Tunisia lit the spark of revolution that engulfed the Arab world, although unlike Syria, Egypt and Libya, it has emerged relatively unscathed. But the country’s new ambassador warns that the story of the Arab Spring is far from written.

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[ luxury living ]

TradE SPliT If President Obama wants to secure “fast track” authority for free trade deals with Pacific Rim and European Union nations, the road goes through Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — and it’s already shaping up to be a bumpy ride.

MEdiCal Peanut allergies in children have skyrocketed, with no clear explanation as to why, but new research shows that gradual exposure may offer some kids protection against potentially fatal reactions.

Former Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) has joined a bipartisan roster of officials sounding the alarm about wildlife poaching, which is no longer seen as just an environmental issue, but as a worldwide security threat.

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filM iNTErviEW Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad returns to his roots and tries to break new ground with the Oscar-nominated “Omar.”

diPlOMaTiC SPOuSES

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Rosa Batoréu pulls double duty as the wife of the Portuguese ambassador and deputy chief of mission of the embassy he leads.

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EvENTS liSTiNg

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diPlOMaTiC SPOTlighT

arTful TaPaS

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lETTErS TO ThE EdiTOr

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aPPOiNTMENTS / WOrld hOlidayS

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ClaSSifiEdS

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rEal ESTaTE ClaSSifiEdS

The Spanish Embassy showcases one of Spain’s greatest gastronomic gifts to the world: tapas, small plates that pack big flavor and artistic flair.

CiNEMa liSTiNg

P.O. Box 1345 • Silver Spring, MD 20915-1345 • Phone: (301) 933-3552 • Fax: (301) 949-0065 • E-mail: news@washdiplomat.com • Web: www.washdiplomat.com Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Victor Shiblie director of Operations Fuad Shiblie Managing Editor Anna Gawel News Editor Larry Luxner Contributing Writers Martin Austermuhle, Michael Coleman, Zachary Colman, Audrey Hoffer, Rachel Hunt, Stephanie Kanowitz, Luke Jerod Kummer, Molly McCluskey, Ky N. Nguyen, Gail Scott, Dave Seminara, Gina Shaw, Gary Tischler, Lisa Troshinsky Photographers Jessica Latos, Lawrence Ruggeri account Managers Rod Carrasco, Chris Smith graphic designer Cari Bambach The Washington Diplomat is published monthly by The Washington Diplomat, Inc. The newspaper is distributed free of charge at several locations throughout the Washington, D.C. area. We do offer subscriptions for home delivery. Subscription rates are $25 for 12 issues and $45 for 24 issues. Call Fuad Shiblie for past issues. If your organization employs many people from the international community you may qualify for free bulk delivery. To see if you qualify you must contact Fuad Shiblie. The Washington Diplomat assumes no responsibility for the safe keeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. The information contained in this publication is in no way to be construed as a recommendation by the Publisher of any kind or nature whatsoever, nor as a recommendation of any industry standard, nor as an endorsement of any product or service, nor as an opinion or certification regarding the accuracy of any such information.

March 2014

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PEOPLE OF WORLD INFLUENCE

John Tanner

Ex-Lawmaker Sounds Alarm On Wildlife Poaching Epidemic by Michael Coleman

J

ohn Tanner, a popular moderate Democrat from west Tennessee, served 11 terms in the House of Representatives and likely could have served several more.

Instead, the longtime lawmaker — like many of his colleagues in recent years — walked away from the marbled halls of power on Capitol Hill in 2011, frustrated by congressional gridlock and eager to see where else he could apply his political expertise and Washington contacts. That’s why he got involved with the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) — a place where he can still influence Congress, but from a distance and with a laser-beam focus on the environmental and conservation issues he cares about. Tanner joined the group’s board three years ago and is now its chairman. “I got involved in this on one very simple premise,” Tanner said with his rich Tennessee drawl during a late Two white rhinos stand in Nakuru, Kenya. Rhino horn is worth February afternoon interview at his office at the Prime more than its weight in gold, leading to an explosion in poaching. Policy Group, a lobbying and government relations firm in midtown Washington.“We’ve got one planet here and if we mess this up we’ve got nowhere to go. We have to take care of what we’ve got if we’re going to pass it on to our children.” We’ve got one Tanner said ICCF distinguishes itself from some other environmental groups by planet here and if we being more bipartisan and moderate in its approach. Its role model is President mess this up we’ve Theodore Roosevelt, who championed got nowhere to go. We both the preservation and development of America’s natural resources. have to take care of “It is an organization that has conservation at the core,” Tanner said. “We don’t what we’ve got if we’re mind if you want to cut down a tree.That’s fine — just plant two. We don’t say, ‘Don’t going to pass it on use natural resources,’ but we do say, ‘Replace and conserve what is irreplaceto our children. able.’ It’s here to use but don’t abuse it.” In the decade since its inception, ICCF — John Tanner has become a nonprofit fixture on Capitol chairman of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation Hill, coordinating government, business and NGO leaders to set a conservation African safari that cost $47,000 — that ICCF provides to agenda that can penetrate Washington’s fiercely partisan walls. ICCF supports the Congressional lawmakers under the guise of education.Tanner conceded International Conservation Caucus, which counts as its that “they are nice trips” but also said members of Congress members one-third of the House and one-fourth of the and others who travel on the ICCF’s dime get to see firsthand the environmental and conservation struggles in Senate. developing countries, giving them a unique perspective While most laud the work ICCF does, the organization does have its critics. A Mother Jones article in 2013 called and hopefully instilling a desire to work for change. it a “mysterious charity based out of a two-story townhouse Tanner said he and other ICCF officials also travel to in the posh Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, countries in Africa and elsewhere to preach the importance of protecting wildlife — not only as a humanitarian D.C.” “It may not have a glass-and-steel headquarters, but the gesture but as a means of protecting the tourism econoICCF counts among its supporters some of America’s most my. “What we have tried to impress on the parliamentarians powerful corporations and special interests,” the magazine wrote, citing ExxonMobil and trade groups like the in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa, American Petroleum Institute and the Malaysian Palm Oil Gabon and other places, is that the wildlife is what makes Board that represent “environmentally destructive indus- Africa unique,”Tanner said, gesturing to some photos on his office wall that his wife took on a recent Kenyan safari.“If tries.” they lose that uniqueness, they have lost a real asset.There Corbin Hiar wrote that ICCF provides these corporate is nowhere else in the world you can go and see lions and backers with access to its large Rolodex of legislators. The article also discussed the lavish junkets — including an giraffes and elephants.”

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Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

He also dismissed critics who complain that the ICCF hasn’t taken a position on climate change. He said the polarizing issue would divide one of the few truly bipartisan caucuses in Congress. “We try to stay apolitical because we think that that is important to bridge the gap between the left and the right on conservation,” he said. “I guess it’s a fair criticism, but I’m not sure all the members of the ICCF would agree on [the issue]. It’s very political, really. We don’t lobby bills. We’re trying to bridge the gap rather than trying to alienate people.” During his time in Congress, Tanner was a founding member of the U.S. International Conservation Caucus and chaired the House delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He also served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Since retiring from Congress, Tanner has also joined the boards of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Blue Dog Research Forum. In recent months,Tanner and the ICCF have stepped up their work on behalf of endangered elephants, rhinos and other animals that are being targeted by poachers who make big bucks selling ivory and rhino horns, as well as pelts and other animal products on the black market. It’s an issue that environmentalists of all political stripes agree has reached crisis proportions. Experts say an unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade is threatening to overturn decades of conservation and development gains. As populations and economies have grown in East Asia, the demand for wildlife products has surged, sending the black market price of tusks, horns and hides to historic highs. Ivory, specifically, can sell for $1,500 a pound while rhino horn is worth more than its weight in gold, able to fetch up to $50,000 a pound. Wildlife products are easily converted into cash and used to purchase weapons and fund transnational crime syndicates and violent terrorist organizations. According to the Stimson Center, wildlife has become the fourth-largest illicitly traded good in the world, representing a $19 billion industry.Yet punishments for poaching, compared to drug or

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

arms trafficking, are light, making it a low-risk, high-reward venture. As a result, an important shift has taken place, with the United States and other governments increasingly recognizing that wildlife poaching is not just an environmental issue but a national security threat. Last month, President Obama announced a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking to address the “global security threat posed by illegal trade in wildlife.” The government-wide effort includes a ban on the commercial trade of ivory and aims to strengthen enforcement, raise public awareness and expand international cooperation. “Like other forms of illicit trade, wildlife trafficking undermines security across nations,” the strategy says. “Well-armed networks of poachers, criminals and corrupt officials exploit porous borders and weak institutions to profit from trading in illegally taken wildlife.” The document — which was released ahead of a major international wildlife trafficking conference hosted by the British government — admits that “the United States is among the world’s major markets” for wildlife goods. But it adds that in Asia, “increased demand for ivory and rhino horn stems from a rapidly expanding wealthy class that views these commodities as luxury goods that enhance social status.” Rhino horn is reputed to be an aphrodisiac, but Asians, particularly Chinese and Vietnamese, also buy the expensive ground horn to relieve dizziness, boost energy, nourish the blood, cure laryngitis and remedy a variety of other ailments, from cancer to hangovers. U.S. officials say they’ve broached the subject with their Chinese counterparts and hope to set an example. Last November, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pulverized six tons of confiscated ivory. China and other countries have followed suit, publically staging similar ivory destructions. But it’s a race against time, and extinction. In 2013, the United Nations warned that elephant poaching is the worst it has been in a decade. Wildlife groups estimate that more than 30,000 elephants are being slaughtered each year, out of a dwindling worldwide population of 500,000 or fewer. Similarly, rhino poaching rates in Africa have skyrocketed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says more than 1,000 rhinos were killed last year, compared to 100 a year a decade ago. According to United for Wildlife, 95 percent of the world’s rhinos have been lost in the last 40 years.

Photo: Darren Potgieter / CITES / UNEP

An elephant carcass is turned over to look for bullet wounds at Zakouma National Park in Chad. A March 2013 U.N. report, “Elephants in the Dust – The African Elephant Crisis,” found that elephant poaching doubled and illegal ivory trade tripled in the last decade, endangering already fragile populations in Central Africa, as well as previously secure populations in West, Southern and Eastern Africa.

All that comes despite increased surveillance efforts in countries that actively patrol their nature reserves, such as South Africa, which in recent years has seen a new national record of rhino killings. Hundreds of elephants have been killed in Cameroon’s Bouba N’Djida National Park. And in Tanzania, President Jakaya Kikwete announced last month that elephant herds were being decimated in his nation, where the population in one major wildlife sanctuary plunged from nearly 40,000 in 2009 to just 13,000 today. “The poaching in Africa is a crisis situation and we are finally realizing it’s a national security situation, too, because it’s financing a lot of terrorism,”Tanner said. Al-Shabaab, a wing of al-Qaeda based in Africa that has contributed to deep instability in Somalia, has paid for a good chunk of its operating expenses by poaching elephants. The Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan militant movement infamous for forcing children to fight in its ranks, also reportedly poaches and sells elephant ivory. The recent rise in wildlife product prices is fueling better-orga-

nized, better-funded and better-armed criminal and terrorist networks, and even militias, compounding the challenges faced by those charged with protecting endangered animals. In fact, animals aren’t the only ones in the crossfire. Over the past decade, hundreds of African wildlife rangers — who must patrol vast stretches of territory and often lack the sophisticated gear that poachers have at their disposal — have been brutally murdered by highly skilled poachers. Last summer, the New York Times reported that a militia of infamous elephant poachers ambushed the headquarters of a wildlife reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo and killed five people and 14 okapi, a rare animal with a giraffe-like neck and zebra-like legs. According to the newspaper, “one guard who narrowly escaped said the attackers sliced open the chest of a downed colleague and ate his heart.” African militaries sometime try to intervene, but not always successfully. “Sometimes the poachers outgun the military,”Tanner lamented. The ICCF is working to raise awareness of the dangers of poaching, and Congress seems to be listening, even in this era of budget cutbacks. Lawmakers passed a 2014 omnibus spending bill early this year, creating a new $45 million fund to combat wildlife trafficking and maintaining or raising funding levels for key international conservation programs. This additional funding reflects the successful efforts of international conservation groups to educate policymakers about the African poaching crisis and its direct links to instability, armed conflict and terrorism — not to mention its impact on economic development, poverty alleviation and even food and freshwater security. Tanner said he views his role with ICCF as helping to keep his former colleagues on the Hill up to speed about poaching and conservation issues in general. “We want the Congress to be not only informed but to be supportive of what we’re trying to do, particularly when we bring parliamentarians from other countries here to see that no matter how partisan the body is, that this issue can transcend partisanship,” Tanner said.“You have the people on the far left and right who are involved with what we’re trying to do. I think that’s a very constructive, positive thing for governance, for people to agree on something, and this is something that is nonpartisan.”

Michael Coleman is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

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International Affairs

Africa

Botswana, Tanzania ‘Sisters’ Share Different Africa Story by Larry Luxner

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Tanzania’s Liberata Mulamula, left, and Botswana’s Tebelelo Seretse

y African standards, Bots­ wana and Tanzania could hardly be more different. Botswana, the continent’s oldest functioning multiparty democ­ racy and one of its most stable economies, is a sparsely populated, arid nation with just over 2 million people today.

By 2100, predicts the United Nations, Botswana will still have only 6 million inhabitants, a consequence of the continuing AIDS epidemic. Tanzania, a socialist regime for much of its tumultuous history, is twice the size of California. It already has 49 million people and is today among the world’s fastestgrowing countries. By 2100, there could be 276 million Tanzanians — ranking it sixth in size behind India, China, Nigeria, the United States and Indonesia. But both countries are also home to stories of progress, perseverance and empowerment — embodied by the two women representing them in Washington. These stories stand as a welcome contrast to the grimmer headlines about Africa coming from places such as South Sudan, Libya and the Central African Republic. Late last year, the two countries’ ambassadors appeared together at an event cosponsored by the Meridian International Center’s Council on Women’s Leadership and THIS for Diplomats. Botswana’s Tebelelo Seretse and Tanzania’s Liberata Mulamula spoke on the topic “Africa Rising: Unconventional Pathways to Economic Empowerment.” These two “sisters in diplomacy” are among nearly 30 female envoys currently serving in Washington. While that may seem like a lot from a historical perspective — there were only five as late as the 1990s — it also means that women still account for only one-sixth of all ambassadors accredited to the United States. And more than half of them represent African countries. “Women’s empowerment in Africa exceeds that of the Western world. It’s shocking here in the United States that after 237 years, you have never had a woman president. In Africa, we have two already,” said Seretse. “Our governments are sensitive to gender imbalances. Women have always played an important role in African society. They were not in the forefront, but they were always recog-

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Photo: Lawrence Ruggeri

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In 2016, the country will turn 50 years old, and we are now talking trade, not aid. — Tebelelo Seretse ambassador of Botswana to the United States

nized and valued.” Seretse, who’s been in Washington since February 2011, is the first woman ever to represent Botswana as ambassador to the United States. “My mother was one of the first women in Botswana to drive a tractor, which was deemed a man’s job. She would plow from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. She also drove a cement truck,” Seretse recalled. “When you empower a man anywhere in the world, you empower an individual. When you empower a woman, you empower a nation.” More importantly, she said, empowering a woman doesn’t only improve the nutritional health of her family, but it generates income that can be accounted for. “We need to ensure that as women work hard, they are trained how to invest their money and how to save. All of us women ambassadors have a common story to tell,”Seretse explained.“Traditional

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economics taught us that when you have transparency, an open economy and rule of law — and when you don’t have corruption and government doesn’t interfere in the running of people’s business, when you protect individual property and people have the right to use and invest their money however they like, foreign direct investment will flow into your country.” In fact, most of Botswana’s income derives from diamond mining.That wealth and income is spread widely enough to provide almost half of its population with a middle-class lifestyle.At the time of independence in 1966, Botswana’s annual per-capita income was only $70, among the lowest in Africa. In 2012, it hovered around $16,000, according to the World Bank. “In the U.S., when you talk about diamonds, everybody thinks ‘blood diamonds.’ But in Botswana, we call them diamonds for development,” the ambassa-

Source: CIA World Factbook

dor said. For the past 26 years, Transparency International has ranked Botswana the least corrupt country on the African continent. Last October, Moody’s Investors Service assigned Botswana an A2 government bond rating, noting that “unlike many other resource-rich countries in the developing world, Botswana’s government has managed income from its diamond mines with a long-term view to promote economic and social development. As a result, the government has remained a net creditor throughout the

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

Photo: Geir Kiste

Giraffes roam Arusha National Park in Tanzania, home to Mount Kilimanjaro and other tourism attractions that are a key driver of the economy.

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What you’re seeing in other countries — massacres and genocides — Tanzania never had that. Instead, we’ve had peace and stability for 52 years.

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President Barack Obama watches performers on the tarmac global financial crisis.” before departing Julius Nyerre International Airport in Dar es Salaam, — Liberata Mulamula Seretse attributes Botswana’s prosperity not only to the prevalence of diamonds but also to a historical legacy Tanzania, in July of last year. President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania ambassador of Tanzania to the United States that preserved — rather than eradicated — tribal cus- waves at left. toms. “Botswana became a [British] protectorate by going to policies — but President Kennedy had the English people and asking them to protect us. They already established the Peace Corps in couldn’t pronounce the name Botswana, and to them it 1961,” said Mulamula. “So while U.S. sounded like Bechuana, so they called it Bechuanaland,” businesses abandoned Tanzania, the she said. “The British didn’t interfere with our culture. Peace Corps came to help our children And because they didn’t kill our tribal structures, when in very remote villages. They joined we got our independence, we continued with our ways with communities and built schools, of life. In Zimbabwe, it wasn’t the same and in South hospitals and wells for water. This is Africa, it wasn’t the same.The media needs to underscore what has kept Tanzania and America those differences.” together.” In fact, she said her country’s relative prosperity Since the program’s establishment, means it doesn’t receive injections of foreign assistance more than 2,500 Peace Corps volunoften directed at other African nations. “For Botswana, teers have served in Tanzania, Mulamula our biggest disadvantage is our own doing, because we’re said, noting that “although our counnow classified as a middle-income country. We’re always tries have had our differences, we have being told,‘You don’t qualify for this, you don’t qualify for respected each other and our values.” that.’” Nyerere retired from office in 1985 While Botswana is free of the ethnic strife, grinding and several years later, multiparty polipoverty, religious extremism and threat of terrorism that tics was introduced. Although the plagues much of sub-Sahara Africa, it has not escaped one country remains poor (compared to of the worst scourges of all: AIDS. Nearly 25 percent Botswana’s per-capita GDP of $16,000, Photo: Larry Luxner of all Batswana between the ages of 15 to 49 are Tanzania’s is $1,600), Tanzania has HIV-positive, the second-highest prevalence in the avoided the internal strife that’s A rainbow appears world after Swaziland. wracked neighbors such as the over the flat plains For years, public spending on AIDS research was Democratic Republic of Congo. of northern Botswana, minimal, but as the disease took its toll, the nation “Tanzanians never fought about tribone of Africa’s least responded. In 2003, the government established its al differences, ethnicity or religion,” densely populated first National Strategic Framework for HIV/AIDS, Mulamula explained. “What you’re seecountries. Botswana, and by 2008, public spending in response to the ing in other countries — massacres and whose House of disease had risen to $340 million. genocides — Tanzania never had that. Parliament is pictured “These days, in Botswana, everybody who needs Instead, we’ve had peace and stability at left, is also home to be on anti-retroviral drugs is on them,” Seretse for 52 years.The crisis we saw in Kenya to the continent’s said. “Our life expectancy had dropped from 75 to was basically tribal, and in Rwanda’s oldest functioning 36, but now it’s in the upper 50s. Our government genocide, the Hutus were pitted against multiparty intervened correctly and got rid of stigmas, while in the Tutsis. We inherited the same colodemocracy. other countries it is considered witchcraft.” nial legacy, but for Tanzania, it was more In the meantime, she added,“We have an educatof an indirect administration, so it was Photo: Iulus Ascanius ed labor force, and the government provides free easier when the British left for Tanzania to take over.” not aid.” education up to university level, as well as free Mulamula, who started with the Tanzanian Foreign Service Tanzania also has an anniversary coming up.This April marks 33 years ago, served at her country’s U.N. mission in New York health care. We also have a Rural Electrification Program to half a century since the formation of the United Republic of twice — the first time from 1985 to 1992. bring electricity to a number of villages every year.” Seretse said she’s proud that Botswana has already achieved Tanzania, which came into being April 26, 1964, through the “Those were difficult times,” she said. “The Cold War was at or is likely to achieve most of the eight broad-based Millennium union of mainland Tanganyika and the offshore archipelago of its worst, and Tanzania was a spokesman for the Non-Aligned Development Goals it set out to meet back in 2000. These Zanzibar, both of which had already won independence from Movement. I was the chief adviser on disarmament, decolonizainclude reducing by half the proportion of people who suffer England a few years earlier. tion and the anti-apartheid struggle.” Julius Nyerere became president of the new country and from hunger and malnutrition by 2016; achieving universal These days, with the Cold War over and South Africa a multiaccess to 10 years of basic education by 2011; and cutting soon outlawed all political parties other than his own. He also racial democracy,Tanzania’s focus is on boosting its economy. Botswana’s maternal mortality rate by more than half between suppressed labor unions, was responsible for the disappearance “When we were socialist, there was no business, but in 1985 of thousands of political opponents, adopted a socialist econo- we got a new government that opened up the economy,” said 1991 and 2011. “When you look at the Millennium Development Goals, my, and laid the foundations for state corruption — a problem the ambassador. “In the early ’90s, things started picking up you’ll find we’ve complied quite well,” said Seretse.“In 2016, the that persists to this day. “The Americans abandoned Tanzania because of our socialist country will turn 50 years old, and we are now talking trade, See Botswana and Tanzania, page 10 March 2014

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International Relations

Trade

Obama Gets Cold Shoulder From Democrats on Free Trade by Zachary Colman

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f President Obama wants to secure “fast track” authority for separate free trade deals with Pacific Rim and European Union nations, the road goes through Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — and it’s already shaping up to be a bumpy ride. The Nevada Democrat quickly shut down the request Obama made for trade promotion authority in his State of the Union address, throwing a wrench in the White House’s plan to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and, eventually, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU. “I’m against fast track,” Reid said in a late January press conference, later adding, “Everyone would be well advised just to not push this right now.” Trade promotion authority (TPA) allows a president to submit free trade agreements to Congress for an up-ordown vote — without giving lawmakers the ability to make changes — something Obama’s predecessors have been able to do with past trade deals. TPA is seen as critical to easing the passage of highly complex trade agreements, in part because other nations are more likely to sign onto the pacts if they know Congress can’t alter them. Opponents argue fast track approval robs lawmakers of the ability to make important amendments to free trade agreements that will impact millions of American workers. Democrats in general are leery of FTAs, which they say erode jobs and wages at home, leaving the president without the support of his own party in trying to move a major item on his foreign policy agenda. The current trade negotiations with Asia and Europe have a symbolic element to them as well this year, which marks the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that liberals have long resented. “Unfortunately, the TPP really does follow the same footsteps of NAFTA by removing the ability of government to protect workers, communities and the environment and putting more power into the hands of free markets and multinational corporations,” said Ilana Solomon, responsible trade director with the Sierra Club. “These two agreements [TPP and TTIP], basically, are cut from the same cloth.” The TTIP between the United States and the 27-member EU would be the world’s largest trade deal, encompassing a relationship that accounts for nearly half of the world’s total economic output. It was first announced last summer and is years away from being finalized. The TPP involves a dozen Pacific Rim nations, mostly in Asia but also Latin America, that account for 40 percent of the world’s GDP. The sweeping deal has been in the works since 2005, with the U.S. joining talks in 2009. TPP boosters say Obama is entering a period where he needs some deliverables. “We’re hoping to build some momentum here in the coming weeks, and I think people would argue that if things aren’t moving by a certain point, then it would be difficult to see much action,” Christopher Wenk, senior director of international policy with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview.

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White House Photo by Pete Souza

We’re hoping to build some momentum here in the coming weeks, and I think people would argue that if things aren’t moving by a certain point, then it would be difficult to see much action. — Christopher Wenk senior director of international policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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After missing self-imposed deadlines to finish the agreement late last year, the president is heading to Asia in April, where the prospective deal will be one of the main topics.And without winning fast track authority by then, the November mid-term elections could thwart any attempt of gaining it during 2014. Secretary of State John Kerry doubled down on the Obama administration’s commitment to finalizing the TPP when Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington in early February, calling the deal “one of the most important things we can do for our countries’ economic futures.” “There are still a few issues left where we need to work through them,” Kerry said.“But once we do it, that agreement will mean more jobs, more growth, greater stability and greater security not just for the United States and Japan but throughout the Asia-Pacific region.” Strategically, the push is part of the Obama administration’s “pivot” to Asia, as it’s presented the deal as an opportunity to deepen ties with economically growing Pacific nations and, at the same time, perhaps tame Chinese ambitions in the region. After initial reluctance, China has signaled interest in joining the talks — and the

President Barack Obama, right, talks with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) backstage before a 2010 town hall meeting in Nevada. Reid recently said he’s against the trade promotion authority Obama is seeking to help pass free trade deals with Pacific Rim and European countries.

White House has hinted at permitting it. The White House is also presenting the TPP as an economic boon. Chief of staff Denis McDonough told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that it would amount to $130 billion of additional exports per year, and that each $1 billion in additional trade would support between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs. But opponents, who include unions, environmental and social justice groups, say it would drive more U.S. jobs overseas to countries with lower wages while boosting corporate profits and the very income inequality that Obama has railed against. For example, the first year of the free trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea that Congress struck in 2011 shed 40,000 American jobs, said Robert Scott, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute.“Projected increased trade by itself tells you nothing about employment impacts,” he recently wrote. “Exports support U.S. jobs, but imports destroy them.” Reid hews more to that view — and the broadside he dealt Obama left some lawmakers questioning whether the White House seriously hashed out the president’s position with Reid, a close and often forceful ally. Obama’s advisers should have known Reid’s stance on granting simple majority votes without amendments for green lighting free trade deals, they say. The Senate stalwart has long opposed the tactic, and free trade agreements broadly. “I don’t really understand the president saying in the State of the Union, basically, send me [trade promotion authority] and then Harry Reid saying immediately it

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From left, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula of Tanzania, Michele Manatt, chair of the Meridian Council on Women’s Leadership, and Ambassador Tebelelo Seretse of Botswana participate in a discussion at the Meridian International Center on “Africa Rising: Unconventional Pathways to Economic Empowerment.”

Photo: Iulus Ascanius

from page 7

Botswana and Tanzania slowly. Foreign investors were afraid their businesses would be nationalized, but all that’s changed, and this new attitude has given them confidence.” According to the World Bank’s latest report, Tanzania has made great progress in several critical areas, such as improving access to credit for smallbusiness owners. The country recently received a $689 million grant through the Millennium Challenge Corp., and its economy is growing at a healthy clip of roughly 7 percent a year.

“We are doing well in terms of GDP, but our challenge is to see how this trickles down,” said Mulamula. “We know we can’t make it on our own. We need investments, especially in agriculture, because that’s where the majority of our people work.” Underscoring the country’s importance to Africa, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all traveled to Tanzania. “Last July, I was fortunate to host two American presidents in Tanzania at the same time. You should have seen the headlines,” the ambassador said, referring to the visit of Obama and Bush.“For Tanzania, the opportunities are in abundance. Cell phones have transformed our lives in so many ways. Nobody goes to the bank anymore. They

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transfer money through their mobile system. Technology has leapfrogged.We’ve also had disPhoto: Joyce Boghosian coveries of gas, and we’ve seen a lot of investments in telecommunications, mining, tourism and agriculture.” In both Botswana and Tanzania, the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States had tremendous repercussions, although Africans also held Obama’s predecessor in high regard, largely because of Bush’s staunch support for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). “People don’t always give credit to Bush, but Bush did a lot for Tanzania, and he was not black,” said Mulamula. “After [Obama’s] inauguration, my president was among the first African leaders to be invited to the White House. We see him as one of us. We don’t have to preach to him. When he visits our countries, people turn out by the millions.” And if current projections are correct, there will be tens of millions more Tanzanians — if not hundreds of millions — by the dawn of the 22nd century. As one of the world’s fastest-growing nations, Tanzania’s population density is extremely uneven, ranging from one person per square kilometer in arid regions to 134 people per square kilometer in Zanzibar. By 2100, Tanzania could have nearly as many people as the United States does today, ranking second in population among African countries behind only Nigeria. Yet Mulamula doesn’t seem alarmed by her country’s coming population explosion, telling us that “if we can effectively use all the resources we have, then population growth wouldn’t be a problem.” She also doesn’t seem too concerned with gay rights — an issue making world headlines in connection with the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, where homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993. By contrast, in Tanzania, sex acts between men carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Photo: Larry Luxner

Botswana has been widely credited with using its diamond mining revenues to give almost half of its population a middle-class lifestyle. Top photo, the headquarters of the Debswana Diamond Co. stands in Gaborone, Botswana, while a lion roars at passing tourists on a safari at Lebala Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

“We have more pressing priorities and issues than to talk about this gay thing. For Tanzanians, this is not a priority,” said the ambassador, echoing her Russian colleague, Sergey Kislyak, who told us much the same thing in his February 2014 cover profile. Quizzed on the same issue, Botswana’s Seretse offered a more thoughtful, measured response. “The United States is a democracy of 237 years compared to Tanzania and Botswana.We still have a long way to go. It’s not part of the culture, but we are learning and amending laws,” she said, praising South Africa for adopting the continent’s most liberal laws when it comes to same-sex marriage.“We need to teach our people that men can marry men and women can marry women. Like any other thing, it’s going to take time to not only understand, but also to accept.”

Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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March 2014

COVER PROFILE

Ambassador Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa

Tunisia: ‘Candle in the Dark’ That Lit Arab Spark Finds Its Way by Larry Luxner

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arly this month, when Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa visits the White House to present his credentials as Tunisia’s new envoy to the United States, President Obama might get the feeling it’s déjà vu all over again. After all, the country has now seen three ambassadors in Washington in the span of four years, a reflection of the upheaval and uncertainty back home. Mohamed Salah Tekaya — taking over from his transitory predecessor, Habib Mansour — engaged in a similar White House ceremony on Dec. 7, 2010, exactly 10 days before Tunisia erupted in a revolt that sparked the Arab Spring. At first, Tekaya defended the dictator who had sent him to Washington, President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. However, following Ben Ali’s dramatic overthrow after 23 years in power, the diplomat skillfully changed his tune and began speaking out in favor of the revolution. In fact, he did such a good job that in 2012, Tekaya was named “Ambassador of the Year” by the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC). But he didn’t have much time to bask in the glory. In June 2013, Tekaya resigned his post without explanation. Mokhtar Chaouachi, Tunisia’s former envoy to the African Union, arrived to take his place, and NUSACC promptly hosted a welcome luncheon for the new diplomat at Washington’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Sadly, Chaouachi didn’t last long either; Chelaifa replaced him only six months later. In keeping with recent tradition, NUSACC welcomed the new ambassador with a luncheon on Feb. 7, this time at the Loews Madison Hotel. “It’s not uncommon for countries in transition to rotate ambassadors, and from my perspective, Tunisia is trying to match up the right people for the right job,” said NUSACC’s president and CEO, David Hamod. “In my opinion, there’s probably no more important posting in the world for Tunisia right now than the United States.That’s one reason they chose a guy with a lot of experience in multiple positions over many years.” Chelaifa, 58, is a career diplomat who’s served as ambassador to South Africa,Australia and, most recently, Spain. His appointment in Washington coincides with the Jan. 26 ratification by Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly of a new constitution following two years of rancorous debate. On Feb. 10, parts of that constitution went into effect, and the very next day, we interviewed Chelaifa at the imposing Tunisian Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue. “After three years of a difficult, complex and painful transition, Tunisia is back on track, thanks to a vibrant and dynamic civil society and our Tunisian tradition of moderation,” the ambassador told us. “Tunisia has now achieved a historic breakthrough with the appointment of a new, neutral government, the installation of a new electoral law and the adoption of a liberal, secular and progressive constitution.” Remarkably, Chelaifa added, “this constitution enshrines the full standard of human rights, including freedom of conscience and worship, which is revolutionary in the Arab world. Sharia law is completely absent from this constitution, which also asserts equality and even parity between men and women.” Tunisia, in fact, had long been known as a progressive,

March 2014

Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa, Tunisia’s new ambassador, speaks at a welcome luncheon hosted by the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Photo: National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce

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After three years of a difficult, complex and painful transition, Tunisia is back on track, thanks to a vibrant and dynamic civil society and our Tunisian tradition of moderation. — Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa ambassador of Tunisia to the United States

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Western-friendly country. But it was also a dictatorship, ruled for 23 years by Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who delivered stability and a measure of economic prosperity but also stifled dissent and allowed cronyism and corruption to thrive. In the blink of an eye, all of those grievances exploded into public view three years ago,when 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi stood in front of municipal headquarters in the central Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, poured gasoline over himself and lit a match. The fruit vendor’s dramatic suicide ignited a revolution against corruption, dictatorship and injustice that rapidly spread to a dozen Arab nations. In addition to Ben Ali, the revolution eventually toppled Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak (deposed after 29 years), Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh (ousted after 33 years) and Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi (overthrown and killed after 42 years). Lesser uprisings erupted in Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco and Sudan. In Syria, where the ongoing civil war has isolated President Bashar al-Assad internationally, an estimated 130,000 people have died and nearly 9 million others have been driven from their homes. The Syrian economy is in ruins. By comparison, Tunisia stands out as the region’s bright

spot. Notably, its 10.8 million inhabitants succeeded in ousting a repressive regime without massive loss of life. In the Tunisian Constituent Assembly election of Oct. 23, 2011 — billed as the first honest election in the country’s history — the Ennahda movement, a moderate Islamist party led by Rachid Ghannouchi, won the popular vote and formed a coalition with two smaller secular parties. “Three years ago this month, Tunisians inspired the world when a brave fruit vendor sparked a revolution that set the country on a path to democracy,” Secretary of State John Kerry, who made a surprise visit to Tunisia last month, said in a Jan. 29 statement. “While Tunisia’s transition to democracy is not yet complete, these are very important steps. They are proof positive that Tunisia’s democratic transition can succeed.” Yet the country has not escaped the religious tensions and political jockeying that the Arab Spring unleashed, as Islam and democracy fight to coexist. Amid this identity crisis, governments — including those led by relatively inexperienced parties such as Ennahda — have struggled to meet the high expectations of protesters and repair economies battered by years of instability. Tunisia is no exception. Ever since Bouazizi’s self-immolation and subsequent uprising, the Wisconsin-size nation has been plagued by constant strikes and protests — and by occasional terrorist attacks and assassinations. Several days after the September 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi that killed four Americans, an angry mob stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, burning vehicles and looting the adjacent American school. In February 2013, liberal politician and human rights activist Chokri Belaid was shot to death outside his home, and last July, secular opposition leader Mohamed Brahmi was shot in front of his wife and children. Street protests erupted after the assassinations, which were also followed by the deaths of eight Tunisian soldiers near the border with Algeria. The soldiers’ bodies were then muti-

Continued on next page The Washington Diplomat Page 11

Tunisia at a Glance Independence: March 20, 1956 (from France) Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya Capital: Tunis Size: Slightly larger than Georgia Population: 10.8 million (July 2013 estimate) Life expectancy: 75.4 years Religions: Muslim (Islam - official) 98 percent, Christian 1 percent, Jewish and other 1 percent GDP (purchasing power parity): $104 billion (2012 estimate) GDP per-capita: $9,700 (2012 estimate) GDP growth: 3.6 percent (2012 estimate) Unemployment: 17.4 percent (2012 estimate) Population below poverty line: 3.8 percent (2005 estimate)

Photo: Larry Luxner

Continued from previous page lated and their throats slit. Blame for the killings focused on Ansar al-Sharia, a hard-line Salafist movement seeking to implement Sharia law across Tunisia.The Ennahda-ruled government — seeking to distance itself from the Salafists — officially designated Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist group, yet it continued to lose popular support in the wake of the attacks and Tunisia’s declining economic health. In January, Ennahda agreed to step down, handing over power to an independent caretaker government. Despite the recent political chaos, Chelaifa says the peaceful transfer of power and adoption of a new constitution “proves that moderate Islam and modern democracy can coexist in Tunisia, and therefore, in the Arab world,” presenting an alternative to religious extremism.

Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly, above, recently approved a new constitution following two years of rancorous debate, making way for an independent, technocratic caretaker government until elections can be held later this year.

“Tunisia is a candle in the dark, but our success remains unfinished and fragile,” said Chelaifa, who was opening his country’s new embassy in Australia in December 2011 when the uprising began. “We need to consolidate this emerging democracy. We have a foundation of real democracy in Tunisia. What we need now is a favorable democratic environment, and a democratic culture in order to continue our advance.” Chelaifa said Ennahda came to power during two difficult years but “was not well prepared” to govern the country — and that the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi after only one

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Exports: Clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment Imports: Textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs Source: CIA World Factbook

year in power and subsequent crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood ultimately convinced Ennahda’s leaders to compromise with its adversaries rather than risk losing power altogether. Despite attracting criticism for accommodating Islamist extremists and failing to turn the economy around, Ennahda also earned praise for hammering out a new constitution, and it will remain a potent political force as the only elected body in Tunisia. “What characterizes Tunisia is the vibrancy of its civil society, which has been the cornerstone and the driving force of this transition,” Chelaifa explained. “Secondly, Ennahda has started a process of transformation from a religious party to a civil party. It’s not comparable to the Muslim Brotherhood. The third factor is that we have a very neutral army, which is not interested in political power. This is the difference with Egypt. The removal of President Morsi has persuaded Ennahda to step down in order to absorb the drop in its own popularity and remain an actor in the political process.” Duncan Pickard, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said Tunisia’s new constitution is the “first tangible fruit” of the revolution, and that it came about after a series of immense roadblocks. “It stands the best chance of being the first sustained constitution in the Arab world written outside the context of a dictatorial power,” Pickard said at a Feb. 10 seminar hosted by the Middle East Institute at Johns Hopkins University.“What’s most remarkable is the success of this process in the face of several moments when it looked like the entire political transition was going to fall apart.” Johns Hopkins professor emeritus William Zartman, who moderated the panel, said that while “the constitution is something to be proud of,” the liberal side thinks there are aspects of the charter that Islamists will take advantage of if they come into power in the next election cycle, while the Islamists think the liberals are trying to keep them out of the elections. (While it’s a largely secular document that stresses democratic freedoms and gender equality, the constitution also enshrines Islam as the national religion.) Zartman also said Ennahda will be less popular in Tunisia’s upcoming parliamentary elections. But Pickard said Ennahda will remain a force to be reckoned with for some time. “One of the reasons for Ennahda’s success is the popularity of its president, Rachid Ghannouchi,” he said.“His writings in the 1970s and 1980s form the cornerstone of moderate Islam as an alternative to the imperialist politics that had condemned his region to poverty.” Chelaifa, a Sunni Muslim like 99 percent of his fellow Tunisians, was born and raised in the Mediterranean coastal town of Mahdia. He has a master’s degree and a doctorate in political sci-

ence and international law from Aix-Marseille University in France. A career diplomat whose foreign postings have included Pretoria, Canberra and Madrid in addition to Washington, D.C. — where he was deputy chief of mission from 1996 to 1999 — Chelaifa speaks French, Spanish and English besides his native Arabic. “I hope that my appointment in the United States will add substance and confidence in our bilateral relations,” he told us. “I couldn’t have started my mission better, and we would like to keep this momentum going.This is an opportunity to strengthen our modest bilateral relations and to establish a new strategic agenda between the United States and Tunisia, based on common strategic interests.” Two of those “common interests” are fighting terrorism and attracting foreign investment. “Terrorism is a big threat for us,” Chelaifa said, referring to last year’s two political assassinations and the ambush by the Algerian border. “We do have some residual terrorist groups which are losing ground and being neutralized by our security forces. These very few terrorists have tried to launch some desperate actions but are being pursued.” He added that while Tunisia has close security cooperation with neighboring Algeria, his country’s 400-kilometer eastern border with Libya is far less secure. “Libya is a security threat,” Chelaifa warned.“We do have very good relations with Libyan authorities, but unfortunately, these authorities are not controlling the country. There are no functioning state institutions in Libya.” As difficult as it is to defeat the terrorists who are capitalizing on the region’s revolutions and power vacuums, putting Tunisia’s economic house in order might be an even bigger challenge. Unemployment stands at 17 percent, while the economy last year grew by only 2.7 percent — far below the level needed to create jobs for its surging population of restless, jobless young people — the very demographic that trigged the 2011 uprising. In January, riots sparked by the government’s decision to increase taxes to plug its ballooning budget deficit left one man dead and several injured in the town of Bou Chebka. Protests also erupted in three other central towns before spilling over into Tunis, egged on by transport and agricultural unions opposed to the tax hikes. The turmoil has only further spooked the foreign investment that the country needs. “Our economy is very diversified, but just now we need some assistance to speed up the recovery with foreign investment,” said Chelaifa. “We need to stabilize our budget.The United States has decided to assist Tunisia in this endeavor with a

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$500 million loan guarantee. Tunisia’s ratings in the financial markets has dropped, and this loan guarantee permits us to raise more funds.” Beyond that, Chelaifa said his government is pushing the White House for a free trade agreement that would give Tunisian products preferential access to the U.S. market — an ambitious endeavor but one that would let Washington put its money where its mouth is, instead of just paying lip service to democratic aspirations in the Arab world. (The United States has committed more than $ 400 million in foreign assistance since the revolution began and recently donated a high-tech mobile command post vehicle for conducting terrorism investigations.) “We must set up a framework to encourage investments,” the ambassador said. “Right now, the Americans are very focused on FTAs with the European Union and Asia, but considering Tunisia’s small economy, we don’t think it would be a big problem. Washington might agree because Tunisia could be used for American investors and exporters as a gateway and platform for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” Among Tunisia’s advantages, he said, are the country’s well-educated workforce, its homogenous population and its proximity to major markets. “Each year, we have 70,000 college graduates able to work,” Chelaifa pointed out. “We don’t have many natural resources, so we count on ourselves. Besides our traditional sectors like textiles, olive oil, food processing and mining, we also have value-added industries like aeronautics, plastics, electronics and now a very dynamic IT sector.” NUSACC’s Hamod says the idea of a U.S.Tunisia FTA isn’t that farfetched. “I believe having a free trade agreement would help put us in a better position as we compete for market share in Tunisia and North Africa,” said Hamod, who’s made more than a dozen personal trips to Tunisia and has led five trade delegations there. “Right now, the association agreement that Tunisia enjoys with Europe gives the EU a significant advantage over the United States.” He added that Israel and four Arab countries — Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Oman — already have FTAs with the United States. “Other countries have begun to look at Tunisia as an investment destination, beyond the current instability, looking to the future,” said Hamod, whose organization plans to lead a sixth trade mission to Tunisia this fall. “I think we are now at the stage where we should be looking to do the same.” Meanwhile, since arriving in Washington, Chelaifa has spent much of his time on Capitol Hill lobbying Congress in favor of an FTA. Among Tunisia’s biggest friends in the Senate, he

Now tranquil, the Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis drew thousands of protesters in 2011 who deposed President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power. Below, the Great Mosque of Kairouan is a holy Islamic site in Tunisia. While Islam is enshrined as the national religion in the country’s new constitution, the charter rejected Sharia law.

says, are John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Chelaifa is also planning for a visit by Tunisia’s caretaker prime minister, Mehdi Jomaa, to the United States in April. Separate elections for president and prime minister are likely to be held in October, said the ambassador. “I have to prepare the ground in Washington, but of course I have an agenda to visit other states and organize a road show for the business community.” And then there’s one other piece of unfinished business: the fate of Ben Ali. In June 2012, a military court sentenced Tunisia’s former strongman in absentia to life imprisonment, in connection with the deaths of 23 demonstrators by police during the Arab Spring revolt. A year earlier, a civilian court had imposed on Ben Ali and his wife, Leila Trabelsi, a 35-year prison sentence and a $66 million fine for charges ranging from drug trafficking to embezzling billions of dollars in state funds. Yet it’s unlikely Ben Ali will serve even one day behind bars.The unrepentant autocrat, now 77, is under the protection of Saudi Arabia, which has adamantly refused to discuss his extradition — despite public protests in front of the Saudi Embassy in Tunis. At any rate, bringing Ben Ali back home is hardly a priority for Chelaifa. “Ben Ali is gone, and his party has been completely dissolved,” the ambassador said.“We have been trying to recover some funds from Italy, Spain and Switzerland. It’s been a very hard and difficult process.”

Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

The Rotunda

Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill

Kerry Gives Obama Something to Talk About by Luke Jerod Kummer

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n years when there’s no presidential election, the State of the Union by default becomes the big­ gest night in American politics. But instead of feeling like the Super Bowl, the event tends to resemble the Pro Bowl. The players mostly lay off the hard hits, the TV audience has dwindled over the years and, though points are tallied, the standings that matter will be unchanged by the outcome. The whole thing is too predictable, including the media’s pat reaction afterward. Pundits inevitably call whatever proposals are made small-ball or pie-in-the-sky. Digestion rarely precedes analysis. For the president’s part, he has little incentive to reveal serious policy prescriptions anyway — the administration might get dinged if those promises aren’t fulfilled by the time the next SOTU rolls around. In 2014, Obama did nothing to change these dynamics. That’s not to say, however, that this SOTU was exactly like last year’s.And in a speech dominated by domestic issues, there was even a section toward the end that tells us something important about American foreign affairs. Both speeches, 2013 and 2014, focused primarily on the home front, with the president underscoring his best storyline: improving economic conditions. In the latter half of each speech, there was an all-too-brief discussion about winding down the war in Afghanistan and a call to keep fighting al-Qaeda — which, after more than a dozen years, is beginning to feel like a set piece of the ceremony — followed by a few morsels on what’s going on elsewhere in the world. This year, however, there was a bit more to chew on. For one, it’s noteworthy that Obama deployed the word “diplomacy” six times when he addressed Congress this January. During last year’s speech, he didn’t say the word at all, although he did include a close derivative when he called on Iran’s leaders “to recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution.” Nearly a year after those remarks, Iran and the United States, along with its Western allies, were able to hash out a landmark interim deal to try to resolve Iran’s nuclear program, an agreement that took center stage for a moment in this year’s speech. “And it is American diplomacy,” Obama began,“backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iran’s nuclear program and rolled back parts of that program for the very first time in a decade.As we gather here tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium. It’s not installing advanced centrifuges. Unprecedented inspections help the world verify every day that Iran is not building a bomb. And with our allies and partners, we’re engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” Then, the president pointedly added that he would block lawmakers from torpedoing those negotiations. “The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: If this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it.”

March 2014

Secretary of State John Kerry waves to the Air Force crew as he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base to begin a trip to Asia and the Persian Gulf in February 2014. Photo: U.S. State Department

“

You cannot find another country — not one country — that is as proactively engaged, that is partnering with so many Middle Eastern countries as constructively as we are on so many high-stake fronts. — John Kerry

”

U.S. secretary of state

Along with this burst of determination and optimism, however, the president hedged his bets. “These negotiations will be difficult.They may not succeed.We are cleareyed about Iran’s support for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, which threatens our allies. And we’re clear about the mistrust between our nations, mistrust that cannot be wished away.” He attempted to reassure those who would doubt the pragmatism of such engagement by offering a successful precedent. “If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then surely a strong and confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today.” Hopefully the mullahs won’t be too offended by the knock. It was a bright spotlight for a topic that got barely a mention last year, and it was the one foreign policy area that got the most wordage (five paragraphs). But other key foreign policy issues also got more attention this time around.

In 2013, Obama uttered a single sentence about the peace process in the Middle East, saying: “And we will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace.” This year, however, a few more words came to mind. “As we speak,” Obama said, “American diplomacy is supporting the Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in the difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel — a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side.” Direct negotiations on a two-state solution had been stalled for three years before an announcement last July that Israeli and Palestinian representatives would work again to make headway on this intractable, polarizing conflict. What will come of all this? If history is our guide, little or nothing. But it still took a Herculean effort to broker even the beginnings of a dialogue.And most of that heavy lifting was done by Obama’s lanky 70-year-old secretary of state, John Kerry, who was seated directly in front of the president with his hands calmly clasped by his knees, wearing a cryptic stillness on his long face. In fact, any progress on the foreign policy topics that Obama had something new to say about at the podium can be attributed to Kerry, an indefatigable and insuppressible force in his first year as America’s top diplomat. This autumn, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) dubbed Kerry “a human wrecking ball” — and he didn’t mean that as a compliment to his longtime pal. “They don’t know from one hour to the next where the plane is going,” he said. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who served with Kerry on the Foreign Relations Committee, was somewhat kinder in his accounting, telling The Diplomat after the State of

Continued on next page The Washington Diplomat Page 15

Continued from previous page the Union that he’d made a point to “thank [Kerry] for his personal determination and perseverance in bringing the Palestinians and the Israelis to the table and investing so much of his personal energy and capital in moving ahead those negotiations.” McCain is not alone, though, in suggesting that Kerry’s relentless diplomatic pursuits are all over the map or misguided. Still, others have heaped praise on him for having the single-mindedness — and, yes, ego — to try to budge some of the world’s longest-standing logjams. One way or another, nobody can say Kerry has been sitting back on his heels after serving as an elected official for three decades. Since being confirmed as secretary of state last January, Kerry has notched more than 325,000 miles and set foot in 39 countries, according to the State Department, a tally that compares favorably to his famously peregrine predecessor, Hillary Clinton, who chalked up 206,799 in her first year on the job and arrived in 44 countries. Of course, there have been countless comparisons between the two that go beyond the number of frequent-flier miles each racked up. Clinton was widely applauded for her time leading the State Department, not to mention the grace with which she accepted a position in the cabinet of her former Democratic presidential opponent. She even won muted approval from some unexpected corners, including from former Vice President Dick Cheney. One criticism, however, is that after four years in the post, Clinton would have a hard time pointing to a landmark accomplishment. (In fact, she might mention the ouster of Col. Muammar Qaddafi from Libya and the opening up of relations between the U.S. and Burma, as well as a singular focus on women’s rights.) But Kerry seems determined that when his tenure is looked back on, there will be no doubt

that it’s one for the history books. “Clinton saw the post as a stepping stone and played it safe, leaving office with no defining doctrine or big diplomatic feat, while Kerry is approaching it as a capstone, gambling on highstakes initiatives in hopes of ending his decadeslong political career with a diplomatic coup,” Hannah Allam wrote for McClatchy, citing analysts’ opinions. Kerry has been pushing so hard as secretary of state that The Week openly asked in December whether he might be unwittingly diminishing Clinton’s argument for being president. “[It’s] great news for the beleaguered White House and for Kerry’s own legacy,” wrote Jon Terbush.“Yet in racking up so many prominent successes, Kerry is inadvertently overshadowing the accomplishments of his predecessor, Hillary Clinton, and potentially weakening her case for a 2016 bid.” Of course, that assumes Kerry will succeed where others have failed. The picture wasn’t so rosy for Kerry in September when he seemed to speak out of both sides of his mouth during congressional testimony about the administration’s proposed bombing campaign in Syria — first saying that there could be troops on the ground under some circumstances and then denying that was ever an option. Even more problematic, he followed this up days later with an off-the-cuff remark about forgoing an attack if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave up the country’s chemical weapons. That opening was seized on by Russia and ultimately forced Washington to call off plans for a military strike, something Kerry reportedly had been seeking behind the scenes for months. When all was said and done, the administration managed to polish this colossal blunder so that somehow Kerry ended up looking shiny, as if instead of stumbling into a solution he had shrewdly orchestrated a diplomatic maneuver to wrest from Assad the chemical weapons that the West sought to get rid of for years. Meanwhile, however, the situation in Syria has

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only deteriorated, and the casualties from traditional arms — 130,000 by most estimates — far exceed those from chemical weapons. Kerry may have inadvertently squandered the only opportunity he’ll have to stanch the bleeding. But, true to form, he hasn’t given up on diplomacy, even in the seeming worst of times. Since then, he has spent his energies on Syria organizing a second summit in Switzerland between the Western-backed portion of the opposition and the regime.Those talks, between mortal enemies, in many ways mirror the long, hard slog ahead in negotiations with Iran and between the Israelis and Palestinians. But in an interview with Politico Magazine’s Susan B. Glasser, Kerry gave a simple rebuttal to critics who say his ambitions are “delusional,” which is how Jackson Diehl of the Washington Post put it. Kerry asked, what else would you have me do? “If Middle East peace was easy, it would’ve been done a long time ago. I have no illusions. But I would ask Jackson Diehl and anyone else who was critical of our engagement: What is the alternative?” Kerry went on to pose what can be considered the ultimate existential question in foreign policy: “Do you just sit on your rear end and do nothing? Or do you try to get to the political solution?” Likewise, when he was peppered with questions in Davos, Switzerland, about whether the

from page 8

Trade won’t come to the floor in the Senate,” Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), the top Republican on the Finance Committee’s International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness panel, said in an interview.“I don’t think Harry Reid did that without at least a wink and a nod, and the administration knew it. If that’s true, then somebody’s being disingenuous.” Senate Republicans said it’s going to take some presidential deal making to muscle trade promotion authority through Congress. “He’s not going to get [trade promotion authority] if he can’t talk Harry Reid and the Democrats into even bringing it up, and Reid has got to bring it up,” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees free trade deals, told reporters. Hatch added:“He softened it a little bit, but not enough. But it takes presidential leadership.You can’t just sit around and play with it. You’ve got to say, ‘This is what I’ve got to have.And I want it.’And then you’ve got to get on the phone and call these senators and say, ‘I need your help.’ And he doesn’t do that.” The topic didn’t surface when Reid and Obama met in early February, despite the disagreement being out in the open. Proponents of the free trade deals and of fast track authority suggest Reid’s opposition isn’t insurmountable, as they note he railed against smaller pacts that Congress approved in 2011 with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. “I don’t think we’re in a bad place at all right now. I think we’re in a good place,” Wenk said. But Obama had fast track authority at the time. Now he doesn’t. Still, Wenk said he’s encouraged by some of the meetings he’s had with lawmakers. “There is Democratic support out there. Obviously trade issues are difficult for some up there because of certain constituencies — that makes it difficult for members to come out too early,” Wenk said. “We’ve been pleased with what we’re hearing.”

United States was disengaging from the world — a reflection of his boss’s clearly stated preference for “nation building at home” rather than abroad — he shot back in no uncertain terms that “nothing could be further from the truth.” “You cannot find another country — not one country — that is as proactively engaged, that is partnering with so many Middle Eastern countries as constructively as we are on so many highstake fronts,” Kerry said in a forceful speech at the World Economic Forum. During Kerry’s run for the presidency in 2004, he was panned for his predilection for po-faced prolixity and muddled messaging. Kerry can somehow tell everyone what they want to hear without making anyone feel confident — an undiplomatic trick he’s undoubtedly employed at times as secretary of state.Yet there have been other moments when he seems like he just might be the right guy to accomplish the unthinkable. A few days after the State of the Union address, CNN — noting Kerry’s man-on-fire pace — asked the secretary if he was once again considering higher office. “This is my last stop,” he replied. No, Kerry has other goals now. And if he could land even one of the moon shots he’s launched, his boss could give one hell of a SOTU speech next year.

Luke Jerod Kummer is the congressional correspondent for The Washington Diplomat.

Wenk added that the ascendency of Sen. Ron Wyden to Finance Committee chairman could smooth a path for trade promotion authority.The Oregon Democrat, who moves into the slot vacated by Max Baucus,America’s new ambassador to China, has voted for every free trade agreement put before him in his 20 years in Washington. “In many ways, all eyes are on Wyden,” Wenk said.“Wyden’s no stranger to any of us. He’s been in the Senate a long time.” Critics of TTP and TTIP are similarly focused on Wyden. They say his concerns about the transparency of TTP negotiations — lawmakers have had little access to the details — are encouraging. Trade deals are usually discussed in private for fear of a public backlash while thorny issues are being ironed out, but criticism of this closed-door approach has increased because of the sheer scope of the current deals. “The TPP has been negotiated for four years now in virtually complete secrecy,” said Solomon, of the Sierra Club, who added, “There has been very little sign that the EU-U.S. trade agreement is going to be more transparent than the TPP.” And while the spotlight is on the Senate, it’s far from clear whether support for trade promotion authority in the Republicancontrolled House is ironclad. Some conservatives are wary of granting Obama more power, even if it is to negotiate a free trade agreement, which Republicans and the business community generally support. Those lawmakers have slammed the president’s use of executive authority, and they say awarding the White House freer rein to hammer out the TPP and TTIP would be more of the same. “Let me just say that there’s a lot of distrust between the president and the House of Representatives, and I don’t think that anyone feels thrilled about giving him any additional powers because, from our perspective, he has shown that he is not really interested in working in a normal legislative way,” Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), said in an interview.“He likes to take unilateral action.”

Zachary Colman is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

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The Washington Diplomat Page 17

Politics

Central America

Ex-Honduran Army Chief Recasts Himself as Political Crusader by Larry Luxner

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hero to some Hondurans and a traitor to others, Brig. Gen. Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez says his impoverished country must get back on track — and quickly. Vásquez, 57, ran for president in last November’s elections, yet he ended up with only 6,105 votes — barely 0.2 percent of the 3.1 million ballots cast. That ranked Vásquez ahead of three other minor candidates but landed him in fifth place far behind the winner, Juan Orlando Hernández of the conservative National Party, and Hernández’s main rival, Xiomara Castro de Zelaya — wife of the deposed former president, Manuel “Mel” Zelaya. Born in the Honduran mountain town of Siguatepeque, Vásquez attended the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas near Fort Benning, Ga., in the 1970s and 1980s.The school — now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) — had been founded in 1946 and spent most of the Cold War teaching “anticommunist counterinsurgency training” to generations of Latin American military leaders. Vásquez rose through the ranks and was eventually named chief of the Honduran Armed Forces. Yet the irony for this career military officer is that despite his lifelong love for the United States, Vásquez may not set foot on U.S. soil. That’s because officials at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa permanently revoked the brigadier general’s American visa in 2009 after his men forced Zelaya from power and put the president on a plane to Costa Rica while still in his pajamas. “They took my visa,”Vásquez told The Washington Diplomat by phone from his home in Tegucigalpa. “President Zelaya wanted to change the system through a referendum, but the judges at all levels — right up to the Supreme Court — had determined that he was committing an illegal act. The armed forces are obliged to maintain public order and defend the nation, not violate the law.” Zelaya’s detractors say the populist leader wanted to follow in the footsteps of Venezuela’s late president, Hugo Chávez, by changing the Honduran constitution to let him remain in office indefinitely. His supporters deny that, accusing Vásquez and the Honduran military — backed by the country’s political and business elite — of staging a coup d’état with tacit support from the United States as retribution for Zelaya’s efforts to spread the country’s

Page 18

wealth to its impoverished masses. One thing neither side can dispute: Honduras’s many problems. It is one of the poorest, most unequal countries in Latin America, with rampant drug trafficking, endemic corruption, shoddy rule of law and the world’s highest murder rate to boot. Another thing nobody disputes is the fact that Zelaya ordered Vásquez to secure ballots and handle logistics for the upcoming referendum — or that the attorney general and the courts later ruled that vote illegal because it would have opened the door to modifications that are outlawed by the Honduran constitution. When Vásquez refused to help with the referendum, the president immediately fired him and planned to go ahead anyway with the constituent assembly, which Vásquez said would have been “an act of treason.” So he decided to move against the president and mistakenly assumed Washington would back him all the way.

“

We had a very good relationship with the U.S. Army…. But then they suspended my visa simply because of the events of July 28, 2009. — Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez Honduran presidential candidate and former army chief

“I was looking for support from the U.S. Embassy, but they were bothered by what was happening in Honduras.At the time, I had very good relations with Southcom [the U.S.Southern Command]. We were working together in many projects, training troops, doing international peace missions and fighting drug trafficking. We had a very good relationship with the U.S. Army,” he recalled with some bitterness. “But then they suspended my visa simply because of the events of July 28, 2009 — even they knew that I was following an order from the Supreme Court.” Vásquez said that Hugo Llorens, who at the time was U.S. envoy to Honduras, personally gave the order to revoke the

”

general’s visa. He also claims Llorens was a personal friend of Zelaya’s as well as his partner in several unspecified business ventures. After leaving Honduras, Llorens was appointed assistant chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul,Afghanistan, a post he held until last October, when he was named principal officer at the U.S. Consulate in Sydney, Australia. Through his press attaché, Llorens declined comment for this story, though secret diplomatic cables sent by Llorens to Washington at the time and later exposed by WikiLeaks reveal that the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa considered Zelaya’s ouster to be an unjustified conspiracy.

“No matter what the merits of the case against Zelaya,” one of the cables reads, “his forced removal by the military was clearly illegal, and [Roberto] Micheletti’s ascendance as ‘interim president’ was totally illegitimate.” In fact, with a history of instigating coups against leftist Latin leaders during the Cold War, the United States initially won praise throughout the hemisphere for condemning the events in Honduras, even though Washington was no fan of Zelaya. Even so, Vásquez hopes the Obama administration will reinstate U.S. visas for himself and his immediate family. “The actions of some officials in the State Department have been very hard on my wife and my 15-year-old daughter, who in 2011 was detained at Miami International Airport for 24 hours. It’s been hard on all of us.” Yet Vásquez has fared just fine back home. Following Zelaya’s ouster, new elections were called, though they were largely boycotted by supporters of the

The Washington Diplomat

See Honduras, page 20 March 2014

MEDICAL

Allergies

Gradual Exposure May Reduce Risk for Kids with Peanut Allergies by Gina Shaw

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ast week was my daughter’s 8th birth­ day. As is tradition, I brought treats to her second-grade class — brownies we made at home and cookies from a local bakery. I chose the bakery carefully because three kids in the class have nut allergies. This place makes a fantastic cookie with M&M-like candies called Skippers, from a nut-free bakery in Vermont started by the mother of a boy with a peanut allergy. Each of the three kids with an allergy, though, decided they’d go with either one of our homemade brownies, or an item out of their own boxes of pre-approved treats from home, sent in ahead of time for just such an occasion. These kids know their allergies well, and they know that even plain M&Ms are made in the same factory as the peanut kind. Even with many assurances that these were not the same candies, and totally nut free, they were not taking any chances. That’s the life of a child with a nut allergy today. Coming to birthday parties and play dates with EpiPens, sitting at the “nut-free” table in the cafeteria, and worrying about whether or not his friend’s mom, who assures him that this treat really and truly contains no nut products, can be trusted. They’re not just being paranoid.There has been a fair amount of public skepticism about “all these allergies that weren’t around when I was a kid,” but children don’t die from hypochondria or a need for attention. Last summer, a 13-year-old Sacramento girl named Natalie Giorgi accidentally took just a bite of a Rice Krispies treat at a summer camp — a version that had been prepared with peanut butter. Even though she spit it out and got both a dose of Benadryl and an EpiPen injection, Claire died at a hospital several hours later. Between 150 and 200 deaths each year in the United States are attributed to food allergies; almost all of these (80 percent to 90 percent) are linked to peanuts and tree nuts, pediatric allergy specialist Dr. Robert Wood of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Md., told USA Today in 2012. According to the nonprofit Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the number of children living with a peanut allergy appears to have tripled between 1997 and 2008, with no clear explanation as to why. (Other allergies in children increased dramatically during the same period as well, but the pace of the increase in peanut allergies vastly outstripped other food allergies.) Unlike some other food allergies — like cow’s milk and eggs — that are often outgrown, nut allergies usually persist through adulthood; only about 20 percent of children with peanut allergies outgrow them. My daughter’s allergic 8-year-old classmates aren’t likely to be in that 20 percent. A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice last year found that kids who do outgrow their peanut allergies usually do

March 2014

Photo: Alex Kosev / shutterstock

Between 150 and 200 deaths each year in the United States are attributed to food allergies; almost all of these (80 percent to 90 percent) are linked to peanuts and tree nuts. so before age 8. Given all of this, new research published in the Lancet in January has to be both exciting and frightening for the parents of kids with peanut allergies. A group of British scientists, based at Cambridge University and other hospitals, found that exposing peanut-allergic kids to gradually increasing (but still extremely small) doses of a finely ground peanut protein powder helped most of them develop a moderate tolerance to the allergen. Starting with just two milligrams of the powder mixed in with their food, and finally building up to a daily dose of 800 mg, 24 of the 39 kids (62 percent) in the study were eventually able to tolerate eating the equivalent of about 10 peanuts; 88 percent could tolerate about five peanuts’ worth.While it doesn’t mean that they could start taking a peanut butter-jelly sandwich to school for lunch, five peanuts is probably more than a child would be likely to eat by accident. Being able to tolerate 10 peanuts could have saved Natalie Giorgi’s life. “The families involved in this study say that it has changed their lives dramatically,” study leader Dr. Andrew Clark, of Cambridge University Hospitals, said in a statement. But I say frightening as well as exciting, because

as promising as the study sounds, the prospect of exposing your child to something so potentially deadly to them — even in a controlled medical setting — has to be terrifying.And even if your child is one of the ones who develops a tolerance to the nuts (a tolerance that, so far, must be maintained with regular doses of the powder for well over a year), how long would it take for you to relax your vigilance even an inch? And I’d imagine that “allergy parents” might be anxious for another reason.Writing about this study makes me more than a little nervous. I’ve heard about a few situations in which skeptical family members of a child with a peanut allergy try to convince the kid’s parents that the allergy is all in their heads, and that all they need is “a little exposure” to “get over it.” I hope that the publicity about this research doesn’t convince such skeptics to try their own experimental “at-home version” of the study. Nevertheless, the immunotherapy approach is promising. Other research suggests that building tolerance through exposure can even start in the womb. A study published last December in JAMA Pediatrics showed that the children of mothers who ate more nuts during their pregnancies were less likely to develop a peanut allergy. For those children who already have nut allergies, immunotherapy isn’t likely to be ready for regular clinical practice for some time yet, and absolutely should not be tried outside a controlled research setting. But the possibility of a treatment that could reduce the chances of a child dying from taking the wrong bite at the wrong time is good news indeed.

Gina Shaw is the medical writer for The Washington Diplomat.

The Washington Diplomat Page 19

Rush-hour afternoon traffic clogs San Pedro Sula, Honduras — one of the world’s most violent cities. Photo: Larry Luxner

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deposed president. The winner was businessman Porfirio Lobo Sosa, who took office in January 2010 and promptly named Vásquez as head of Hondutel, the state-owned phone company that has been mismanaged for years. In 2007, Hondutel became the focus of an investigation by local authorities as well as the FBI. Several of its top officials were charged with having received million-dollar bribes from U.S. telecom firms in exchange for granting those companies lower rates on lucrative international calls. “Many of its officials were involved in illegal things, and the company wasn’t paying its taxes,” Vásquez said, adding that because Hondutel’s assets were mainly in fixed-line services, it quickly got left behind when mobile technology became widespread. As a result, the company lost its monopoly and is now stuck with antiquated technology, further discouraging foreign investment. Vásquez left Hondutel in 2012 and reinvented himself as a politician. “I created the Alianza Patriotica Hondureña [Honduran Patriotic Alliance] as an independent political party,” Vásquez told The Diplomat, noting that despite his fifth-place showing in the 2013 presidential election, his party’s candidates for mayors and deputies to the National Assembly got a total of around 200,000 votes in the last election. The country’s new president, Hernández, won that election with 37 percent of the vote, followed by Xiomara Castro at 29 percent. The two other contenders who outperformed Vásquez were Mauricio Villeda of the Liberal Party (20 percent) and the Anti-Corruption Party’s Salvador Nasralla (13 percent). Castro vowed to contest the results, claiming allegations of vote buying, intimidation, ballot box stuffing and violence against her fellow party members. The United States, European Union and Organization of American States, however, deemed the vote reasonably free and fair. That’s unlikely to quell anger among Castro’s supporters, many of them laborers and peasants fed up with the entrenched upper classes that control Honduras’s economy and politics. But the recent election may mark a turning point in the country’s traditional two-party system, long dominated by the conservative National Party and leftist Liberal Party. Where that leaves Vásquez, a member of the establishment, remains to be seen, although it’s clear the military will continue to play a powerful role in Honduran politics under the new administration. Hernández backs the deployment of more soldiers on the streets to control violent crime as well as what his detractors call “neoliberal” economic measures that have actually increased income inequality in Honduras since the 2009 coup. “We’ve been organizing on a national level, strengthening our party so we’ll have a chance for the future,” said Vásquez. “In general, we saw no great difficulties with this last election. Some said there was fraud, but this is normal when a

party loses. Xiomara had lots of support from leftist parties around the world, but they didn’t win the election.” Surprisingly, Vásquez doesn’t seem to harbor much resentment against his former boss, Mel Zelaya. “We have met on many occasions and political events, and we’ve even spoken,” he said. “I don’t have any problem with him. But friendship ends where duty begins.” In fact,Vásquez says he wants the same things the Zelayas want; how to achieve those goals is another story. “Their solution is to hand out money that doesn’t exist. Our solution is to train youth and build technical schools, help them learn new skills. That’s the difference between us and them.” Like the Zelayas, Vásquez said his country’s biggest problem today is the fact that 70 percent of its 8 million inhabitants live in poverty. Ranked by annual per-capita income, Honduras is the third poorest country in the Americas; only Haitians and Nicaraguans are poorer. “Most of the money that’s sent to the country to fight poverty never reaches the people.There is so much corruption,” he explained.“The problem with corruption among police is institutional, not personal. This is a long process. We must lift the morale of the institution and hire honest cops.” Indeed, when it comes to honesty in government and business, few would confuse Honduras with, say, Finland or Sweden. Last year, it ranked 140th on Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index — one of the worst performances by any country in the Western Hemisphere. “We need to promote foreign investments, train our youth, and open the world diplomatically,” Vásquez said. “We have so many natural resources, but we still must create sources of employment and the appropriate conditions for foreign investors to come.” And critical to creating those “appropriate conditions” is taming the country’s spiraling crime. Honduras for several years has had the world’s highest homicide rate — and San Pedro Sula ranks as its most violent city, with 169 intentional murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012. Institutional impunity has also allowed narcotrafficking to flourish, another area Vásquez says the government needs to address. Vásquez told The Diplomat that while he was head of the military, he pleaded with Zelaya to approve the purchase of radar equipment to help his soldiers interdict drug traffickers. He claims the president refused to do so — which is why Honduras continues to be a favorite transit point for cocaine smugglers. “Honduras doesn’t have good maritime or air security defenses. We don’t even have radars. All the drugs come from South America, flown into clandestine airstrips on their way to the United States,” the general said. “We must also fight narco-trafficking on our borders because drug consumption is plaguing our cities. Defending our country is the responsibility of all Hondurans.”

Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

LIVING L U X U R Y

â– A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

â– March 2014

The GreaT

OUtdOORs Washingtonians Warm Up To Bringing The Inside Out by Stephanie Kanowitz

With temperatures this winter hitting record lows, most Washingtonians are eager to escape the polar vortex of 2014 and welcome spring, which officially starts this month. and with thoughts of milder weather come daydreams of sitting outside, admiring budding foliage and maybe even rolling out the grill. Continued on next page An enclosed porch with fireplace by Case Design/Remodeling Inc. Photo: Case Design/RemoDeling inC.

LUXURY LIVING March 2014

The Washington Diplomat Page 21

Continued from previous page Outdoor spaces such as patios, porches, decks and terraces used to be crucial parts of a house in the days of sleeping porches and no air conditioning, said James F. Rill, principal at Rill Architects in Bethesda, Md. They’re still essential in new ways. “The hottest thing is connecting yourself to the outside and to nature,” Rill said.“We’ve done houses that are more exterior space than interior space.” What form that connection takes can vary greatly based on personal preference, where a house sits and how much sun and breeze it gets. But the main focus is on creating an outdoor space that is comfortable. “It’s like an outdoor family room,” Rill said. “It adds spatially because a porch [for example] can make the inside of the house feel bigger. It allows you another room that has another flavor.”

Porch ProgreSSion Bill Millholland, executive vice president at Bethesda-based Case Design/Remodeling, finds that porches have been gaining popularity. “Clients are more interested in outdoor space than they used to be, and what they’re interested in has changed a little bit,” Millholland said.“It used to be that people wanted a deck or a patio or a terrace. Now people seem to really like the idea of this great porch because it stretches the season a little bit.” Porches have roofs that provide shade on 100-degree August days and where ceiling fans can be installed. They can also hold in heat from heat lamps on chilly October evenings. To that end, fireplaces are also popular among

“You don’t just design a home or an addition. You design a property…. You think about how the outdoor rooms flow into the indoor rooms and the wonderful feeling you’re going to get when you’re sitting outside.” — JaMeS F. Rill, principal at Rill architects Washingtonians. “The outdoor fireplace, in the last five years, we’ve probably done 25, which is crazy — a lot,” Rill said. “When somebody sees one they say, ‘We want one.’” To screen or not to screen a porch is up to the individual. “We find nowadays that if people can have a screened porch, they’d rather have a screened porch,” Millholland said, because it makes the space more private. Rill isn’t as convinced, however. “It keeps the bugs out and that’s good, but it also keeps the dirt in. They tend to get dinged with animals, kids, husbands and they sit there looking ratty,” he said. “Screens are a lot easier to take care of when they’re not there. They can become maintenance problems.” A porch may sound old-fashioned, but today’s designs are far from it. “Your screened porch is different from your grandmother’s screened porch in that they’re really nicely outfitted, that they’ve got crown molding, and they’ve got detailing to them that might be consistent or it’s at least compatible with the existing house,” Millholland said. “It’s not all pressure-treated material and screens. “They’re real extensions to the home,” he

Photo: Case Design/RemoDeling inC.

“You don’t have to rough it to be outside anymore,” says Bill millholland, executive vice president at Case Design/Remodeling in Bethesda, md., which designs porches, patios and other outdoor spaces, such as the one pictured above.

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LUXURY LIVING March 2014

added.“These are great transition spaces.You go from a patio or terrace in the backyard, up some steps to a screened porch that is then connected to a family room or an eating area.” Outdoor kitchens are the second most popular thing Rill’s clients ask him for. They don’t have the amenities of traditional kitchens, but they’re pretty close, comprising a grill, fridge, wine cooler and maybe a sink.

‘Design a Property’ When it comes to design elements, more natural looks are in, although homeowners don’t always want to pay for real wood and stone.They turn instead to synthetic look-alikes, which can last longer and are lower maintenance, Millholland said. Size matters, too, Rill said. “If you sit in a chair in the middle of your backyard, it’s kind of awkward, but if you sit in a gazebo, pergola, terrace, garden, it feels a lot more to scale,” Rill said.“When you stand out there and look back at the house, sometimes you realize you’re just standing against this two-story flat wall, and it becomes kind of intimidating or uncomfortable.” He approaches outdoor projects by considering the whole lot. “We’re going to look at everything you see as part of your ownership,” Rill said. “You own the views. You can’t affect them, but you want to think about where the sun comes up, how the wind blows, which way you’re facing. “You don’t just design a home or an addition.You design a property,” he added.“You think about how the outdoor rooms flow into the indoor rooms and the wonderful feeling you’re going to get when you’re sitting outside.”

Natural Fit If the idea is to be more connected with nature, then adding structures is only part of a remodeling project.The other part is landscaping it. “There has been a trend over the past at least decade I would say of people trying to bridge indoor and outdoor,” said Thomas L. Kapfer, landscape designer at Washington’s Ginkgo Gardens, which specializes in urban gardening.“I think a lot of

Photo: Rill Architects

Rill Architects in Bethesda, Md., designed this backyard gazebo with a fireplace and kitchen overlooking the pool.

people in their residential places are really trying to get a lot more out of their backyard and have nature to themselves.” Washingtonians have moved away in recent years from wanting perfectly manicured landscapes — think shaped trees, for instance — and toward natural grasses mixed with low-maintenance plants. “Even in an urban sphere — which normally you think of as very defined with shapes and geometry and the spaces are pretty small, and you don’t think of it as kind of more wild — I would say now even in smaller urban spaces people have an affinity for more natural and wild-looking landscapes,” Kapfer said.

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The Washington Diplomat Page 23

Continued from previous page More creative use of outdoor spaces is also growing, said Tom Hammond, manger and garden designer at Ginkgo Gardens. “A lot of people are thinking about vertical gardening, making use of walls and trellising and espalier systems,” Hammond said. “A lot of people are going into urban farming. In that sense, you can use your walls to espalier fruit trees and edibles while also growing food in your garden.” Espalier is the practice of controlling plant growth by pruning and tying branches to a frame so they grow into a flat plane, such as against a wall or trellis. As for what to plant, the Washing­ ton area is lucky, Kapfer said. Our middle ground between the North

“We’ve done houses that are more exterior space than interior space,” said James F. Rill, principal at Rill Architects, which designed the garden pavilion and pool house with kitchen, full bathroom and fireplace above.

and South means things that do well in both regions will do well here. “Probably more than a lot of other areas in the United States, we get a huge range of plants that we can grow,” he said.“For the most part, we can grow just about anything you want.”

One favorite of the area is Virginia sweetspire shrubs, which flower in early summer, have fall color and keep their leaves well into the winter. “That can be a standout in the garden,” Kapfer said. They also use a lot of oakleaf hydrangea because it’s sturdy, requires no maintenance and has flowers all summer. For evergreens, they plant holly, boxwoods, various junipers, wax myrtle and bayberry. Prices can range from a few hundred dollars for a consultation to about $20,000, which is typical of Capitol Hill-area clients, Kapfer said. “Right now a lot of people are going for more quality in the landscape rather than quantity,” he said. “I’d say 10 years ago people were being more flashy…. Now people don’t necessarily want the extravagance. They like it a little bit more restrained, a little bit simpler.”

Adding It Up “A big part of what people do is dictated by budget, so one of the first things to do is to start thinking how much you want to invest, how much you want to spend on a project,” Millholland said. Prices can vary widely from about $10,000 to add a trellis to hundreds of thousands of dollars for fireplaces, outdoor kitchens and terraces. For people considering selling their home, outdoor renovations can increase curb appeal, but appraisers and banks give value only for interior square footage, not exterior square footage, Rill said. “These projects are usually not the huge returns on investments,” he said.“Porches, decks, patios, terraces, outdoor spaces are going to return something certainly and make the house more sellable, but I don’t know that you’re going to get dollar for dollar in the short term as an investment.” Denise Warner, a realtor at George­ town’s Long & Foster/Chris­tie’s International Real Estate, said well-

Page 24

designed outdoor spaces do make a difference to potential buyers. “A space which extends the living area on a seasonal basis, such as a deck or a screened-in porch, enhances a home’s marketability,” she said. “Over time, outdoor space may inspire a potential buyer with ideas to expand the home by enclosing the patio or deck. Generally, welldesigned expansions and additions increase a home’s value and market appeal in many neighborhoods.” Before you hire an architect or landscaper, do some homework, the experts said. Visit the U.S. Botanic Garden for plant ideas, Hammond said. Go online to Houzz.com and browse magazines or ride around neighborhoods such as Dumbarton Oaks to get inspiration, Rill said. If possible, let hardscapers (who handle the nonliving components of a backyard, such as concrete, brick and stone) and landscapers collaborate, Hammond added. “It does help to do more of the hardscaping first,” he said.“The hardscaping can often [expose] the bones of the space and then you can soften things up. Sometimes we come in after the fact and they leave no planting space. We want to emphasize that you want to blend the two together so they work well together.” The bottom line? Washingtonians love their natural spaces, but they love their comfort, too. “You don’t have to rough it to be outside anymore,” Millholland said.

Photos: Rill Architects

Stephanie Kanowitz is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

LUXURY LIVING The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

[ diplomacy ]

Cultured Market India, Oman Buy Real Estate to Expand Cultural Presence by Martin Austermuhle

I

The Embassy of India paid $5.75 million for an old post office building on the bustling U Street corridor to turn it into a state-of-the-art cultural center.

n 2005, a U.S. State Department advisory committee issued a report on the value of using culture in the practice of diplomacy. “Cultural diplomacy is the linchpin of public diplomacy; for it is in cultural activities that a nation’s idea of itself is best represented,” offered the report. Many foreign embassies in Washington already knew that. Cultural programming has been a mainstay of D.C.’s diplomatic community for years (much of it dutifully covered in the pages of The Washington Diplomat). Washingtonians regularly flock to the embassies of Argentina,Austria, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden and other nations for hundreds of exhibits, performances, discussions and other events throughout the year. Mexico has its own prized cultural institute on 16th Street, and Spain recently opened its own cultural space in the former ambassador’s residence. Two other countries are getting in on the act and have taken initial steps to establish or expand their cultural presences in the nation’s capital. In August 2013, the Embassy of India purchased an old post office building along Washington’s bustling U Street corridor, paying $5.75 million for a 12,300-square-foot building that it hopes to transform into a “state-of-the-art cultural center.” In January 2014, the Embassy of Oman followed suit, closing on a $16.5 million, 22,500-square-foot property at 16th and L Streets, NW, that it plans on using to expand the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, which is currently housed at the Middle East Institute two blocks away. Both embassies bought the buildings from Rock Creek Property Group. With the purchases, India and Oman join a small number of countries that have established separate cultural institutes to broaden their public diplomacy efforts in Washington. (In 2012, South Korea reacquired the 135-year-old home that served as its first embassy in the U.S. and plans to host cultural events there). Despite India’s close ties with the United States and sizable diaspora in the country — according to the 2010 U.S. Census, the Indian American population exceeds 2.8 million — the country has never had a formal cultural center in Washington. The center will be run by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, which operates 30 such centers in countries from Germany to Ghana and Malaysia to Mexico.The planned center will have an auditorium, gallery, library and conference hall, much like other Indian cultural centers around the world. “The property’s location and special attributes are without equal in this corridor,” said Gary Schlager, a principal with Rock Creek Property Group, in a press release.“Large, efficient floors sizes, exposed brick, and 10-to-20-foot ceilings are rare and really differentiated this opportunity in the market.We are just thrilled to see the property find the perfect fit in its new owner, the Republic of India, who will invest the requisite capital for its own use and to the benefit of the surrounding, growing community.” For Oman, its building will serve as yet another extension of an outsized cultural presence for the tiny yet oil-rich Persian Gulf monarchy, population 3.8 million. (Oman’s oil money came in handy since it

Photo: Rock Creek Property Group

reportedly overpaid for the 16th Street property it wants to convert into a cultural center, shelling out twice the assessed value and four times what Rock Creek Property Group paid for the building in a foreclosure just two years ago.) The new center will greatly expand on the existing Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, which was created in 2005 after an agreement between the sultan, for whom the center is named, and the Middle East Institute. According to a filing with the D.C. government, the cultural center will be open during the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is expected to grow from its current staff of three to 10 people, with the possibility of up to 25 employees if the embassy’s cultural mission’s administrative office is moved there too. The center will include three classrooms for Arabic instruction, and the first floor “will contain a research library and fixed exhibition space open to the public, displaying traditional Omani handicrafts, including costumes, textiles, basketry, pottery and silver.” Embassy officials say they expect between 40 to 80 visitors per day, and it will be used for three to four large-scale events per year. Oman has been particularly aggressive in promoting itself through culture and education in recent years. In 2011, it endowed the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Professorship in Middle East Studies at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.; similar professorships and scholarships have been established at Harvard, Georgetown and other universities across the world.

LUXURY LIVING March 2014

Continued on next page

The Washington Diplomat Page 25

“In a globalized world where the powers of military might and diplomatic finesse have diminished, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that’ moments of cross-cultural understanding can make a difference.” — Cynthia Schneider professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service

Photo: Rock Creek Property Group

In January 2014, the Embassy of Oman paid $16.5 million for a 22,500square-foot property at 16th and L Streets, NW, that it plans on using to expand the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center.

Page 26

Continued from previous page Last November, Oman also gave $1.8 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art to support a multiyear series of programming called “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa,” which will highlight the cross-cultural connections of East and North Africa with those found in the Middle East. The donation, the largest in the museum’s history, was backed by the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, which says its aim is to promote “mutual respect and understanding between our nations and … educate a new generation of culturally sensitive and knowledgeable citizens in each society.”As part of that mission, it regularly sends students, scholars and policy analysts to Oman. On Jan. 10, Middle East outreach professionals from universities and organizations around the U.S. traveled around the country as part of a trip organized by the center.

In establishing (India) and expanding (Oman) a cultural and educational presence in Washington, both countries may be building the capacity for what former U.S.Ambassador to the Netherlands and cultural diplomacy expert Cynthia Schneider calls the “Oh, I didn’t know that” factor. Writing in the Huffington Post, Schneider said that performances, exhibits and educational programs can show off a side of both countries that many Americans may not have been aware of. Additionally, she says, it can help broaden many Americans’ global perspectives. “People in the United States desperately need the ‘Oh, I didn’t know that’ experience. At a time when borders are dissolving because of economic and virtual connections, the United States, with its insular education system and media (try to find news on international affairs if you live anywhere other than the East or West coast) is woefully unprepared. In addition to the Embassies in Washington, some American organizations are filling the gap through cultural exchange programs,” she wrote. And in echoing the State Department’s valuation of cultural diplomacy as a driving force of traditional diplomacy, Schneider says that art can have much more impact than agreements. “In a globalized world where the powers of military might and diplomatic finesse have diminished, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that’ moments of cross-cultural understanding can make a difference,” she said. Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

LUXURY LIVING The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

culture & arts

■ WWW.WASHDIPLOMAT.COM

entertainment

THEATER

DIPLOMATIC SPOuSES

Portuguese Twofer Rosa Batoréu, wife of the Portuguese ambassador and deputy chief of mission at the embassy he leads, is proud that Portugal allows couples to serve in the same postings and of the strides women have made in her homeland. PAGE 29

ART

■ MARCH 2014

all the

World’s a sTAGE

Shakespeare was onto something when he said, “All the world’s a stage,” but it’s the Kennedy Center that’s bringing the world to the stage for a three-week theater festival that will offer more than a dozen productions from countries such as Australia, China, France, Iraq, Mexico, Pakistan, Scotland, Sudan, Syria and the United States. PAGE 28

Taste for Tapas The Spanish Embassy serves up a big dose of creativity on a small plate with an exhibit that examines all the ingredients that go into the perfect tapas. PAGE 30

THEATER

Layers of Memory The story of a 100-year-old spinster who spurned her attractive fiancé forms the crux of Mario Vargas Llosa’s complex play whose layers GALA Hispanic Theatre tries to peel away. PAGE 32 Photo: Simon AnnAnd

DINING

FILM REVIEWS

The relaxed approach of Roberto Donna’s Alba Osteria doesn’t detract from his exacting standards. PAGE 34

A lonely wife and aging widower find solace and surprise in “The Lunchbox.” PAGE 36

[ theater ]

Dramatic Undertaking With International Theater Festival, All the Kennedy Center’s a Stage by Stephanie Kanowitz

S

[ Page 28

hakespeare was onto something when he said, “All the world’s a stage,” but it’s the Kennedy Center that’s bringing the world to the stage. “World Stages: International Theater Festival 2014” is a three-week event (March 10-30) that will offer 13 fully staged productions, four theaterfocused installations, three readings of new works, and two forums featuring pieces from countries such as Australia, Canada, Chile, China, England, France, Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Scotland, South Africa, Sudan, Syria and the United States. “While we present international theater on an annual basis as part of the festivals and the theater season, we decided that rather than focus the international festival on a country or region, that we would focus on international theater from around the world,” said Alicia Adams, the event’s curator and vice president of international programming at the Kennedy Center (and the brainchild behind many of the center’s ambitious globe-spanning festivals). “This would nuance our international festivals by focusing on a single discipline while complementing the Kennedy Center’s American theater season.” Adams and her team spent three years researching options and traveling around the world to bring the festival to fruition. “I wanted to have all of the continents represented,” she told us. “So, from the menu that was available, I was able to decide on countries and match productions.” For instance, the festival will feature the U.S. premiere of “Savannah Bay,” performed in French with English supertitles by the Théâtre de l’Atelier (March 19 to 22 at 7:30 p.m.). It tells the story of a young woman trying to find out why her mother committed suicide the day after her birth. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (March 20 to 22 at 7:30 p.m. and March 23 at 1:30 p.m.) provides lighter subject matter. In this remake of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy by England’s Bristol Old Vic in association with South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, a belief in fairies isn’t superstition but a magic lore encoded in the routines of a community living on the edge. Magic also makes an appearance in the National Theatre of China’s U.S. premiere of “Green Snake,” a tale of two snake spirits and forbidden love directed by Tian Qinxin, World Stages: International one of China’s most highly acclaimed female Theater Festival 2014 directors (March 27 to 29 at 7:30 p.m. and March 30 at 1:30 p.m.). march 10 to 30 Beyond the theater productions are free John F. Kennedy Center events such as staged readings. Iraq and for the Performing Arts Canada teamed to present “Fallujah” (March 2700 F St., nW 29 at 3 p.m.), a contemporary chamber opera that studies the effects of the Iraq War. For more information, please call “I think it is such a unique opportunity to see (202) 467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org/worldstages. all of these great productions here,” Adams said. “I hope that people will be stimulated by the work. I hope that audiences will have learned something about the work that exists in countries represented. And I want audiences to enjoy the experience of seeing such diverse theater.” The Kennedy Center collaborated with many embassies on the project. For instance, the Embassy of Israel’s Cultural Department worked with the center for more than a year to facilitate the production of “Not By Bread Alone” (March 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.), performed by the Nalaga’at Theater Deaf-Blind Acting Ensemble, said Sarit Arbell, director of cultural affairs at the embassy. In it, a group of 11 deaf and blind actors offer a glimpse inside their world through the process of making bread. As they prepare it, they reenact memories, dreams and happy times. The ensemble, founded in 2002, is the world’s only theater ensemble of its kind.“The

]

The Washington Diplomat

PhotoS: KEnnEdy CEntER

Among the productions in “World Stages: international theater Festival 2014” are, from top: the national theatre of China’s “Green Snake,” nalaga’at theater deaf-Blind Acting Ensemble’s “not By Bread Alone” and melbourne theatre Company’s “Rupert,” as well as “A midsummer night’s dream” by England’s Bristol old Vic in association with South Africa’s handspring Puppet Company, pictured on the culture cover.

play is a window into Israeli society,” Arbell said. “As a whole, the Israeli people are not only creative and innovative but deeply committed to social justice. It doesn’t matter if you are deaf or blind, in Israel you have an opportunity to shine.” Australia is represented by “Rupert” (March 12 to 15 at 7:30 p.m.), the U.S. premiere of a play by David Williamson, one of the country’s bestknown playwrights, that takes on media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Performed by the Melbourne Theatre Company — Australia’s oldest professional theater company — “Rupert” examines the Photo: JEFF BuSBy Australian native and the man behind News Corp., one of the world’s largest media conglomerates. “‘Rupert’ takes a look at media and politics in a lighthearted way, yet covers issues that transfer across many countries,” said Teresa Keleher, cultural attaché at the Embassy of Australia. “This performance is absorbing, very funny and theatrical, and showcases renowned playwright David Williamson at his best.” The festival is a great way for audiences to learn about other cultures, the Israeli Embassy’s Arbell said. “The ‘World Stages’ festival demonstrates diversification,” Arbell said. “Art is the language of the heart, a universal language that can bridge disparate cultures.” And Washington is the ideal place for this type of festival, the embassy officials said. “D.C. is a hub of international dialogue in the U.S., and so this forum is the perfect place to enjoy the world on stage,” Keleher said. “D.C. has a tremendous international presence,” Arbell added.“It’s a diverse city with a strong arts scene, and the Kennedy Center is its anchor.” Stephanie Kanowitz is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

March 2014

[ diplomatic spouses ]

Two of a Kind Portuguese Wife Joins Ambassador Husband as DCM at Embassy by Gail Scott

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osa Batoréu is the wife of Portuguese Ambassador Nuno Brito and the mother of two university students. She is also the deputy chief of mission at the Portuguese Embassy and alternate representative to the Organization of American States, making her husband her boss. “I have to walk a careful line, for sure,” she told us.“I always try to avoid talking business at home. When the day is over, I try to disconnect … my nights and weekends are my quality time. The State Department and Lisbon don’t call unless it is very important.” But that doesn’t mean she’s not in demand. “I juggle and work harder than anyone,” she said.“I have two jobs [DCM and wife], and mother when the kids were younger.” In addition to her normal diplomatic duties, Batoréu helped to renovate the Portuguese Residence on Kalorama Road. “I’ve spent two years restoring this house and made a tea room in what used to be the ambassador’s office,” she pointed out. Before the Portuguese Chancery moved to a big brownstone mansion on Massachusetts Avenue close to Dupont Circle, the ambassador and his staff worked in the small addition attached to the residence. The overlapping careers of the ambassador and his wife aren’t that unusual for Portugal. “We have a lot of couples who are both in the Foreign Ministry. We are not an exception. In Portugal, you can’t discriminate on sex, race and personal status. They post couples for at least two years. It also makes sense economically. There’s a savings on one rent rather than two,” Batoréu explained. “I don’t know any other [foreign service] system similar to ours.” “It’s the fairest thing to do,” she added.“If you were both doctors, they wouldn’t keep you from working at the same hospital, or if you were teachers, they wouldn’t keep you from teaching in the same school.” Batoréu says she’s proud of the strides women have made in her country.“When young men and women come out of university, they are of equal value to society.Today, 70 percent of our university graduates are female. That’s opposite of We have a lot of couples what it was just a generation ago. Many times girls didn’t have access to higher education. who are both in the Foreign the Their parents would pay for a son but not so for a girl. And yet, girls work harder.” ministry. We are not an excep- much Batoréu noted that out of 75 ambassadors tion…. it’s the fairest thing to representing Portugal around the world, a dozen are women.As much as she would like to do. if you were both doctors, join that distinguished group one day, Batoréu said she is currently very pleased to serve as they wouldn’t keep you from DCM in Washington. Before coming to D.C. in 2011, Batoréu and working at the same hospital, Brito were posted in Lisbon for most of their careers, holding various positions in or if you were teachers, they diplomatic the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a stint diplomatic advisor to the prime miniswouldn’t keep you from teach- astersenior for Brito from 2002 to 2005. Brito also served in D.C. on a prior occasion, from 1987 to 1993. In addiing in the same school. tion, Batoréu had a few separate assignments away from her husband, in Copenhagen and New York. — RoSA BAToRéu Whenever they were working apart, they tried to deputy chief of mission at the Portuguese see each on weekends and, of course, on holidays. Embassy and wife of Portuguese Interestingly, before they joined Portugal’s Foreign Ambassador nuno Brito Service, they both shared another career, as lawyers — a professional connection that led to a personal one 30 years ago. “We are both lawyers and met at a bar association meeting — a most unromantic place! We were near each other in line since in Portugal you always line up by your first name. Years later my husband admitted that he still remembered how I was

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March 2014

Photo: GAil SCott

Rosa Batoréu, above, is deputy chief of mission at the Portuguese Embassy in Washington, where her husband serves as ambassador. She is pictured with him and their son Alfonso and daughter Carlota at Alfonso’s high school graduation from the Washington international School.

dressed but I don’t,” Batoréu fondly recalled. “The day before my oral exam I decided to go and watch the others. In Portugal our oral exams are open. We can watch and hear each other. I saw him and heard how brilliant he was and how intelligent,” she said.“We were married soon after we joined the Foreign Service and managed our careers so we could have children too. He traveled all the time for business and I traveled personally whenever I could…. I love to travel the world.” Today, their 18-year-old daughter Carlota is studying in Lisbon for her bachelor’s degree in graphic design and is fascinated with art history, while their 20-year-old son Alfonso is studying business administration in Lisbon and, according to his mother, is interested in “everything, especially soccer.” “We Skype every day, which means I have to juggle time for Lisbon. With the time difference, we usually talk when they are eating their lunch or dinner. So, I’m talking and they’re eating.” When she’s not working, Batoréu likes to keep busy in her down time.“I have no

See dIPloMATIC SPouSeS, page 35 The Washington Diplomat Page 29

[ art ]

Deconstructing Tapas Spanish Small Plates Blend Taste and Artful Design by Audrey Hoffer

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panish cuisine is renowned around the world and in Washington. El Celler de Can Roca in Girona was named the world’s best restaurant in 2013 by Restaurant magazine, with two others in the top 10, giving Spain the highest number of restaurants among the 10 best in the world. Locally, Spanish-American chef José Andrés has built a name for himself with his Jaleo brand of restaurants, becoming both a Beltway personality and international celebrity chef. Jaleo specializes in the small plate concept known as tapas — perhaps Spain’s most enduring contribution to the culinary world. These small plates go beyond simple snacks. They pack a big bite of both flavor and creativity, showcasing a chef’s artistry and skill, as well as Spain’s fusion of food and design. The Spanish Embassy brings all these ingredients together in “TAPAS. Spanish Design for Food,” a sweeping, colorful, playful multimedia exhibit in the former residence of the Spanish ambassador, a grand Beaux-Arts mansion that now serves as Spain’s cultural center. “We demonstrate that the Spanish gastronomic explosion doesn’t take place in a void,” said Guillermo Corral, the embassy’s cultural counselor.“It takes place within the creativity of many disciplines and combines architecture, industrial and graphic design. We take classical elements and turn them into something else for pleasure, fun, utility and creativity.” In Spain, chefs, designers and architects all come together to create the right setting for an innovative meal. It’s a philosophy embraced by Andrés, who served as chef advisor for the exhibition. Andrés, whose Jaleo restaurants in D.C. and Bethesda, Md., recently underwent a redesign, says that “working with the best ingredients is how we create an astonishing dish, but in order to create a memorable experience, the best elements of design, from the kitchen, to the table, to the plate, all must come together to tell an exciting story.” In the 1980s, the interior design of Spanish restaurants underwent a striking transformation, which led architects and decorators to turn restaurant design into a specialist field, said Juli Capella, curator of the exhibit and a designer and architect herself (who designed Minibar, Jaleo and other Andrés restaurants). “The American public isn’t fully aware of the depth of interest and passion there is for food in Spain,” Corral said. “We show in an entertaining way how sophisticated, avant-garde, innovative and ironic both cuisine and its design are.” The exhibit does this with more than 200 objects organized into three categories — kitchen, table, food — as visitors are guided room to room by bold white letTAPAS. Spanish design for Food tering and directional arrows emblazoned on black carpet. The result is visually through march 23 exciting and beautifully executed, much former residence of the ambassador of Spain like a satisfying long meal.

2801 16th St., nW

For more information, please call (202) 728-2334 or visit www.spainculture.us.

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THE KITCHEN

“Tools for the laboratory that has become the kitchen”— that’s how Capella described the utensils and containers that have been used in the kitchen for ages but updated to 21st-century sensibilities. Here, form and function meet fun.A white polyethylene cutting board features curved ends that gracefully pour out the food you’ve chopped, such as tiny pieces of an onion into the skillet on the stove. Another inventive cutting board has random holes pierced in the thick wood pallet. So as you slice a loaf of bread, the crumbs fall through the holes and are funneled through a tube that deposits them not into a trashcan, but outside the house into a bird feeder. Waste not, want not. A citrus spray also doubles as an ingenious gadget. A conduit with a sharp point is inserted into the top of a lemon or orange and collects the juice when you press the handle.Then the juice sprays out. An ice cube mold lets you make, store and artfully present 132 ice cubes on the table.

The Washington Diplomat

PhotoS: SPAin ARtS & CultuRE

“TAPAS. Spanish design for Food” showcases the innovative designs and playful whimsy that go into creating the small plates that have become a hallmark of Spanish cooking.

Drop a raspberry or other small bit of fruit in the water to solidify in the cube for added artistic effect.

THE TAbLE “Wares in this category show a rich tradition of Spanish arts and crafts renovated and updated — the interaction of ceramics and gastronomy,” said Capella. “One aspect is playfulness,” said Corral, pointing to a plate that, except for the aluminum silver coloring, resembles a slice of rye bread. Another item literally blends food and art. A white plate is shaped like a paint palette, replete with thumbhole to hold it and a slot for a wine glass stem. It is clever and simple — perfect for balancing food and drink at an embassy cocktail party. Other items playfully incorporate the source of much of our food.White ceramic jugs, plates and serving trays are cast directly from animal organs such as cow hearts, pig intestines and sheep brain, a strange but organically natural design. A white mug is nothing special until you lift it to drink. Then the person sitting opposite sees a colored cartoon of an animal’s face on the bottom. “In Spain we love to play with food and not just eat it,” said Capella, striding over to a soccer foosball table that doubles as an actual dining table. Chef Andrés installed thick glass inches above the toy soccer game and viola, created a dining table. Another whimsical but functional invention is a narrow folding table that seats four people in a small space such as the tightly confined balconies that dot European cities. A wood trestle with four legs incorporates plastic holders into which plates, cups and soup bowls can be inserted.There’s even a holder for an ice bucket, wine bottle, flower-

See TAPAS, page 46 March 2014

[ architecture ]

Building Connections Ibero-American Architecture Gives Rise to ‘Transforming Cityscapes’ by Molly McCluskey

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o step off 18th Street and into the Art Museum of the Americas is to set foot in Spain, or Honduras or Argentina. Because housed inside the diminutive museum, an extension of the Organization of American States, are some of the world’s greatest buildings. Here, in an otherwise underwhelming gallery, is a sweeping collection of photographs representing the best of architecture throughout Spain, Portugal and Latin America. The exhibit, “Transforming Cityscapes: Winning Entries of the 8th Ibero-American Architecture and Urban Design Biennial (IAUB),” has a long title but straightforward premise: to survey the architectural trends that are shaping cities in the Ibero-American world (countries that were once ruled by Spain and Portugal). The IAUB focuses on the achievements and ideas presented by architects and architecture students. Every two years, a jury of representatives from various fields selects the best projects, comparing and contrasting different architectural and urban design initiatives in the countries that comprise the IberoAmerican community. PhotoS: ARt muSEum oF thE AmERiCAS Included in the exhibit are publications, research projects, proposals and Among the buildings highlighted in “transforming videos from 2009 to 2011 that are sure Cityscapes: Winning Entries of the 8th iberoto please any architecture aficionado. It’s American Architecture and urban design Biennial” the eighth such installment of the comare, from clockwise top: “Coliseos para los Juegos petition that began in Spain in 1998, Suramericanos de medellín” in Colombia, with the first IAUB held in Madrid. Since “Atrio Relais-Châteaux” in Cáceres, Spain, then, biennial competitions have been and “Residencia 4x30” in São Paulo, Brazil. held in Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Montevideo, Lisbon, Medellín, and Cadiz, Spain. The ninth installment will Devin Dotson, a nonprofit communibe held in Rosario,Argentina, in October cations executive who previously lived 2014. in Chile, stopped short as he toured the The exhibit spans the world and exhibit. There, a photograph of reflects the vast reach of Ibero-American “Arquitectura del Campus Universidad culture. Countries highlighted in the Adolfo Ibáñez” by José Cruz Ovalle show include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, caught his eye. “This was right near Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, where I lived,” he said excitedly of the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El private university in Santiago.“I watched Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, these buildings go up.” His eyes scanned Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, the corners of the photograph, and the edges of the Transforming Cityscapes: Winning entries Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela. territory it covered, and for a moment, it was as if The items on display also reveal the scope he had stepped back onto the university campus. of the 8th Ibero-American Architecture of architectural skill found throughout these One could almost see him strolling on the sidewalk and urban design Biennial (IAuB) countries. From a pedestrian bridge spannext to the building, so transported was his gaze. through march 16 ning the skyline, to an outdoor relaxation The 200 people crowded into the small exhibit space, to a home brilliantly lit by expansive seemed similarly transported, with many convergArt Museum of the Americas windows, the collection is both geographiing around particular photographs, analyzing the 201 18th St., nW cally and aesthetically diverse. buildings, imaging them in their daily lives. Could For more information, please call (202) 370-0147 Architectural elements don’t always attract we live here? Could we work there? How would or visit www.museum.oas.org. our notice — we often take the underpinthis building look in the skyline of Washington, D.C? nings of everyday structures for granted, London? New York? Dubai? overlooking the artistry that went into them. But the images at the Art Museum of Just as we view portraits and attribute all manner of characteristics and personthe Americas refocus our attention on the imagination and innovation contained alities to their subjects, so too do we view buildings. And these buildings, which within buildings and infrastructure. Photographs draw our eyes to the sleek glass transformed their landscapes back home, left an indelible impression on the peofloor-to-ceiling windows of a residential building in Brazil, the graceful beams ple viewing them from afar, taking them to places they’d been, or places they’d hovering over a massive indoor sports coliseum in Medellín, or the medieval- want to visit. inspired exterior of an upscale contemporary hotel in the historic city of Caceres, Spain. Molly McCluskey (@MollyEMcCluskey) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

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[ theater ]

Subjective Memories Writer Peels Away Family Secrets in ‘Young Lady of Tacna’ by lisa Troshinsky

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he Young Lady from Tacna (La Señorita de Tacna),” written by Peruvian playwright Mario Vargas Llosa, is a tricky memory piece.The enigmatic script, performed in Spanish with English surtitles, has many layers. It moves back and forth in time, showcases a story within a story, and tries to uncover mysteries within the plot. All these challenges make it difficult to pull off — and GALA Hispanic Theatre’s current production is a testament to those hurdles. An admirable but possibly over-ambitious effort,“Tacna” is the story of a middle-age Peruvian man, Belisario, played by GALA company member Carlos Castillo, who spends the play composing a novel about his mysterious, now-deceased aunt. Belisario’s humble abode, complete with an old-fashioned typewriter and overflowing library filled family photos for inspiration, permanently occupies stage right and is physically divided from the action of his developing fiction, unfolding on a minimalistic set stage left. On occasion the struggling writer, who desperately wishes to turn his novel into a grand love story, breaks the barrier and becomes a character in his book, as if to portray a deeper connection to his craft. The somewhat autobiographical “Young Lady from Tacna” examines the writer’s creative process. “In exploring the themes of family and a family’s secret history, Vargas Llosa returns to familiar territory: how a story is born and why certain stories must be told and relived,” said José Carrasquillo, who directs the play. Belisario taps away on his ancient typewriter, paces the floor in exasperation, crumples up unwanted words on pages, chides himself for delving into irrelevant tangents, and becomes excited over choice nuggets that bubble up from his consciousness. All the while he’s fascinated by his aunt, Mamae, a 100-year-old woman who never married and abruptly ended her engagement to a dashing Chilean captain when she was young, even going so far as to burn her wedding dress, for reasons never understood by her family. In a religious culture in South America, where traditions die hard, being considered a “spinster” left many questions. Carrasquillo succeeds in recreating Belisario’s frustration and confusion over family secrets and the difference between real-life events and his own imagination — possibly to a The Young lady from Tacna fault. Belisario’s confusion at times becomes our (la Señorita de Tacna) own. For example, Giorgos Tsappas’ simplistic set through march 9 for the writer’s creation — a raised, slanted room with a wood floor and one chair in the corner, in GAlA Hispanic Theatre front of a dimly lit backdrop of trees — leaves the 3333 14th St., nW audience’s eyes and imagination wanting more. It’s tickets are $38 or $42. unclear why the floor is slanted (is it a metaphor for For more information, please call a skewed writer’s memory?) or why the trees in the background don’t have leaves or branches (do the (202) 234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org. trees symbolize gravestones because all the characters have passed on at the time of his writing?). Instead of being intriguing, these confusing details are a distraction. Although it’s ideal for an audience to relate to the protagonist, even when he is frustrated, watching the play unfold should not cause annoyance — a risky fine line, at best. This rears its head again with script transitions between the world of the artist and the world of his creation. At times, Belisario’s commentary is an added bonus for clarification, but at other instances, it feels like an unwanted interruption. Other challenging transitions are those of time. Carrasquillo, who also directed Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer-winning play “Ana en el trópico” at GALA, admitted in an interview the difficulties of directing a play that doesn’t have the structure of scenes,

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The Washington Diplomat

PhotoS: lonniE tAGuE

luz Nicolás, at right, plays a woman who mysteriously ended her engagement to a dashing Chilean captain (Victor maldonado, above left) when she was young in mario Vargas llosa’s “the young lady from tacna (la Señorita de tacna).”

with no black-outs or scene changes. And the script jumps around a lot, spanning the period when Mamae, played deftly by Luz Nicolas, was a young, sweet-16, innocent maiden on the brink of her marriage, to when she was an elderly woman who moves in and out of mental reality, sometimes with hysteria. It also chronicles the latter part of the 20th century and the devastating consequences of the War of the Pacific between Peru and Chile (1879-83), a clash whose hostilities still simmer today. Luckily, Nicolas as Aunt Mamae makes these transitions seamlessly. She takes her time moving from a youthful spirit to an incontinent, befuddled senior with dexterous, slow, controlled movements, giving the audience ample space to adjust to plot changes. The only other standout character is Pedro, the grandfather of the clan, played by GALA Artistic Director Hugo Medrano. GALA Hispanic Theatre, housed in the historic Tivoli Theater in the heart of gentrified Columbia Heights, has become a leading Spanish theater company over the last three decades. Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010, is a favorite among the area’s largely Hispanic population, which may know him better for his fiction than for his theatrical productions.Yet for the rising local community, it’s certainly a treat to attend performances that showcase Latin culture in their native language. “The Young Lady from Tacna,” however, for myriad reasons, sometimes gets lost in translation. Lisa Troshinsky is the theater reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

March 2014

[ history ]

Stitch in Time ‘Workt by Hand’ Weaves Together Overlooked Side of U.S. History by Audrey Hoffer

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[ March 2014

resident’s Day last month sparked the usual interest in the history of two of America’s most iconic leaders, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, both of whose birthdays are in February. But America’s history was built not only on the backs of men. Women’s contributions often take a backseat in the history books — and in the art world. One contribution in particular, quilts, are often dismissed as women’s work or simple crafts rather than significant pieces of art. “Workt by Hand: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts aims to shatter some of these preconceptions, while giving quilting its historical due. “Quilt making was among the most significant forms of artistic production historically available to women,” said Susan Fisher Sterling, director of the museum. The creative staging of 35 colorful quilts — all handmade between the 18th and 20th centuries — as paintings on the wall, as works-in-progress on a loom, and as bedspreads weave a complex story of American history. Evoking the time period in which they were made, the museum walls are also papered and decorated with period oil paintings, as well as sepia and black-and-white photographs. The term “workt” in the exhibition title is an archaic spelling of “worked” and was commonly used in historical quilting literature, indicating the distinctive and personal nature of an object produced by a skilled craftsperson, according to exhibit materials. “Hidden labor” refers to the considerable energy that went into making quilts — labor that was often undervalued compared to the artwork of men. Quilts required not only skill, but also resources. Contrary to the myth of the industrious pioneer woman using scraps of materials, “evidence shows that quilts surviving from the early 1700s were made from expensive fabrics and that the women who made them had time on their hands — that is they probably had servants or slaves,” said Virginia Treanor, associate curator at the museum and liaison curator for the exhibit. “The presumption is that most 19th-century quilts came from the hands of women in upper-class white households, but it’s likely that slave labor Workt by Hand: Hidden labor was also used,” she added, noting and Historical Quilts that complementary photographs support this belief. through April 27 Betsey A. Canfield, born in 1794, National Museum of Women in the Arts made a white although now yel1250 new york Ave., nW lowed-with-age “Coverlet” from 1810 For more information, please call (202) 783-5000 that’s beautifully spread across a bed frame or visit www.nmwa.org. in the exhibit. Quilting typically uses needle and threat to stitch together three layers of material: a top fabric layer, batting or soft insulation, and a bottom layer of fabric. Canfield designed an elliptical medallion around a large basket of flowers. She inserted extra batting in the leaves and petals to create a bas-relief effect. The white fabric she chose as the top layer suggests this was a quilt for special occasions rather than everyday use — an example of a well-off household with multiple linens.

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At first glance, “Pictorial Quilt” — the oldest quilt on display from here, from 1795 — is a bland sheet with spots of color. Yet peer closely and images will spring to life. Colorful couples in decorative outfits and varied poses of conversation are embedded in the design. A soldier in a long red dress coat asks a lady in a feathered hat to dance, while another graciously extends his arm for a walk. Extraordinary scenes from colonial life step out of history via this embroidered quilt. The “Whole-Cloth Quilt” made in the 1830s is another window into the country’s colonial roots. It looks like a sheet of postage stamps because the quilt is actually composed of dozens of miniature portraits of the first seven U.S. presidents — George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, who was president PhotoS: BRooKlyn muSEum PhotoGRAPh / GAVin AShWoRth, R PhotoGRAPhER Rth, when the quilt was made. Below their portraits is patriotic embroiThe National Museum dery that says, “Magnanimous in of Women in the Arts Peace, Victorious in War.” features 35 colorful Likewise, the early 19th-century quilts to shed light on patchwork “Liberty Quilt,” attributed women’s contributions to Elizabeth Welsh of Virginia, illusto u.S. history, including, trates how women created and disfrom top: the “Star of seminated iconic American revoluBethlehem Quilt,” mary tionary symbols. A. Stinson’s “Crazy Welsh also made the “Medallion Quilt,” a “Pictorial Quilt” Quilt,” which features a large eagle and Elizabeth Welsh’s bearing universal symbols of peace “medallion Quilt,” all — flowers, leaf sprigs, arrows — in made in the 1800s. its beak and claw. Decorative birds and flowers cascading over the quilt are made by reverse-appliqué, a technique in which the top layer of fabric is cut in the shape of a flower, animal, person or some abstract form, resulting in the colored layers of fabric beneath showing the cut form. Exquisite precision and nimble hands were required to perform this technique. “The reason these quilts still exist is because they were prized possessions and probably weren’t used very often,” said Treanor.“They’ve survived because they are masterpieces in their own right.” Different patterns and artistic styles — from “Double Wedding Band” designs to the “Barn Raising” or “Log Cabin” style — are also explored. For example, Pennsylvania Amish women created quilts with a distinctly simple aesthetic because they eschewed patterns and vibrant color.“Bars Quilt” created around 1890 showcases this simplicity with blocks and broad stripes of dark brown, green and rust. It is surprisingly modern, like a Mark Rothko abstract painting. “Clearly these women were artists even if they didn’t think of themselves as artists,” said Treanor.“The level of skill, expertise and time that went into their work is astonishing.”

See QuIlTS, page 46 The Washington Diplomat Page 33

[ dining ]

Donna Doubles Down Acclaimed Chef Goes Casual For Piedmont-Inspired Alba Osteria

Photo: AlBA oStERiA

by Rachel G. Hunt

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n December, restaurateur Hakan Ilhan and chef Roberto Donna joined forces again to open another Italian concept eatery, Alba Osteria, which is nearly double the size of their other restaurant, Al Dente, but smaller in price, with a more laidback menu inspired by Italy’s Piedmont region. In 2012, Al Dente (originally called La Forchetta) was named one of the 20 best new restaurants in America by Esquire magazine, which also recognized Donna as its chef of the year. Alba is another step in the restoration of Donna’s reputation after years of legal and financial woes and reveals the culinary genius that made him one of the leading chefs in the area when he presided over Galileo (arguably the best Italian restaurant ever in the District) and roughly a dozen other successful restaurants since coming to D.C. in the early 1980s. In a shift away from Donna’s usual formal style, the partners based Alba on the osteria model. More casual than a trattoria, osterias began as places to drink the local wines while munching on simple fare but gradually evolved to emphasize the food as well. Moving further downtown from Al Dente, which is close to American University, Ilhan and Donna selected a large corner space on I Street in the Mount Vernon Triangle district. The area, not long ago known primarily for its parking lots, has transformed into a neighborhood populated mostly by young professionals. Ilhan and Donna went with the osteria concept to cater to this demographic, making it flexible, casual and slightly more affordable than its uptown big sister, Al Dente. To bring his vision for Alba to life, chef Donna turned to longtime colleague Amy Brandwein, who began her career in the pastry kitchen at Galileo before going on to serve as the executive chef in several of Donna’s restaurants as well as helming the well-received Casa Nonna before it closed. For Alba’s culinary inspiration, Donna turned to the home of his youth, the Piedmont region of Italy (Piemonte in Italian), an area known for its wine making and agriculture; and for its name, the city of Alba, which sits at the heart of the Piedmont wine industry and is a culinary mecca in its own right. Alba’s menu features house-made salumi, cheeses, an excellent selection of hot and cold antipasti, house-made pastas, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and larger daily specials designed to be shared. For a simple snack or starter, Alba’s cheese and cured meats plate — served with pickled vegetable, hazelnut honey and sticks of sugared fired Alba osteria bread — offers diners delicious options, 425 i St., nW such as the finocchiona (pork sausage (202) 733-4454 with fennel and garlic) and the Piedmont www.albaosteriadc.com classic castelmagno, a blue-veined, semihard, cow-sheep-goat cheese. Hours: mon. - thu.; Sun., 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Where Donna and Brandwein really Fri. and Sat., 11 a.m. - 12 a.m. elevate Alba’s menu is with the piatti caldi. These sizeable selections offer simple but Starters: $6 - $26 perfectly executed dishes — exemplified entrées: $7 - $19 by the subric, three crisp fritters, each filled Pizza: $8.95 - $13.95 with eggplant, potato and cauliflower, that are served with bagnetto rosso, a rich dessert: $9 Piedmont tomato sauce. Another standout Reservations: Accepted is the cauliflower sautéed with anchovy, egg and grated hard cheese. More complex creations such as the capunet — savory cabbage rolls stuffed with braided duck and spiced quince paste — and the robiola allo speck — cheese wrapped in thin slices of speck and melted over a mound of French fries dressed with garlic sauce — are classic Donna dishes. Robust and rich, they also represent classic Italian at its very best. Both the pastas and pizzas are equally good in their own way, and like the small

[ ] want to

Photo: StACy Z. GoldBERG

Chef Roberto donna, top, recently opened Alba osteria, a casual restaurant in the mount Vernon triangle neighborhood inspired by italy’s Piedmont region.

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The Washington Diplomat

Photo: AlBA oStERiA

plates, do not rely on subtlety for their appeal. The angolotti al brasato is brimming with the flavor of braised beef, bone marrow and cheese, while the cannelloni alla barbaroux melds beef, pork and sausage ragu with béchamel sauce and Parmesan. The Neapolitan pizzas are prepared in a huge wood-burning oven that’s a centerpiece of the restaurant and produces perfectly thin, chewy crusts. Varieties range from a plain marinara with tomato, garlic, olive oil and oregano to the piemontese, which is topped with fontina, fresh mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, pork sausage and rosemary. The pies are big enough for two but, in the classic Italian style, the toppings are used sparingly so as not to weigh the pizza down. Presiding over the kitchen at Alba Osteria as the chef de cuisine, Brandwein’s particular genius for pasty is evident on the dessert menu. Some of the choices are whimsical. The salame di cioccolato is a sausage-shaped log of dense dark hazelnut and rum-flavored chocolate served with a portent zabaglione. Others are more

March 2014

traditional, such as the torta gianduja, a rich chocolate cake made with apricot marmalade and gianduja (a hazelnut chocolate spread invented in Turin, Piedmont’s capital), and served with a pot of hot milk chocolate sauce. Still others defy classification. The coppa di torino is a concoction of cookies soaked in Nocello liqueur, served with oddly textured hazelnut gelato, candied chestnuts, meringue fingers and preserved dark cherries. But perhaps the best of the desserts, startling good in its simplicity, is the polenta bianca, an oasis of white polenta baked with a thick caramel crust and complemented by house-made gelato. The restaurant’s décor mirrors the relaxed style of the food. Ilhan turned to Matthew Norris of the Atlanta-based Norris Design Studio, a franchise design specialist that has worked with Ilhan on his other projects, including Al Dente. Norris faced the challenge of interpreting the osteria concept — typically rural, small and casual — within 5,500 square feet of urban space. He didn’t attempt to recreate the Italian countryside but did try to capture that rustic feeling. The large space is broken into smaller sections, each with a different focus. In a clever bit of recycling, the main architectural element creating the sections is a wall made of elegant metal-and glass panels from an abandoned crayon factory in Sandusky, Ohio. Norris also uses the same black, white, gray and orange accents he used in Al Dente, but to quite different effect.Though industrial elements dominate Alba’s design, the ambience is warm, especially in the cozy seating arrangements

from page 29

diplomatic Spouses

Photo: AlBA oStERiA

Startling good in its simplicity, the polenta bianca dessert is an oasis of white polenta baked with a thick caramel crust and complemented by house-made gelato.

around the beautiful red-and-orange-tiled pizza oven and the chef’s table. Comfort is a key part of Alba’s service strategy, and staff work hard to make each visit a success. Alba is still ironing out its service, though, and the experience can be inconsistent. Large crowds pose a bit of a challenge, and the timing from kitchen to table may leave long lags between courses, or too many dishes on the table at once. Staff, however, are uniformly helpful and well prepared, even though some are clearly new to the business. Though still experiencing some opening hiccups, Alba is a welcome addition to the Mount Vernon Triangle and a welcome sign that Donna has firmly turned the corner and returned to his culinary roots. The opportunity to sample his work in a casual, comfortable and affordable setting is all the more reason to celebrate. Rachel G. Hunt is the restaurant reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

talent but I love music,” she quipped. “As a child, I took piano for six years until my mother gave up. I couldn’t learn a thing.” But she does appreciate music and is a regular at the Kennedy Center. “I keep every playbill; I have big boxes. Who knows when I’ll have time to read them again! I also have plenty of music on my iPod.” Reading is another passion — minus the technology, though. “I do like to hold a real book. I like to feel the paper and turn the pages. I don’t like reading digitally at all.” She also enjoys sports. “I love tennis and going to the gym. I also love to swim but I don’t have any time for that now,” she said. Despite the hectic pace of life, Batoréu said she’s appreciated the opportunities diplomatic life has afforded her and her family. When I asked what are the most important aspects of her life, she quickly replied, “Our children and traveling, especially as a family.” But she has a natural affinity for her roots. “Portugal is the oldest country in Europe. It became an independent country in 1143 and Portuguese discoverers sailed all over the world,” she proudly said. “We are a very warm people. We have the Atlantic, the ocean in our blood … which is very important to us. We are mariners and many Portuguese still fish. “We are very diverse as a people,” she continued. “Our north is nothing [like] our south. Unlike most countries, it is our north where it rains the most and is green and lush. Our northeast even has snow in the winter. The south is barren for 500 miles of beaches.” As we ended our interview, she put her

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“I love to travel the world,” says Rosa Batoréu, deputy chief of mission at the Portuguese Embassy, seen above in Barcelona.

glasses away in a case that caught my eye. It’s wrapped in material imprinted with a Portuguese tile design. A tradition that’s been around for five centuries, Portuguese ceramic tile work, or azulejo, has become a symbol of Portuguese culture and graces churches, palaces and average homes throughout the country. Batoréu seized on the subject to show off the intricate tiles that line the rooms at the residence. “The tiles started in the Arab world. We discovered them in the 16th century and they flourished in the 17th century. When we first saw them, we wanted to use them for climatic reasons. It is very humid in Portugal because we are so close to the sea. With tiles, we don’t have to paint as often. Now the tiles have become the national art of Portugal and I love them.” Gail Scott is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat and Diplomatic Pouch.

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The Washington Diplomat Page 35

[ film reviews ]

‘Lunchbox’ Surprise Accidental Pen Pals in India Become Intimate Over Lunch by Ky N. Nguyen

T [

At the Dubai International Film he Indian independent film “The Festival,Abu-Assad claimed the best Lunchbox” marks a stunning feadirector win for his confident directure debut from Indian writer-direction of a skilled ensemble cast and tor Ritesh Batra, who deftly portrays a deft screenplay blending a numthe accidental correspondence ber of genres: political thriller, between a lonely wife and an older youthful romance and coming-ofworker awaiting retirement. Filmed age story. on location in Mumbai, the crisp, steady Dealing with the constraints of cinematography shot with the Arri Alexa living in occupied territory, young digital video camera by Michael Simmonds Palestinian baker Omar (Adam creates an authentic background humming Bakri) maintains a pretty positive with details. The audience receives a vivid attitude, doing what he has to do to sense of how oppressively crowded life can survive. He regularly risks detenfeel in the big city while catching occation by breaking the rules of the sional moments of peaceful solitude cherIsraeli occupation, climbing over a ished by the protagonists. barrier wall separating him from For his assured direction of “The his best pal, Tarek (Eyad Hourani), Lunchbox,” Batra has already won a slew of Photo: Michael Simmonds / Sony Pictures Classics and his secret girlfriend Nadia awards around the world. Much of the (Leem Lubany). credit for the film’s success also goes to a Irrfan Khan is an aging widower who finds a note mistakenly given to him by a lonely wife in “The Lunchbox.” Omar’s disobedience escalates talented ensemble cast, led by the three principal actors, for successfully conveying their characters’ ranges of emotions. Distinguished when he,Tarek and their lifelong friend Amjad (Samer Bisharat) train for and conduct a guerIndian actor Irrfan Khan, who has been lauded for his work in both Bollywood (“Paan Singh rilla mission to shoot an Israeli soldier. The security forces eventually arrest Omar, who’s torTomar”) and English-language films (“The Life Of Pi,”“Slumdog Millionaire”), holds down the tured in prison, where Israeli officer Rami (Waleed Zuaiter) coerces him to act as an inforcenter of “The Lunchbox” with a quietly powerful performance as aging widower Saajan mant. Omar agrees and gets out, intending to play both sides while staying true to his beliefs, Fernandes, who’s counting his days until early retirement after 35 years in the Claims but such a treacherous balancing act is easier said than done. Nobody believes for sure if he can be trusted, and he does not know whom he can trust. Department. The reasonably quick pace keeps the action flowing freely and is easily digestible by any Indian actress Nimrat Kaur (“Peddlers”), who The Lunchbox audience. Abu-Assad’s script has a sursubtly depicts a suffering (Dabba) prisingly well-structured plot for someyoung wife, Ila, holds her thing he claims to have largely dashed off own against the more experi(Hindi and English with subtitles; in four hours after awakening in the enced Khan.Their characters’ 104 min.; scope) middle of the night despondent over the virtual relationship gradually Opens Fri., March 7 train-wreck-in-the-making shooting of develops in a believable fash“The Courier.” The screenplay of “Omar” ion, even though they are ★★★★✩ adroitly addresses the moral ambiguities generally not depicted faced by the eponymous protagonist, together in the same frame. who is always striving to do the right Often characterized as the poster boy of Indian New Wave Cinema, thing despite the difficult ethical choices Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who had starring roles in three films at Cannes in he is forced to make. Unfortunately, he is 2013 (“Monsoon Shootout” and “Bombay Talkies” in addition to “The not able to please everybody, and that Lunchbox”), provides a stark contrast to his stoic elder, Khan, with a boisincludes audience members who may be terous portrayal of Shaikh, the overeager young Turk that Saajan is assigned unhappy and opposed to the decisions to train as his replacement. he makes. Bored in a lifeless marriage in which she’s stuck in her home nearly the entire time, Ila spices up how she cooks the lunch of her distant husband Rajeev (Nakul Vaid) in an effort to get his attention.When the lunchbox is Photo: Adopt Films ‘Child’s Pose’: Sleeper Hit returned empty, she excitedly tells her upstairs neighbor she calls Auntie Romanian writer-director Călin Peter (the voice of Bharati Achrekar). After questioning Rajeev, Ila figures out he Having just been released from prison, Omar (Adam Bakri) comforts his Netzer’s “Child’s Pose” was a sleeper entry ate something else, so the lunchbox was somehow mis-delivered. Auntie young seamstress girlfriend Nadia (Leem Lubany) in the thriller “Omar.” without much advance buzz at the 2013 suggests that Ila enclose a note in the lunchbox to the unknown person Berlin International Film Festival, where who licked it clean, which turns out to be Saajan. Both rather lonely, Ila and Omar the director and the film surprisingly sneaked to the victory Saajan eventually share their secrets by correspondence, an increasingly risky podium, capturing both the top Golden Berlin Bear and the (Arabic and Hebrew with subtitles; interaction that changes both of their lives permanently. FIPRESCI Prize. Netzer’s nervous direction maintains a build98 min.; scope) ing sense of disorienting tension throughout the film, while his Angelika Mosaic ‘Omar’ Walks Fine Line well-schemed screenplay, co-written by Razvan Radulescu, West End Cinema After the disappointment of directing “The Courier,” 2012’s English-language delivers brilliant, sharp social and political commentary tinged dud that went straight to video, respected Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abuwith witty, dark humor. ★★★★✩ Assad (“Rana’s Wedding”) gets back in the saddle with the gripping thriller Glory must also be bestowed on frequently outstanding “Omar.” Romanian New Wave actress Luminita Gheorghiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” “The He also gets back to basics: “Omar” is the only Palestinian feature film he’s made since Death of Mr. Lazarescu”) for another mesmerizing turn as a complex female protagonist. 2005’s “Paradise Now.” Returning to his Palestinian roots has served Abu-Assad well: “Omar,” Gheorghiu’s tour-de-force performance boasts plenty of lengthy speeches and extensive which won a Best Foreign Film Golden Globe, is the first Palestinian film to be nominated for See film reviews, page 37 a coveted Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

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The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

[ film interview ]

‘Omar’ and Oscar Palestinian Filmmaker Tries to Break Cinematic Glass Ceiling by Ky N. Nguyen

R

matic influences, including “the meat of an American thriller like ‘No Way Out’ or espected Dutch-Palestinian writer-director-producer Hany ‘The Firm,’ the mystique of French thrillAbu-Assad, a native and current resident of Nazareth, forers like ‘Le Samouraï,’ and the humanity of merly worked as an aeronautical engineer in the Netherlands, an Egyptian thriller like ‘There Is a Stranger where he studied aerodynamics. Despite the unusual career in Our House.’” path that delayed his start in filmmaking, he possesses the “It is a combination of a coming-of-age rare distinction of helming two movies nominated for the story with a genre thriller,” he explained. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (and the “I love movies that challenge my moral only two Palestinian films ever nominated in that category): Golden judgment or any judgment like political Globe winner “Paradise Now” (2005) and “Omar” (2013). judgment.” Abu-Assad, speaking to us at the Jewel Hotel in midtown Manhattan, Striking moral and political chords is admitted that the anticipation of the Oscar race can be grueling.“The first not hard to do when it comes to the time, it was fun because it’s the first time, but the disappointment was Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Asked if audireally heavy because you’d hear someone else’s name and you are disapences in Palestine have seen “Omar,” the pointed whether you like it or not. Because filmmaker reports, “Yes, and most of the I know the taste of disappointment, I’m like, I love movies that reactions were excellent. And I feel it suc‘Oh no, I have to go through this again!’ I’m ceeded because I don’t want to make a traumatized,” he said.“The Oscar is so tense challenge my film just for sophisticated audiences or for everybody. Your legs will bend because festivals like Cannes. I really want to do a of the tension.” moral judgment. movie for the people and for my mother Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane to understand it and enjoy it. Most of the Noujaim’s highly praised “The Square” about — Hany Abu-Assad reactions in Palestine were excellent.” Egypt’s revolution has also been nominated director of “Omar” He describes the audience reaction in for an Oscar. Asked if there’s a renaissance Israel as “mixed, though I have to say it of Middle Eastern film, Abu-Assad replied,“I Photo: Adopt Films was mostly positive, and I was really surhope so…. The Middle East deserves attention since they’ve been prised. I was thinking it would be more neglected. It’s not because there’s no talent. I think it was a truly political Writer-director Hany Abu-Assad’s “Omar” is the first hostile reactions. The hostile reactions decision to neglect them. When the mainstream neglects them, it multi- Palestinian film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. were based on political ideals, not the plies.” quality of the movie.” Abu-Assad understands neglect. He came up with the plot for “Omar” The director used the example of the mobster classic “The Godfather” as a film while shooting “The Courier,” his 2012 dud about a carrier hired to deliver a mysterious case to an underworld hit man.The filmmaker said he “felt like it was not going where morality can be divorced from cinematic achievement. “After seeing the to be a good movie. And you want to escape — well, not escape — survive the movie, crime is still crime, but you appreciate that it challenges your ideas. You project.That night, I remember waking up at four o’clock in the morning sweating appreciate it so much because you felt sympathy with someone who, in reality, you in a panic, and I was thinking,‘Oh my God, I need a project I can rely on after ‘The would never feel sympathy for. I tell everybody, we can discuss politics, but movies are about emotional involvement with characters you can’t be with in reality.” Courier.’Think!’ And I came up with the movie in four hours. As for reality,Abu-Assad said he’s hopeful about the latest Palestinian-Israeli peace “Almost everything was done in a panic in four hours,” he added. “Panic will let push spearheaded by Secretary of State John Kerry.“I am optimistic. Every conflict you think very sharp, and all your knowledge you have will be very well used.” That panic resulted in “Omar,” the story of a Palestinian baker who is arrested will end. Endless conflict doesn’t exist.Whether it’s tomorrow or after a year, I can’t after the killing of an Israeli soldier and, after being tricked into an admission of guilt judge, but I am optimistic we are on our way to solve this problem.” by association, agrees to work as an informant. Abu-Assad calls “Omar” a love story and political thriller with a mélange of cine- Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

“

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from page 36

life, blaming the separation on the undue influence of his girlfriend Carmen (Ilinca Goia). Of course, she’s also greatly disappointed that never-do-well Barbu, now in his 30s, still has not gotten his act together. His persistent troubles culminate close-ups in which she is domiin a lethal auto accident that kills a nating the screen and the viewChild’s Pose teenage boy. The acute danger to her er’s attention. As in her previous Pozitia copilului son activates Cornelia into assuming films, Gheorghiu’s character is a (Romanian with subtitles; protective mother-bear mode, big fascinating player in a corrupt, 112 min.; scope) time. She goes to great lengths to Kafkaesque Romanian society defend her son by twisting the facts, that still has not quite shaken the The Avalon Theatre spreading bribes, and doing whatever brutal legacy of Nicolae Ceaușescu Opens Fri., March 14 it takes to keep him out of prison. But after the fall of communism. ★★★★✩ she finds that some people, such as As a driven, affluent architect businessman Dinu Laurentiu (chillin Bucharest, Cornelia Keneres (Gheorghiu) lives a successful, privileged existence, ingly played by Vlad Ivanov), keeping coming back for exemplified by her lavish 60th birthday party fre- more, leaving no end in sight to Cornelia’s campaign quented by the upper echelons of Romanian society. of influence-peddling. Yet she’s not pleased that her spoiled son Barbu (Bogdan Dumitrache) has distanced himself from her Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

Film Reviews

[ ]

Photo: Zeitgeist Films

Luminita Gheorghiu gives a tour-de-force performance as an upper-class Romanian woman who will protect her son at all costs in “Child’s Pose.”

March 2014

The Washington Diplomat Page 37

[ film ]

CINEMA LISTING *Unless specific times are listed, please check the theater for times. Theater locations are subject to change.

Amharic

EFF = Environmental Film Festival WJFF = Washington Jewish Film Festival NAFF = New African Films Festival

Difret Directed by Zeresenay Mehari (Ethiopia, 2014, 99 min.)

In 1996 Ethiopia, an empowered lawyer who provides free legal services to poor women and children takes on the case of a 14-year-old girl charged with the murder of her abductor and would-be husband (NAFF). AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 15, 7 p.m.

Arabic Shadow in Baghdad Directed by Duki Dror (Israel/France, 2013, 70 min.)

Jews once played a major role in Iraqi society, and this investigative documentary traces their story, and that of the brutal campaign that eventually drove them out from Baghdad (WJFF; Arabic and Hebrew). Washington DCJCC Sat., March 8, 12 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 9, 1:45 p.m.

English A2-B-C Directed by Ian Thomas Ash (Japan, 2013, 71 min.)

Eighteen months after the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, the children there are suffering from severe nosebleeds and are developing skin rashes and thyroid cysts [EFF; screens with “The Bonobo Connection” (Congo/U.S, 2012, 32 min)]. Georgetown University Wed., March 26, 7 p.m.

After Winter, Spring Directed by Judith Lit (France, 2013, 74 min.)

In an era of mega-farms, the encroachment of suburbia, new European Union rules and reductions of agricultural subsidies, the farmers in the Périgord region of France are forced to confront challenges that threaten the very existence of their small farms (EFF).

(New Zealand, 2013, 90 min.)

Follow Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on their monumental and historical first ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953 through interviews, photography and original and staged film footage (EFF). AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 22, 7:30 p.m.

Blood Glacier (Blutgletscher) Directed by Marvin Kren (Austria, 2013, 93 min.)

The crew at a climate-research center in the German Alps discovers a mysterious red liquid on a nearby retreating glacier that seems to be turning local wildlife into predatory monstrosities (EFF). AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 22, 10 p.m.

Breathing Earth: Susumu Shingu’s Dream Directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer (Germany/U.K., 2012, 95 min.)

Japanese artist Susumu Shingu converses with nature through his sculptures. This film lingers with Shingu at the sides of ponds and bamboo forests, emulating the measured pace of his art (EFF). National Gallery of Art Sat., March 22, 4:30 p.m.

Carpe Diem: A Fishy Tale Directed by Scott Dobson (Canada, 2013, 52 min.)

This film explores the complicated fight against the Asian Carp, an invasive but impressive species of fish that is really just doing what it does best: surviving (EFF). Embassy of Canada Tue., March 18, 6:30 p.m.

Char: No Man’s Land Directed by Sourav Sarang Coombe (India, 2013, 88 min.)

AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 30, 5:45 p.m.

A 14-year-old boy smuggling rice from India to Bangladesh dreams of going to his old school in India, but reality forces him to eke out a living on a fragile island formed by the river Ganga, the same river that eroded his home in mainland India (EFF).

Antarctica: A Year on Ice

National Museum of Natural History Fri., March 28, 12 p.m.

Directed by Anthony Powell (New Zealand, 2013, 91 min.)

Photographer Anthony Powell spent 10 years chronicling Antarctica, from the 24-hour darkness of winter to desolate, stunning polar vistas and the creatures and humans based there (EFF; screens with “Critical Mass” and Expedition to the End of the World).

Critical Mass Directed by Mike Freedman (U.K., 2012, 101 min.)

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT Expedition to the End of the World

(Denmark, 2012, 77 min.)

Directed by Daniel Dencik (Denmark, 2013, 90 min.)

For 40 years, Danish architect Jan Gehl has documented how modern cities repel human interaction and argues that we can build cities in a way that takes human needs for inclusion and intimacy into account (EFF; screens with “Thin Ice”).

A schooner packed with artists, scientists and ambitions worthy of Noah or Columbus sets off for the end of the world: the rapidly melting massifs of northeast Greenland (EFF; screens with “Critical Mass” and “Antarctica: A Year on Ice”).

Imbabazi: The Pardon

Felix

Directed by Joel Karekezi (Rwanda, 2013, 73 min.)

Directed by Roberta Durrant (South Africa, 2013, 97 min.)

Thirteen-year-old Felix dreams of becoming a saxophonist like his late father, but his mother Lindiwe thinks jazz is the devil’s music (NAFF). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 16, 4 p.m.

Fynbos Directed by Harry Patramanis (South Africa/Greece/U.S., 2013, 96 min.)

A real estate developer, on the brink of bankruptcy, travels with his wife to a lavish and remote glass house bordering an informal settlement in the Western Cape of South Africa, where his inexplicably goes missing (NAFF). AFI Silver Theatre Mon., March 17, 5:15 p.m., Tue., March 18, 9:30 p.m.

The Ginger Ninjas Ride Mexico (Los Ginger Ninjas Rodando Mexico) Directed by Sergio Morkin (Mexico, 2012, 78 min.)

A rock band goes on a musical odyssey from northern California to the south of Mexico, cycling from bumpy jungle roads to a crowded Mexico City (EFF). GALA Hispanic Theatre Sun., March 30, 12:30 p.m.

Moon Man Directed by Stephan Schesch (France/Germany/Ireland, 2012, 95 min.)

All alone in the sky and bored, the Moon Man hitches a ride to Earth on a passing comet in this animated film. But the world’s children are unable to sleep without seeing the Moon Man, so they must join forces to return him to his rightful place (EFF). Avalon Theatre Sat., March 22, 10:30 a.m.

Inter-American Development Bank Thu., March 27, 6:30 p.m.

Ninah’s Dowry

The Jungle School

Directed by Victor Viyouh (Cameroon/U.S., 2012, 95 min.)

Directed by Riri Riza (Indonesia, 2013, 90 min.)

This film follows the journey of Time magazine’s “Hero of the Year,” Butet Manurung, from anthropologist to educator to activist as she works with isolated tribes in Indonesia to bring literacy and help save their rainforests (EFF).

Ninah, 20, a veteran wife of seven years and a mother of three, tries to escape her abusive relationship, returning home to run a small restaurant (NAFF; English, Pidgin and Babanki). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 16, 6 p.m., Wed., March 19, 9:30 p.m.

National Museum of Women in the Arts Tue., March 25, 7 p.m.

Sand Wars

Kangaroo Dundee

Directed by Denis Delestrac (France, 2013, 80 min.)

Satoyama: Japan’s Secret Forest Directed by Kikuchi Tetsunori (Japan, 2008, 51 min.)

Directed by Thomas Balmès and Nina Bernfeld (France/Finland, 2013, 80 min.)

Yusufu, a once-successful fisherman on Lake Malawi, is now struggling due to the depletion of fish in the lake, while his cultural values are being threatened by the expanding tourist industry (NAFF; English and Chichewa).

In Japan, there are still many places where people quietly live with nature. At the heart of such places are Satoyama, small, forested mountains blessed with rich nature moderately modified by human hand (EFF).

A dreamy and solitary 8-year-old monk living in a remote village in Bhutan takes a three-day journey to the capital to buy a TV set. Does TV bring happiness or will progress destroy an ancient way of life? (EFF)

AFI Silver Theatre Wed., March 19, 7:20 p.m.

The Last Shepherd (L’ultimo Pastore)

Landmark’s E Street Cinema Thu., March 27, 7:30 p.m.

Directed by Marco Bonfanti (Italy, 2012, 76 min.)

AFI Silver Theatre Thu., March 13, 7:15 p.m.

Happiness

Soccer-industry mogul Franz travels to Addis Ababa on a promotional tour, where he’s kidnapped by a rag-tag group of street kids who secretly plan to serve as his liberator (NAFF; English and Amharic).

Page 38

Embassy of the Czech Republic Thu., March 27, 6:30 p.m.

Directed by Shemu Joyah (Malawi, 2012, 110 min.)

Escaping the Flood

Royal Netherlands Embassy Tue., March 25, 6:30 p.m.

Both a documentary and an exercise in film restoration, “It’s All True” tells the complex story of Orson Welles’s ill-fated attempts to make an anthology film about South American life and culture (EFF).

Learn about Ernest Vunan, who cares about the future of his country and decides to save the precious mountain rainforests in northwest Cameroon, where his KedjomKeku tribe lives (EFF).

The Last Fishing Boat

Directed by Menahem Golan (U.S./W. Germany, 1980, 86 min.)

Directed by Leanne Pooley

Directed by Richard Wilson, Myron Meisel and Bill Krohn (Brazil/France/U.S., 1993, 85 min.)

Directed by Michal Gálik (Czech Republic/Slovak Republic, 2013, 52 min.)

Carnegie Institution for Science Thu., March 20, 7 p.m.

The Apple

Beyond the Edge 3D

It’s All True

The Man Who Plants Trees

Embassy of Australia Wed., March 26, 6:30 p.m.

Nigerian-born British playwright Biyi Bandele translates Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s powerful novel of the same name into an emotional drama that gives voice to personal stories of the indignities and atrocities suffered during the Nigerian Civil War (NAFF opening-night film).

Horizontal Beautiful

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 8, 10 p.m.

AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 16, 9:30 p.m., Tue., March 18, 5:15 p.m.

Embassy of Argentina Fri., March 28, 6:30 p.m.

An extraordinary man named Brogla lives in a shack in the Australian Outback with a mob of orphaned kangaroos (EFF).

Directed by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/U.K., 2013, 106 min.)

National Museum of Natural History Sun., March 23, 1 p.m.

Experts predict that Ilpendam, a water village in a Dutch polder, will be gone within 50 years, leaving the director and his family wondering if they should leave and move somewhere else (EFF).

In Rwanda in 1994, Manzi and Karemera are best friends who seem to be inseparable, until the inexorable forces of history and violence tear them apart (NAFF).

Watch as the mysteries surrounding the mythical Barolo Palace in Buenos Aires and its creator, Italian architect Mario Palanti, are unraveled (EFF).

Is sand an infinite resource? Can the existing supply satisfy a gigantic demand fueled by construction booms? This investigation takes us around the globe to unveil a new gold rush and a disturbing fact: the “sand wars” have begun (EFF).

Half of a Yellow Sun

National Museum of Natural History Sun., March 23, 3 p.m.

Directed by Frans Bromet (Netherlands, 2006, 50 min.)

National Building Museum Wed., March 19, 6:30 p.m.

National Museum of Natural History Sun, March 23, 4:30 p.m.

Based on the rodent population experiments to investigate the effects of social overcrowding, Mike Freedman explores the impact of human population growth on physical and psychological needs (EFF; screens with “Antarctica: A Year on Ice” and “Expedition to the End of the World”).

Menahem Golan’s trippy reinterpretation of the Book of Genesis centers on two budding rockers who fall under the control of a wickedly evil record producer (WJFF).

March 2014

Directed by Stefan Jäger (Ethiopia/Switzerland, 2013, 90 min.)

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 15, 1 p.m.

The Human Scale Directed by Andreas M. Dalsgaard

Directed by Andrew Graham-Brown and Tom Mustill (U.K., 2013, 59 min.)

Renato Zucchelli is the last man to tend sheep in the region of Lombardy, an area increasingly overrun by urban sprawl. Although blessed with family and friends, he has a dream: to introduce the children of Milan to the all-but-forgotten joys of his profession (EFF). Italian Cultural Institute Mon., March 24, 7 p.m.

The Latin Skyscraper (El Rascacielos Latino) Directed by Sebastián Schindel (Argentina, 2012, 76 min.)

Japan Information and Culture Center Wed., March 26, 6:30 p.m.

In Secret Directed by Charlie Stratton (U.S., 2013, 107 min.)

Set in the lower echelons of 1860s Paris, a sexually repressed beautiful young woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage by her domineering aunt embarks on an affair with her husband’s alluring friend. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Thin Ice Directed by David Sington and Simon Lamb (U.K./New Zealand, 2013, 74 min.)

As the science of climate change has come under increasing attack, “Thin Ice” reveals what’s really going on by showing its human face (EFF; screens with “The Human Scale”). Edmund Burke School

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

Wed., March 19, 6:30 p.m.

Tokyo’s Belly Directed by Reinhild Dettmer-Finke (Germany, 2013, 70 min.)

(France, 1973, 91 min.)

A blend of documentary, cinema vérité and minimal cinema, the restored French masterpiece “Cousin Jules” is a compelling study of the daily life of an elderly French couple whose routines have become their link with life (EFF).

After her mother’s death, a mid-30s woman who knows practically nothing of her family’s past discovers old photos and letters that convince her to take a closer look at her parents’ lives (WJFF).

National Gallery of Art Sun., March 23, 4:30 p.m.

AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 2, 1 p.m. Avalon Theatre Tue., March 4, 6:30 p.m.

Goethe-Institut Tue., March 25, 6 p.m.

Friends From France

German

The Venice Syndrome

Directed by Anne Weil and Philippe Kotlarski (France/Germany/Canada/Russia, 2013, 100 min.)

Hanna’s Journey

The work of fishmongers, cooks, sanitation workers and farmers illustrates the Japanese values of ritual, discipline and belonging to a group (EFF).

Directed by Andreas Pichler (Germany/Austria/Italy, 2013, 80 min.)

According to one study, there will be no more Venetians by the year 2030. Andreas Pichler’s revelatory and compassionate documentary is squarely on the side of the locals as they use humor and heart to cope with unconcerned governments, oblivious day-tourists and the disastrous crumbling of a way of life (EFF).

In 1979, a young couple ventures deep behind the Iron Curtain where, by day, they pose as simple tourists, but at night, they secretly rendezvous with “refuseniks,” Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country (WJFF; French, Russian and Hebrew).

Directed by Julia Von Heinz (Germany/Israel, 2013, 99 min.)

Hanna’s motives for spending several months in Israel working with disabled youths and elderly Holocaust survivors aren’t noble, but meeting Itay might just change her self-centered ways (WJFF; German and Hebrew).

Goethe-Institut Tue., March 25, 7:30 p.m.

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 1, 9:45 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sat., March 8, 6:30 p.m.

AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 2, 3:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC

Watermark

Grigris

Russendisko

Directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad/France, 2013, 101 min.)

Directed by Oliver Ziegenbalg (Germany, 2012, 96 min.)

Despite a bum leg, 25-year-old Grigris has hopes of becoming a professional dancer, but when his stepfather falls critically ill, he’s forced to risk his future by smuggling oil to pay the hospital bills (NAFF; French and Arabic).

Vladimir and his pals seize their chance to leave Moscow for Berlin after the fall of communism, when Jewish citizens from the Soviet Union where free to immigrate to Germany (WJFF; German and Russian).

AFI Silver Theatre Mon., March 17, 7:20 p.m.

Goethe-Institut Sat., March 1, 9 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre Wed., March 5, 7:30 p.m.

Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky (Canada, 2013, 92 min.)

A feature documentary of astonishing beauty, “Watermark” transports us all over the world, revealing the extent to which humanity has shaped water, and how it has shaped us (EFF). Carnegie Institution for Science Tue., March 18, 7 p.m.

Farsi

The Jewish Cardinal (Le métis de Dieu)

The Rooster Trademark Paper

Directed by Ilan Duran Cohen (France, 2013, 90 min.)

Directed by Maryam Milani (Iran, 2012, 93 min.)

A young, aspiring artist in Iran who sells newspapers is eager to enter a visual arts competition; however, to qualify, all entries must be submitted on costly Rooster Trademark paper, so friends, family and community rally around him to support his dream (EFF). National Gallery of Art Sat., March 22, 10:30 a.m., Sun., March 23, 11:30 a.m.

Finnish Helsinki Music Centre – Prelude Directed by Matti Reinikka and Miisa Latikka (Finland, 2012, 93 min.)

The architects of the Helsinki Music Centre sought to create a building in harmony with its urban surroundings and a concert hall with outstanding acoustics (EFF). Embassy of Finland Tue., March 25, 6 p.m.

French Aya of Yop City Directed by Clément Oubrerie (France, 2013, 84 min.)

Surrounded by a loving family, 19-year-old Aya must balance her ambitions to study medicine with her family’s wish that she drop everything and get married. AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 15, 3 p.m.

Burn It Up Djassa (Le Djassa a pris feu) Directed by Lonesome Solo (Ivory Coast, 2012, 70 min.)

One night, hawking cigarettes to eke out a living, Tony joins a game of poker and discovers a fast way of making cash. But he quickly descends into the violent world of the “djassa,” ghetto in Abidjan street slang (NAFF; French and Nouchi). AFI Silver Theatre Thu., March 13, 9:30 p.m., Thu., March 20, 6 p.m.

Cousin Jules Directed by Dominique Benicheti

Based on the amazing true story of JeanMarchie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, maintained his Jewish identity even after converting to Catholicism at a young age and later joining the priesthood (WJFF; French, Latin, and Polish). Washington DCJCC Sat., March 1, 6:30 p.m. JCC of Greater Washington Sat., March 8, 8:45 p.m.

Once Upon a Forest (Il était une forêt) Directed by Luc Jacquet (France, 2013, 78 min.)

Luc Jacquet takes a spectacular journey with renowned French botanist and ecologist Francis Hallé to the very top of the tropical rainforest canopy, chronicling seven centuries in the life of this “green lung” of the world (EFF). Embassy of France Wed., March 19, 7:30 p.m.

Slums: Cities of Tomorrow Directed by Jean-Nicolas Orhon (Canada, 2013, 82 min.)

This touching documentary takes you on a revealing journey from Mumbai, India, Asia’s biggest slum, through a suburb of Marseille to a Native American community in the Abitibi region of Quebec, a tent city in New Jersey and, finally, to the heart of a Moroccan slum (EFF; French, English, Arabic and Hindi). Landmark’s E Street Cinema Thu., March 27, 6 p.m.

Thu., March 6, 8:30 p.m.

Hebrew Album 61 Directed by Halil Efrat (Israel, 2013, 70 min.)

Boris Gelfand — the first Israeli to compete for the World Chess Championship — has spent his entire life getting ready for one moment (WJFF; Russian, Hebrew and English). Washington DCJCC Sat., March 1, 2 p.m. American University Thu., March 6, 8:45 p.m.

Arabani Directed by Adi Adwan (Israel, 2013, 82 min.)

Yosef, newly divorced from his Jewish wife, returns to his Druze village, where he attempts to rekindle old friendships and connect with his former bride-to-be (WJFF; Hebrew and Arabic). AFI Silver Theatre Mon., March 3, 7:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC Thu., March 6, 6:30 p.m.

Bethlehem Directed by Yuval Adler (Israel/U.K./Belgium/Germany, 2013, 99 min.)

Israel’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, “Bethlehem” tells the story of the complex relationship between an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant (WJFF; Hebrew and Arabic).

Under the Starry Sky

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 1, 5 p.m. Avalon Theatre Tue., March 4, 8:45 p.m.

Directed by Dyana Gaye (Senegal/Belgium/France, 2013, 87 min.)

Cupcakes

Set under the skies of three cities — Turin, New York and Dakar — the film follows the fates of three characters connected by destiny (NAFF; French, Wolof, English and Italian). AFI Silver Theatre Fri., March 14, 9:30 p.m., Mon., March 17, 9:30 p.m.

For a Woman Directed by Diane Kurys (France, 2013, 110 min.)

Directed by Eytan Fox (Israel, 2013, 90 min.)

When a group of tightknit friends accidentally enters a Eurovision-style musical contest, their endearing tune — originally written to console a heartbroken buddy — is picked to represent Israel (WJFF closing-night film). JCC of Greater Washington Tue., March 4, 7:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sun., March 9, 7:30 p.m.

Dancing in Jaffa Directed by Hilla Medalia (Israel/U.S., 2013, 84 min.)

Renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine has a burning desire to use dance for social good, teaming Jewish and Palestinian Israeli children as ballroom partners (WJFF; Hebrew and Arabic). Washington DCJCC Tue., March 4, 6:30 p.m.

Dove’s Cry Directed by Ganit Ilouz (Israel, 2013, 52 min.)

A young charismatic teacher from Wadi Ara teaches Arabic in a Jewish primary school, opening up a cross-cultural dialogue (WJFF; Hebrew and Arabic). American University Thu., March 6, 6:45 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sun., March 9, 1:30 p.m.

The Garden of Eden

discover a terrible secret are forced to revise their perception of their father, their family, their neighbors, and the history of their nation (WJFF). AFI Silver Theatre Tue., March 4, 7:15 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sat., March 8, 8:45 p.m.

Portuguese The Great Kilapy (O Grande Kilapy) Directed by Zézé Gamboa (Angola/Portugal/Brazil, 2012, 100 min.)

Set on the eve of Angola’s independence from Portugal, a charming, good-hearted playboy appears to slip into a life of crime to support his affluent lifestyle, becoming a subversive political figure persecuted by the Portuguese dictatorship (NAFF). AFI Silver Theatre Thu., March 20, 7:30 p.m.

Directed by Ran Tal (Israel, 2013, 74 min.)

Russian

One of the most famous and visited parks in Israel, the Sakhne hot spring serves as an informal melting pot, offering respite for Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians alike (WJFF; Hebrew and Arabic).

Metamorphosen

Goethe-Institut Sat., March 8, 6:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sun., March 9, 3:30 p.m.

Handa Handa 4 Directed by David Ofek and Neta Shoshani (Israel, 2013, 59 min.)

Two young Bukharins living in Israel have been dating for almost three years, rebelling against longstanding tradition that they must marry (WJFF). Goethe-Institut Sun., March 2, 2:45 p.m. Washington DCJCC Tue., March 4, 8:45 p.m.

Directed by Sebastian Mez (Germany, 2013, 84 min.)

Set in Russia’s south Ural region, this documentary examines what it’s like to live in an area with some of the largest amounts of radioactive contamination in the world (EFF). AFI Silver Theatre Thu., March 27, 7:30 p.m.

Stalingrad Directed by Fedor Bondarchuk (Russia, 2013, 131 min.)

This IMAX 3D film vividly recreates a pivotal World War II battle in 1942, in which a few Soviet soldiers take refuge in a house to fend off the German army (Russian and German). Area theaters

Ibo

Silent

B for Boy

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

Directed by Chika Anadu (Nigeria, 2013, 118 min.)

Directed by Walter Ruttmann (Germany, 1927, 72 min.)

Amaka, maintains a happy marriage, raises a 7-year-old daughter and runs her own successful business, yet her failure to produce a son for her husband makes her a target of derision among family, friends and neighbors (NAFF).

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 22, 5:30 p.m.

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 15, 9:40 p.m., Tue., March 18, 7 p.m.

Mandarin Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above Directed by Chi Po-Lin (Taiwan, 2013, 93 min.)

The beauty of Taiwan’s untouched areas contrasts with the ugliness of mountainsides eroded by development and largescale farming, and of coastlines polluted by industry (EFF). Freer Gallery of Art Sun., March 23, 2 p.m.

Polish Aftermath Directed by Władysław Pasikowski (Poland/Netherlands/Russia/Slovakia, 2013, 104 min.)

In this gripping thriller, two brothers who

Using visual impressions in a semi-documentary style, this silent film portrays Berlin in the early part of the 20th century (EFF).

Metropolis Directed by Fritz Lang (Germany, 1927, 153 min.)

The futuristic city of Metropolis is sharply divided between the working class and the city planners in this sci-fi epic (EFF). AFI Silver Theatre Fri., March 28, 7:30 p.m., Sun., March 30, 2 p.m.

Spanish Calle Lopez Directed by Gerardo Barroso Alcalá and Lisa Tillinger (Mexico, 2013, 80 min.)

Two photographers capture the bustling cauldron of everyday life in Calle López, a busy neighborhood in downtown Mexico City (EFF). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 30, 7:30 p.m.

See Cinema Listing, page 41

Repertory Notes For Repertory notes, Please see www.washdiplomat.com

March 2014

The Washington Diplomat Page 39

[ around town ]

EVENTS LISTING **Admission is free unless otherwise noted. All information on event venues can be found on The Diplomat Web site at www.washdiplomat. com. Times and locations are subject to change. Unless listed, please call venue for specific event times and hours of operation.

ART March 1 to Aug. 31

Made in the USA: American Masters from The Phillips Collection, 1850–1970

Following an acclaimed four-year world tour, the Phillips’s renowned collection of American masterworks returns to the museum to tell the story of American art from the late 19th-century to the mid-20th century, when it became a significant global force after World War II. The Phillips Collection Through March 2

Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections

In the first exhibition devoted to Byzantine art at the National Gallery, some 170 rare and important works, drawn exclusively from Greek collections, offer a fascinating glimpse of the soul and splendor of the mysterious Byzantine Empire. National Gallery of Art Through March 2

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art

Nearly 100 works in all media by 72 leading modern and contemporary artists present the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Smithsonian American Art Museum Through March 2

What’s Up: New Technologies in Art Instructive, inventive, evocative and evolving: Tech innovation is revolutionizing the art world, and this amazing exhibit puts some of the most provocative new media on display, including that of Austrian artist Waltraut Cooper, who studied mathematics and theoretical physics and whose work explores light, mathematics and color through fluorescent lights, neon and glass. Mansion at Strathmore March 2 to June 8

Garry Winogrand

A renowned photographer of New York City and American life from the 1950s through the early 1980s, Garry Winogrand worked with dazzling energy and a voracious appetite. In the first retrospective of his work in 25 years, some 180 photographs in the exhibition and more than 350 in the accompanying catalogue will reveal for the first time the full breadth of Winogrand’s art. National Gallery of Art March 6 to April 25

gute aussichten: new german photography 2013-2014

An espresso machine drowning in its own coffee, people scarred by their existence on the margins of society or staged in such absurd poses that the viewer is left startled and puzzled. Now in its tenth year, “gute aussichten 2013/2014” presents a range of surprisingly diverse ideas, reflections and photography that not only depicts the current status quo but also inspires. Goethe-Institut

Page 40

Through March 8

Latvian Artists: Riga and World Cities. Live Paintings

Contemporary paintings and large-scale works by Aleksejs Naumovs and Kristaps Zarins, rector and vice-rector of the Latvian Academy of Art, capture cities such as Riga, Washington, D.C., New York, Paris, Venice and Peking, where the artists worked outdoors, without letting unexpected weather stop them, to paint directly onto the canvas without sketches. The exhibition is organized as part of the program “Riga 2014: Cultural Capital of Europe” and is open Fridays and Saturdays; for information, visit www.latvia-usa.org. Embassy of Latvia Art Space March 8 to Sept. 14

Bountiful Waters: Aquatic Life in Japanese Art

This exhibition features a selection of prints, paintings, illustrated books and ceramics that depict the Japanese appreciation for the beauty and variety of fish and other species. Freer Gallery of Art Through March 9

Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd

Los Angeles artist Alex Prager’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States debuts her latest series — elaborately staged crowd scenes, both poignant and revelatory — alongside earlier photographs and video works. Corcoran Gallery of Art Through March 16

The Dying Gaul: An Ancient Roman Masterpiece from the Capitoline Museum, Rome Created in the first or second century AD, the “Dying Gaul” is one of the most renowned works from antiquity. This exhibition marks the first time it has left Italy since 1797, when Napoleonic forces took the sculpture to Paris, where it was displayed at the Louvre until its return to Rome in 1816. National Gallery of Art Through March 23

S.O.S. Spanish Office Showroom

As part of the SPAIN arts & culture program (www.spainculture.us), “S.O.S. Spanish Office Showroom” presents the most avantgarde pieces of Spanish design conceived for modern working environments, highlighting how the creativity of contemporary Spanish designers adapts to any office space and how Spanish design companies are successfully competing in international markets, such as the United States. Former Spanish Ambassador’s Residence

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT ceased to exist. Renamed Tokyo by Japan’s new rulers, the city became the primary experiment in a national drive toward modernization. Kobayashi Kiyochika, a selftrained artist, set out to record his views of Tokyo in an ambitious and auspicious series of 100 prints.

Folio to modern fine art prints, revealing the Bard’s influence on performance, adaptation, scholarship, printing, fine art and even in mild obsession.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Light Touch

National Museum of Women in the Arts

BWI Airport

Through May 4

Through June 29

In Focus: Ara Güler’s Anatolia

Modern German Prints and Drawings from the Kainen Collection

Ara Güler, the “Eye of Istanbul,” is famous for his iconic snapshots of the city in the 1950s and ’60s, but with an archive of more than 800,000 photographs, Güler’s body of work contains far more than these emblematic images — as seen in this exhibition of never-before-shown works by the legendary photographer. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through May 17

Man at the Crossroads: Diego Rivera’s Mural at Rockefeller Center

This exposition centers around the mural that Mexican artist Diego Rivera painted in New York City, reconstructing its history with unedited material, including reproduced letters, telegrams, contracts, sketches, and documents, following Rivera’s commission, subsequent tension and conflict, and finally, the mural’s destruction. Mexican Cultural Institute Through May 26

Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950

The first in-depth exploration of the theme of destruction in international contemporary visual culture, this groundbreaking exhibition includes works by a diverse range of international artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation and performance. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Through June 8

Perspectives: Rina Banerjee

Born in India and based in New York City, artist Rina Banerjee draws on her background as a scientist and her experience as an immigrant in her richly textured works that complicate the role of objects as representations of cultures and invite viewers to share her fascination in materials.

New Media Exhibit: Because Human Beings Can Be Expected to Face Reality

Through June 15

March 29 to July 27

Kiyochika: Master of the Night On Sept. 3, 1868, the city called Edo

Through June 21

The iconic body of work from the 1970s by Judy Chicago demonstrates the prominent feminist artist’s firm belief in the power of art to redress gender inequalities.

Judy Chicago: Circa ’75

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Embassy of Austria

Folger Shakespeare Library

The Cultural Service of the Embassy of France, in partnership with Maryland Art Place (MAP), features the work of five artists who explore aspects of the physical world through the lens of light as both a medium and a resource of value to our natural environment.

Through April 13

March 24 to 28

Until now we have celebrated the achievements and advantages of new media without reservation. But step by step new media is changing people’s reality toward the unreal shadows of Plato’s “Cave Allegory.” In this interactive installation, artists read the “Cave Allegory” for eight hours and discuss the surprisingly up-todate critique of media and man.

March 2014

Gravity’s Edge

One of a series of exhibitions drawn from the collection of the Hirshhorn in celebration of the museum’s 40th anniversary, “Gravity’s Edge” offers an expanded view of Color Field painting, which spanned from 1959 to 1978. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Through June 15

Shakespeare’s the Thing

Marking the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, this exhibition presents a miscellany of treasures in the Folger collection from Shakespeare’s 1623 First

Ruth Kainen’s love of German expressionism, first displayed at the gallery in the 1985 exhibition “German Expressionist Prints from the Collection of Ruth and Jacob Kainen,” will be celebrated with 123 works recently donated to the gallery through her bequest, as well as with a few of her earlier gifts.

the Tomatito Sextet (March 18) and Estrella Morente (March 19 at the Music Center at Strathmore). Tickets are $35 to $65. GW Lisner Auditorium March 5 to 9

British Invasion: The Beatles & the Rolling Stones

When the Beatles and Rolling Stones invaded America back in the 1960s, rock ‘n’ roll changed forever. The Washington Ballet relives this revolution in Trey McIntyre’s “A Day in the Life, an energetic, emotional journey set to classic Beatles tunes, while Christopher Bruce’s highly acclaimed rock ballet “Rooster” is the penultimate “battle of the sexes.” Tickets are $25 to $125. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater March 5 to 26, 7 p.m.

Tango Lessons

Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Embassy of Argentina invites guests to immerse themselves in the world of tango with four lessons for beginners under the instruction of Jorge Pereyra. Admission is free but space is limited; RSVP to eventos@embassyofargentina.us.

National Gallery of Art

Embassy of Argentina

Through July 13

DISCUSSIONS

Dancing the Dream

From the late 19th century to today, dance has captured this nation’s culture in motion, as seen in photos that showcase generations of performers, choreographers and impresarios. National Portrait Gallery Through July 27

Chigusa and the Art of Tea

“Chigusa” tells the story of a 700-year-old ordinary tea jar that rose to become one of the most famous and revered objects in the Japanese “art of tea” — so much so that it was granted a name, luxurious accessories and a devoted following. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through Aug. 24

Africa ReViewed: The Photographic Legacy of Eliot Elisofon

“Africa ReViewed” showcases the African photography of celebrated Life magazine photographer Eliot Elisofon and explores the intricate relationships between his photographic archives and art collection at the National Museum of African Art. Elisofon’s images had a huge impact in framing America’s perceptions of Africa and its diverse cultures during the 20th century. National Museum of African Art Through Sept. 21

Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence

A community of women living and working together in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has developed a new form of bead art — using black fabric as a canvas and different colored Czech glass beads as the medium of expression — to empower local women.

Tue., March 4, 12 p.m.

Freedom – What Is Our Role? Selfless Acts and the World Stage

The Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies at Georgetown University, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, presents this seminar with Czech Deputy Chief of Mission Jaroslav Zajíček that includes a short documentary, with a statement from former Czech President Václav Havel talking about the self-sacrifice Jan Palach. This year marks the 45th anniversary of Palach’s dramatic self-immolation, which took place in 1969 in protest of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Zajíček explores what we can learn from such acts of bravery and selflessness. Georgetown University Copley Lounge Thu., March 6, 6:45 p.m.

Liguria: Paradise Found

Fred Plotkin, an expert on Italy, takes you on a virtual tour of the region known for its combination of natural beauty, exquisite cuisine and the character of its citizens, who are distinct even in a nation as full of strong personalities as Italy. Tickets are $42; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org. S. Dillon Ripley Center Thu., March 6, 6:30 p.m.

New Fiction in Chile: The Next Generation

Georgetown University scholar Roberto Brodsky moderates a discussion with Alejandro Zambra and Carlos Labbé, selected as among the 22 best young Spanish novelists by Granta Magazine (in Spanish).

The Anacostia Community Museum

Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center

DANCE

Wed., March 12, 6:45 p.m.

March 4 to 19

Flamenco Festival 2014

This popular annual festival includes a Gala Flamenco featuring flamenco’s greatest stars (March 4), Eva Yerbabuena (March 7),

The First Ladies Exhibition: Changing Fashions, Changing Roles

Curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy talks about “The First Ladies” exhibit, which explores

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

the unofficial but important position of the first lady and the ways that different women have shaped the role to make their own contributions to administrations and the nation. Tickets are $42; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.

choreography to form a vivid link with Celtic heritage. Please call for ticket information.

National Museum of American History

Minetti Quartet

Wed., March 19, 6:45 p.m.

Spain’s Architectural Splendors

Cultural crosscurrents and a distinctive creative spirit have marked Spanish architecture as one of the boldest in Europe— and its masterworks provide a vivid glimpse of its varied past. Tickets are $42; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org. S. Dillon Ripley Center Thu., March 20, 6:45 p.m.

Crossroads and Connections: Exploring Britain’s Channel Islands

Located off the north coast of France, the Channel Islands seem at first glance almost inexplicably British. Historian Cassandra Potts Hannahs examines the islands’ identification with Britain, despite their predominantly Gallic roots, within patterns of longer-term social and geopolitical dynamics. Tickets are $42; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org. S. Dillon Ripley Center

Music Center at Strathmore Fri., March 7, 7:30 p.m.

The Minetti Quartet has collected a slew of important prizes since the ensemble formed in 2003, when it received the Haydn Award at the International Joseph Haydn Competition in Vienna, followed by the International Rimbotti Competition for String Quartet in Florence and other awards. Tickets are $65, including reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Embassy of Austria Fri., March 14, 7:30 p.m.

Emanuel Salvador, Violin Ronaldo Rolim, Piano

Violinist Emanuel Salvador has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in venues around the world, from Germany to Mexico to Kazakhstan, and was called “one of the finest Portuguese violinists of his generation” by Strad Magazine. Tickets are $150, including buffet; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Portuguese Residence

MUSIC

Sat., March 15, 8 p.m., Sun., March 16, 4 p.m.

Sun., March 2, 5 p.m.

Leahy

The Essential Verdi

The Washington Chorus marks the 200th anniversary of Guiseppe Verdi’s birth by partnering with the Italian Embassy for a weeklong celebration of Italy’s treasured composer, whose works transcend the boundaries of genre and have taken root in popular culture. Music director Julian Wachner leads a 200-voice chorus together with a full symphony orchestra and seven outstanding soloists in a concert of Verdi favorites from his most popular operas and choral masterworks, including highlights from “Aida,” “La Traviata,” “Rigoletto” and “Nabucco.” Tickets are $15 to $62. Kennedy Center Concert Hall Thu., March 6, 6:45 p.m.

Pianist Juan Pablo Horcasitas

On the heels of releasing his new album, “Among Songs and Dances!,” celebrated Mexican pianist Juan Pablo Horcasitas performs a repertoire featuring interpretations of European greats Bach, Schubert and Gluck, alongside classical and contemporary Mexican and Latin American composers. Admission is free; RSVP to rsvp@instituteofmexicodc.org. Mexican Cultural Institute

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Celtic style with Leahy, a family band from Canada that explores their Irish and Scottish roots with a triple threat of fierce fiddle music, stellar step-dancing and spectacular singing. Tickets are $34 to $50. George Mason University Hylton Performing Arts Center Sun., March 16, 4 p.m.

The Chieftains

The Chieftains, six-time Grammy Award winners, have uncovered centuries of Irish song and made these traditional works their own through the inimitable style that has won them countless fans over the decades. Tickets are $30 to $60. George Mason University Center for the Arts Sun., March 16, 3 p.m.

Escolania de Montserrat

The Escolania de Montserrat, Spain’s premier boys’ choir and one of the oldest music schools in Europe, performs an enchanting concert of music from Montserrat from the Middle Ages in its inaugural U.S. tour. Please call for ticket information. Music Center at Strathmore

Fri., March 7, 8 p.m.

Tue., March 18, 7:30 p.m.

Celtic Nights: The Emigrants Bridge

Bertrand Chamayou in Concert

Direct from Ireland, this thrilling ensemble intertwines beautiful ballads and striking

This performance by Bertrand Chamayou, a young, talented French pianist, is part of Chamayou’s 2013-14

from page 39

Stop! Rodando El Cambio

Cinema Listing

Directed by Alba González de Molina Soler and Blanca Ordóñez de Tena (Spain, 2014, 70 min.)

My German Friend Directed by Jeanine Meerapfel (Germany/Argentina, 2013, 110 min.)

In the late 1950s, the daughter of German-Jewish immigrants strikes up a casual friendship with her neighbor, the son of a senior SS officer, in a quiet, affluent section of Buenos Aires (WJFF; Spanish and German). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 2, 5:45 p.m. Goethe-Institut Sat., March 8, 8:45 p.m.

A road trip takes us along the Spanish countryside and into Portugal and France, making stops along the way to meet individuals and collectives that have chosen to live a simpler life (EFF). American University Fri., March 28, 6:45 p.m.

Swahili Something Necessary Directed by Judy Kibinge (Kenya/Germany, 2013, 85 min.)

Anne struggles to rebuild her life after

season, during which he debuts with the Deutsche Sinfonie Orchester at the Berlin Philharmonie, with the NDR Sinfonie Orchester in Hamburg, and with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Admission is free but reservations are required; for information, visit http://frenchculture.org. Embassy of France Sat., March 22, 7:30 p.m.

Claudia Galli, Soprano Gregory Moulin, Piano

Soprano Claudia Galli, who was born in Luxembourg to an Italian father and a Portuguese mother, is joined by pianist Gregory Moulin, originally from the Drôme region of France. Tickets are $110, including reception and valet parking; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Embassy of Luxembourg Fri., March 28, 7:30 p.m.

Adrian Daurov, Cello Di Wu, Piano A native of St. Petersburg, Russian cellist Adrian Daurov is a New York-based, Juilliard-trained, award-winning cellist who has performed on major concert stages such as Carnegie Hall and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Tickets are $150, including buffet reception and valet parking; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.

Through March 9

La Vida Que Me Das … y no me alcanza (Such a Life You’ve Given Me … and it’s not enough)

This work tackles with humor the encounter of three women who examine maternity and sexuality, looking for the balance between their desires, their negative perceptions and pettiness. Tickets are $15 to $35. Teatro de la Luna Gunston Arts Center Through March 9

Mother Courage and Her Children

Kathleen Turner returns to Arena to star as a tough-as-nails matriarch who profits off the very war that steals her children from her one by one. But will the cost of war be higher than she’s prepared to pay? Please call for ticket information. Arena Stage Through March 9

Richard III

Explore Shakespeare’s portrait of maniacal ambition and dig into the truth about this king’s real nature with this celebrated history play — staged, for the first time in Folger history, in an Elizabethan Theatre reconfigured to allow for a production “in the round.” Tickets are $39 to $72. Folger Shakespeare Library

Embassy of Russia

Through March 9

THEATER

“We Are Proud to Present…” follows a group of idealistic actors — three black and three white — who come together to tell the little-known story of a centuries-old conflict in southwest Africa, recreating the extinction of the Herero tribe at the hands of their German colonizers. Tickets start at $35.

March 5 to April 13

Water by the Spoonful An ex-Marine cares for his dying mom and tries to acclimate to civilian life, while online, four addicts cling to their chat room support group, struggling for another day sober. These lives collide as events small and large threaten their fragile stabilities. Tickets are $39 to $75. The Studio Theatre Through March 8

Washington National Opera: Moby-Dick

We Are Proud to Present…

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company March 13 to April 6

Hamlet … the rest is silence

Synetic Theater remounts its original “silent Shakespeare” production, an iconic tale of a grief-stricken prince torn between duty, love, conscience and fear. Tickets start at $35.

One man’s obsession leaves a lethal wake of destruction in Jake Heggie’s triumphant new opera of Melville’s literary masterwork. Tickets are $25 to $305.

Synetic Theater

Kennedy Center Opera House

A Salvadoran immigrant and former gang member is paroled from prison after he removes his gang tattoos – a cleansing of the skin in a hopeful effort to reunite his family and break a lifetime of violence. Tickets are $20.

Through March 9

La Señorita de Tacna (The Young Lady from Tacna)

A writer tried to recreate the grand romance of Mamaé, a 100 year-old spinster aunt who ended her engagement with a dashing Chilean captain when she was young. Tickets are $38 or $42. GALA Hispanic Theatre

Kenya’s civil unrest killed her husband and left her isolated farm in ruins, while a troubled young gang member who took part in the violence is drawn to her, in search of connection and redemption (NAFF). AFI Silver Theatre Sat., March 15, 5 p.m.

Swiss-German Z’alp

March 14 and 15, 8 p.m.

PLACAS: The Most Dangerous Tattoo

GALA Hispanic Theatre Through March 16

The Importance of Being Earnest

Keith Baxter returns to direct Oscar Wilde’s most perfect of plays — a comedy of

Turkish Polluting Paradise (Garbage in the Garden of Eden) Directed by Fatih Akin (Germany, 2012, 98 min.)

This compelling tale of bureaucratic arrogance and false promises is an account of environmental devastation inflicted on the once-lovely seaside town of Çamburnu, Turkey (EFF).

Directed by Thomas Rickenmann (Switzerland, 2013, 100 min.)

AFI Silver Theatre Sun., March 23, 8:30 p.m.

Every year, Swiss farmers embark on an exciting venture — the cattle drive up to the alpine pastures (EFF).

Yiddish

The Embassy of Switzerland Wed., March 19, 7 p.m.

Directed by Joseph Green and Konrad Tom

Mamele

March 2014

class, courtship, and avoiding burdensome social conventions. Please call for ticket information. Shakespeare Lansburgh Theatre Through March 16

Tribes

When Billy, who was born deaf into a garrulous academic family that raised him to lip read and integrate into the hearing world, meets Sylvia, who is going deaf herself, he decides it’s time to speak on his own terms — in the second offering of Studio’s yearlong New British Invasion Festival. Tickets are $39 to $75. The Studio Theatre March 18 to May 11

Tender Napalm

A pair of young lovers creates a fantastical, often violent world through an interweaving dialogue of increasing perplexity. At the heart of their fantasies lies an unimaginable tragedy that both bonds and breaks the two. Please call for ticket information. Signature Theatre March 20 to 29

Washington National Opera: The Elixir of Love

Handsome Nemorino employs a “magical tonic” to win feisty Adina’s affections in Donizetti’s loveable comic opera — a warm and inspired masterpiece cherished for its whimsical wit, endearing characters and intoxicating duets. Tickets are $25 to $300. Kennedy Center Opera House March 21 to May 4

Camp David

Nestled in Catoctin Mountain Park lies the clandestine retreat known as Camp David, where for 13 tumultuous days, President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn host Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in an attempt to create the impossible: peace in the Middle East. Please call for ticket information. Arena Stage March 25 to June 7

Henry IV, Part 1

A young prince must decide between tavern roughhousing and the burden of his father’s legacy in the coming-of-age story of heroism, corruption and war, directed by Shakespeare Theatre Artistic Director Michael Kahn and starring Stacy Keach. Tickets start at $20. Shakespeare Theatre Harman Hall Through March 30

Beaches

Based on the beloved book, “Beaches” follows two extraordinary friends through 30 years of camaraderie, laughter and sorrow. Please call for ticket information. Signature Theatre

(Poland/U.S., 1938, 97 min.)

Set in Lodz, this musical comedy embraces the diverse gamut of interwar Jewish life in Poland, with its nogoodniks and the unemployed, nightclubs and gangsters, and religious Jews celebrating Sukkot (WJFF). Washington DCJCC Sun., March 2, 5 p.m. JCC of Greater Washington Sun., March 9, 1 p.m.

For a complete list of films, please visit our Web site at www.washdiplomat.com.

The Washington Diplomat Page 41

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

Press Club International Gala Vietnam War photographer Nick Ut, center, presents his Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph “The Terror of War” to former National Press Club President Gil Klien, left, following the swearing-in of new president, Myron Belkind, right.

photo: gail scott

From left, Myron Belkind is sworn in as the 107th president of the National Press Club as 1994 NPC President Gil Klein and Belkind’s wife Rachel look on at an International Gala held at the Press Club. Belkind is a former foreign correspondent who worked in Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, London and Tokyo.

photo: gail scott photo: gail scott

photo: gail scott

From left, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jadranka Negodic, wife of the Turkish ambassador Fügen Tan, wife of the Latvian ambassador Gunta Razane, and Ambassador of Turkey Namik Tan attend an International Gala at the National Press Club.

From left, Ambassador of Singapore Ashok Mirpuri and his wife Gouri join Rifat Sultana Akram and her husband, Ambassador of Bangladesh Akramul Qader, at an International Gala that welcomed the new president of the National Press Club.

From left, Ambassador of the Arab League Mohammed Al Hussaini Al Sharif and his wife Iman Atallah join Amani Amin and her husband, Ambassador of Egypt Mohamed Tawfik, at an International Gala that welcomed the new president of the National Press Club.

photo: noel st. john

From left, Thandi Fadane of the South African Embassy, Ambassador of South Africa Ebrahim Rasool, National Press Club President, Myron Belkind, and Mrs. Peter Bregg sit at the head table during the International Gala inaugural celebration. photo: noel st. john

photo: noel st. john

photo: gail scott

Ambassador of Brunei Dato Yusoff Abdul Hamid, right, and his son Naif attend an International Gala at the National Press Club that featured performances and costumes from India, China and other countries.

photo: gail scott

photo: noel st. john

Kazakhstan was represented at the National Press Club International Gala by, from left, Political Affairs and Media Counselor at the Kazakh Embassy Nurgali Arystanov, Asel Roberts, Kazakh American Association Vice President Tokjan Balderston, and Kazakh Embassy Minister Counselor Yerkin Akhinzhanov.

From left, Executive Director of Cultural Tourism DC Steve Shulman, Jerome Barry of the Embassy Series, event organizer Jan Du Plain, a guest, and Board Chair of Cultural Tourism DC Timothy Cox attend an International Gala at the National Press Club featuring ambassadors from two dozen nations.

Olympic Sendoff

The 2014 National Press Club Officers and Board of Governors pose for a picture: front row from left, Jeff Ballou, Frederica Dunn, Vice President John Hughes, President Myron Belkind, Suzanne Struglinski, Molly McCluskey; second row from left, Ed Barks, President Ex-Officio Angela Greiling Keane, Joseph Morton; and third row from left, Marc Wojno, Anthony Shop and Thomas Burr.

Digital Diplomacy Coalition

Secretary of State John Kerry, center, drops a ceremonial puck with Winnipeg Jets player Blake Wheeler and Washington Capitals player John Carlson, both members of Team USA, to celebrate Olympics-bound hockey players before the Capitals-Jets game at the Verizon Center.

photos: u.S. State department

Secretary of State John Kerry, left, greets Washington Capitals star and Russian Olympian Alexander Ovechkin during an Olympic sendoff at Verizon Center the day before the start of the Sochi Games in Russia.

Sparkle at Ronald Reagan

From left, Allyson McKithen of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival Diana Mayhew, Jan Du Plain, and Melanie Soley enjoy the Sparkle Lounge at the Ronald Reagan Building, which kicked off the 2014 Washington DC International Wine and Food Festival.

Page 42

photo: National U.S. chamber of commerce

Tunisia Welcome David Hamod, president and CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), left, organized a welcome luncheon for Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa, Tunisia’s new ambassador, at the Loews Madison Hotel.

Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis Jacinth Lorna Henry-Martin, right, and embassy representatives pour rum from their Caribbean island at the 2014 Washington DC International Wine and Food Festival.

From left, former Director of International Economic Affairs with the National Security Council Steve Glickman, World Bank Social Media Strategist Liana Pistell, Economic Advisor at the Dutch Embassy Dale Morris, and Minister for Trade at the Swedish Embassy Andreas von Uexküll headline a panel discussion on “Economic Diplomacy: From Digital Engagement to Results” hosted by the Digital Diplomacy Coalition at the Dutch Embassy.

From left, Ambassador of Fiji Winston Thompson and his wife Queenie talk to Akuila Vuira of the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at Sparkle Lounge, an annual event held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

From left, Director of Digital Initiatives at the Israeli Embassy Lior Livak, Public Affairs Counselor at the Australian Embassy Helen Seidel, and Communications Advisor at the New Zealand Embassy Gina Anderson attend a Digital Diplomacy Coalition discussion on economic diplomacy.

Special Events and Outreach Manager at the French Embassy Marie-Helene Zavala, left, and Kimberley Heatherington of the French-American Cultural Foundation attend the popular annual Sparkle Lounge, which showcases the Ronald Reagan Building’s events spaces and capabilities.

The Washington Diplomat

From left, representatives of the Meridian International Center attend Ronald Reagan Building’s annual Sparkle Lounge: from left, Greg Houston, Monique McSween and Ashley Doliber.

March 2014

Monaco Welcome

From left, Leila Beale, newly appointed Ambassador of Monaco Maguy Maccario Doyle, and Ambassador of Barbados John Beale attend a welcome reception for Maccario Doyle, who has served in New York as Monaco’s consul general since the 1990s.

From left, Ambassador of Oman Hunaina Sultan Ahmed, Brigitte Gambini of Duane Morris LLP, and President of the European Institute Joelle Attinger attend a welcome reception for Monaco’s new ambassador, Maguy Maccario Doyle, at the Monaco Residence.

From left, Honorary Vice Consul of Monaco Tomas J. Abreu, Ambassador of Portugal Nuno Brito, and Ambassador of Austria Hans Peter Manz attend a welcome reception for Monaco’s new ambassador.

Ambassador of the Netherlands Rudolf Simon Bekink, left, talks with Ambassador of Bulgaria Elena Poptodorova Petrova at a welcome reception for Monaco’s new ambassador.

From left, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Portuguese Embassy Rosa Batoréu, Ambassador of Finland Ritva Koukku-Ronde, and President of the Iran Policy Committee Raymond Tanter attend a welcome reception for Monaco’s new ambassador.

Dutch Reception

From left, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda Deborah Mae Lovell, Ambassador of Liechtenstein Claudia Fritsche, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jadranka Negodic, and Ambassador of Malta Marisa Micallef toast Monaco’s new ambassador to the U.S., Maguy Maccario Doyle, the first woman to hold the post.

Ambassador of Switzerland Manuel Sager, left, Randy Bumgardner, assistant manager of Blair House attend a welcome reception for Monaco’s new ambassador.

Prevent Cancer Lunch

Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls Tina Tchen, left, joins Ambassador of the Netherlands and the evening’s host Rudolf Simon Bekink for a program on the Scheherazade Initiatives, a group of global organizations dedicated to overcoming poverty by developing new models of personal leadership for social change.

photos: gail scott

From left, Chief of the U.N. Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women Aldijana Sisic, Director of Physicians for Human Rights Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones Karen Naimer, Ambassador of the Netherlands Rudolf Simon Bekink and his wife Gabrielle de Kuyper Bekink attend a program on the Scheherazade Initiatives.

From left, Cindy Fleming, wife of Rep. John Fleming (R-La.); Laura Denise Bisogniero, wife of the Italian ambassador; and Debbie Meadows, wife of Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), attend a lunch to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation, whose annual gala was hosted by the Bisognieros last year and will be hosted by the Japanese Embassy this year.

From left, Virginia Beakes-Read, Hazel Moran, Prevent Cancer Foundation President Carolyn R. “Bo” Aldigé, wife of the Japanese ambassador Nobuko Sasae, and Christine Verini attend a luncheon to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation Spring Gala. Beakes-Read, Moran and Verini represent a “premier benefactor” of the gala, Eisai, a major Japanese pharmaceutical company.

Christine Sager, wife of the Swiss ambassador, left, and Rakela Cerovic Ruperez, wife of the former Spanish ambassador, attend a lunch to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s annual gala, which both Switzerland and Spain have hosted in previous years. photos: gail scott

From left, wife of former Afghan ambassador Shamin Jawad, former Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock, and wife of the Azeri ambassador Lala Abdurahimova attend a luncheon at the Italian Residence to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

From left, wife of the Singaporean ambassador Gouri Mirpuri, wife of the Russian ambassador Natalia Kislyak, and Annie Totah attend a lunch to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation, which since 1985 has invested $134 million toward cancer prevention research, education, advocacy and outreach programs.

Sri Lankan Independence

Ambassador of Sri Lanka Jaliya Wick­ ramasuriya hoists the national flag as the traditional drums of Magul Bera beat in the background at an embassy ceremony that was part of a series of events celebrating Sri Lanka’s 66th anniversary of independence.

George Mathew, artistic director of Music for Life International, left, and Debbie Sigmund, founder of the antitrafficking group Innocents at Risk, join a discussion hosted by the Dutch Embassy on the global violence of women and children.

Dancers in the worldrenowned Channa-Upuli Performing Arts Foundation perform at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage as part of a series of events celebrating Sri Lanka’s 66th anniversary of independence.

photos: sagara lakmal de mel

Ambassador of Sri Lanka Jaliya Wickramasuriya and his wife Priyanga Wickramasuriya stand with members of the Channa-Upuli Dance Ensemble at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

From left, Commercial Minister at the Embassy of Sri Lanka Bandula Somasiri, Leila Beale, and Ambassador of Barbados John Beale attend a reception ahead of a performance by the ChannaUpuli Dance Ensemble at the Kennedy Center.

March 2014

Ambassador of Sri Lanka Jaliya Wickramasuriya, third from left, is flanked by Channa Wijewardena of the ChannaUpuli Dance Ensemble (left), Chief Minister of the Northwestern Province of Sri Lanka Dayasiri Jayasekara and the ambassador’s family at a Sri Lankan Independence Day reception and performance at the University of the District of Columbia.

The Washington Diplomat Page 43

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

The Washington Diplomat

Chinese New Year

March 2014

Opera at Singapore

Photos: Joyce Boghosian

From left, President and CEO of the Meridian International Center Stuart Holliday, Meridian Board Chairman James Blanchard of DLA Piper, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy Minister Lu Kang, and Meridian Vice President for Arts and Cultural Programs Curtis Sandberg attend the fourth annual Chinese Lunar New Year celebration at the Meridian Center.

Artist Yang Huiping, left, and Minister Lu Kang, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy, demonstrate the process of woodblock print-making at the fourth annual Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, hosted by the Meridian International Center’s American-Chinese Cultural Initiative.

World-class puppeteers from the Tianjin Children’s Art Troupe, who also performed at the Kennedy Center, display their artistry and choreography with vignettes from classical Chinese operas and folk tales.

The Meridian Center’s Chinese Lunar New Year celebration featured the exhibition “A Yangliuqing New Year: Paintings from Tianjin,” showcasing 18 handpainted woodblock prints from Hebei Province that illustrate auspicious symbols from Chinese folklore.

From left, Ambassador of Singapore Ashok Mirpuri and his wife Gouri join benefit cochairs Penny and David Yao at a post-performance celebration for the Bel Cantanti Opera Company at the Singaporean Embassy.

MLK Day

Photos: Kate Oczypok

Participants of the Meridian International Center’s “Warm Up D.C.” service day knit scarves, hats and gloves for Martha’s Table, which provides healthy food, affordable clothing and quality education to needy D.C. residents.

Ambassador of Egypt Mohamed Tawfik, left, talks with Ambassador Stuart Holliday, president and CEO of Meridian International Center, at a community service event at Busboys and Poets that featured the Egyptian teen singing group Fabrica.

LetterS to the Editor Thanks to Martin Austermuhle and The Washington Diplomat for bringing attention to the challenges the U.S. Department of State is facing in this period of reduced hiring (Hiring Slowdown at State Leaves Candidates in Limbo) as well as the challenges for the candidates themselves. The Department’s highly competitive hiring process is designed to attract the most talented individuals from all across the United States, and we have no doubt that those who make it through the rigorous process will represent our nation very well. The candidates described in the article (Michael and Sam) are not alone. Despite our efforts to match the flow of candidates on the hiring registers with projected hiring, there are many variables that are unpredictable. There have been suggestions that we stop offering the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and hire those who are already on the register. We believe the best solution for American diplomacy is constant recruitment and testing of new candidates so that we are bringing in the United States’ best stream of new diplomatic talent. The hiring register is dynamic, with the top-scoring candidates (including bonuses for veteran’s status and/or language skills) ranked highest, no matter how long they have been on the register. Prior to 2007, the FSOT was offered just once a year, and the length of time between initial testing and hiring often stretched to 18 months or longer. A 2007 study conducted by a consulting firm suggested that by offering the FSOT three times a year, the assessment-to-hiring cycle could be compressed. The more frequent testing also allows candidates from all backgrounds more timely options for launching a candidacy. Also beginning in 2007, the Department refined the assessment process. The Qualifications Evaluation Panel (QEP) was added to further evaluate all FSOT passers for a “total candidate” review, and those candidates are rank-ordered by career track (Political, Economic, Public Diplomacy, Management, Consular). The QEP is also used to regulate the flow of candidates to the orals, based on projected hiring. As our projected hiring decreases, we invite fewer candidates to the oral assessment, thus limiting the over-supply of candidates on the register. Since 2007, we have been able to keep the percentage of candidates who “time off” the register to about 20% per year. While we do not like to see anyone go through our demanding process for naught, it is in the Department’s interest to ensure a supply of the most highly qualified, ready-to-hire candidates when the hiring authorization is approved. I would note that the article indicated that candidates who convert to the Foreign Service from the Civil Service (via the Mustang Program) or from Foreign Service Specialist positions are able to enter non-competitively. In fact,

Page 44

Patricia Stonesifer, president and CEO of Martha’s Table, welcomes volunteers to a “knit-in” at Busboys and Poets, part of the Meridian International Center’s “Warm Up D.C.,” a community service project on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to assist those affected by the cold temperatures this winter.

photos: gail scott

“We don’t need to wait for a day like today to serve,” said Chris Taylor, public affairs manager for Pepco, which sponsored the Meridian Center’s “Warm Up D.C.” community service project.

those who apply for these conversion programs also pass through a QEP process and sit for the same oral assessment that others face. These programs, which allow conversion candidates who pass the oral assessment to join the next entry class of Foreign Service employees, provide career mobility opportunities to Department employees in recognition of their skills and past service. It is important to recognize the dedication of the thousands who pursue a candidacy for the Foreign Service. Many government agencies and private corporations consider the Department of State’s assessment process as the “gold standard” for competitive hiring, but, like any assessment process, it is certainly not perfect. We constantly evaluate and revise our process to make sure it continues to meet the needs of the Department as well as give opportunities to the broadest segment of U.S. citizens. Those of us who interact with candidates -from recruiters and Diplomats in Residence (DIRs), to officers conducting the QEP and oral assessment -- are constantly impressed by the talent, creativity, dedication and perseverance of our candidates. Via our www.careers.state.gov website, we offer various ways to engage with candidates, from contact with the DIRs to a real-time exchange of information on the Forums. Kaara Ettesvold Director of the Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment Bureau of Human Resources U.S. Department of State To the editors: Upon opening up the February edition of the Washington Diplomat in search of Larry Luxner’s article about the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, I was greatly disappointed by the disparaging characterization of my country in the blaing headline: “Turkish Cypriots Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Fictitious TRNC.” That precious ink was devoted to tired, old rhetoric from Greek Cypriot officials in Washington and a hysterical rant from one of its fellow travelers was equally disquieting. (I would like to believe that Greek Cypriot representative George Chacalli was misquoted when he told Mr. Luxner he had no desire to meet me, as his leader and mine are currently talking with one another in United Nations-sanctioned peace negotiations.) I had also hoped that Mr. Luxner, an experienced journalist from a great nation championing democracy, human rights, and open trade would have devoted ample time to the concerns of Turkish Cypriots, a people methodically and ruthlessly persecuted within three years of Cyprus becoming independent in 1960. And since we became an independent and democratic nation in 1983, our Greek Cypriot neighbors have tried to make our lives miserable by denying us the opportunity to trade with the outside world or travel freely. Our athletes aren’t even permitted to take part in international competitions. And yet, Turkish Cypriots still desire a permanent solution to the 50-year old Cyprus problem, one that will be based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal feder-

Ambassador of Singapore Ashok Mirpuri, bottom left, with Bel Cantanti Artistic Director Katerina Souvorova behind him, pose with members of the Bel Cantanti Opera Company, formed in 2003 to give performance opportunities to local operatic talent.

ation, with political equality, as set out in relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions and other agreements. In order to make this happen, we seek a commitment from Mr. Chacalli and his administration that they will quit the incessant stall tactics and move forward on finding a peaceful and lasting settlement. The past several years have been frustrating for the Turkish Cypriot people. For example, in 2004 we endorsed then-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan’s peace plan, one containing painful compromises, only to see the Greek Cypriot side reject it. Accordingly, we hope that the latest round of negotiations, begun in early February, will result in a comprehensive and lasting agreement for the benefit of future generations of Greek and Turkish Cypriots, as well as all of the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean, who stand to benefit from the peaceful exploration and extraction of the region’s abundant natural resources. Sincerely yours, Ahmet Erdengiz Representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Washington, D.C..

Author reply: Thank you for your letter. Please understand that reporting about emotional, sensitive political topics is never easy — and that any attempt by a journalist to be objective when it comes to the Cyprus issue is bound to offend one side or the other. We’re sorry that the tone of my article offended you, but it would be irresponsible of us to have profiled the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) without speaking to officials at the Embassy of Cyprus and devoting “precious ink” to their views as well. We used the term “fictitious” in the headline because from an international perspective, the TRNC enjoys recognition from no one save Turkey. That, however, does not mean we favor the Greek position over the Turkish position. In fact, from a historical perspective, we strived to be fair to both sides and devoted three paragraphs to the curtailment of the rights of the island’s Turkish-speaking minority in the 1960s, which led to the expulsion of Turks from northern Cyprus, the intervention of U.N. peacekeeping troops and, finally, the Turkish military occupation. Finally, we do share your hope that the latest round of negotiations will bear fruit, leading, as you write, to a “comprehensive and lasting agreement for the benefit of future generations of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.”

The Washington Diplomat

Sincerely, Larry Luxner News Editor – The Washington Diplomat

March 2014

AROUNDTHEWORLD

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT

March 2014

HOLIDAYS ANDORRA March 3: Carnival Monday March 14: Constitution Day ANGOLA March 4: Carnival March 8: International Women’s Day

BANGLADESH March 26: Independence and National Day BELARUS March 8: International Women’s Day BELIZE March 9: Baron Bliss Day

ARMENIA March 8: International Women’s Day

BOLIVIA March 1-4: Carnival

AZERBAIJAN March 8: International Women’s Day

BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA March 1: Independence Day

BRAZIL March 1-4: Carnival BULGARIA March 3: National Day BURKINA FASO March 8: International Women’s Day BURMA (MYANMAR) March 27: Armed Forces Day CAMBODIA March 8: International Women’s Day

CAMEROON March 3: National Day

CYPRUS March 25: Greek National Day

GEORGIA March 13: Mother’s Day

CANADA March 3: National Day

ERITREA March 8: International Women’s Day

GHANA March 6: Independence Day

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC March 29: Anniversary of the Death of President B. Boganda

ESTONIA March 14: Native Language Day

GREECE March 25: Greek Independence Day

ETHIOPIA March 2: Victory of Adwa Day

GUINEA-BISSAU March 8: International Women’s Day

JAPAN March 20: Vernal Equinox Day

GABON March 12: Renovation Day

HUNGARY March 15: National Day

KAZAKHSTAN March 8: International Women’s Day March 21: Nauryz

CHILE March 3: National Day COLOMBIA March 19: San José Day

Abdulla Bin Mohamed Rashid Al-Khalifa became ambassador of Bahrain to the United States on Dec. 3. Ambassador Al-Khalifa previously served as defense, military, naval and air attaché to United States (2005-13) and Canada (nonresidential), during which time he was head of the government delegation at the final United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in New York in March 2013. Ambassador Al-Khalifa was also a fighter pilot in the Royal Bahraini Air Force since 1988, rising in the ranks from lieutenant to colonel in 2013; he flew the F5 and F-16. He received the best fighter pilot award in 1990 from the RAF College Cranwell in United Kingdom. He also participated in the Gulf War and Iraq War as a mission commander flying over Kuwait. In addition, he participated in 25 military and leadership courses in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait, the United States and the United Kingdom. He has received various awards, including two Freedom of Kuwait Medals, Long Services Medal, Hawar Medal and Freedom of Iraq Medal.

Johan Verbeke was appointed ambassador of Belgium to the United States in January 2014, having previously served as Belgium’s ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2013. Ambassador Verbeke also Ambassador previously served as special Johan Verbeke representative of the U.N. secretary-general in Georgia and head of the U.N. Observer Mission in Georgia (2008-09), special coordinator of the U.N. secretarygeneral in Lebanon (2008), and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, including as a member of the Security Council (2004-08). In addition, he was chef de cabinet to the minister of foreign affairs (2002-04); chef de cabinet to the minister of European affairs (2000-02); director-general for European affairs (1999-2000); deputy director-general for political affairs (1998-99); and chief spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1990-92). Ambassador Verbeke served in Washington, D.C., on a prior occasion, as deputy chief of mission from 1994 to 1998.

March 2014

He has also been posted to Beirut (1983-85), Amman (chargé d’affaires, 1985), Bujumbura (1985-88) and Santiago de Chile (chargé d’affaires, 1988-90). Before joining the diplomatic service in 1981, Ambassador Verbeke was a junior associate in the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in New York and Brussels (1978-81) as well as assistant professor of European law at Ghent University (1975-77). Ambassador Verbeke holds degrees in law and philosophy from Belgium (J.D., master’s, Ghent University), France (D.E.S., Université de Nancy) and the United States (LL.M., Yale Law School). He is married with three children.

Ghana John Amankwah departed the post of first secretary of the consular section on Oct. 31. Henrietta Entsie assumed the position of third secretary on Oct. 16, having previously worked as a stenographer secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana.

Hungary

Belgium

MOLDOVA March 8: International Women’s Day

IRELAND March 17: St. Patrick’s Day ISRAEL March 16: Purim JAMAICA March 5: Ash Wednesday

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF March 1: Independence Movement Day

APPOINTMENTS Bahrain

IRAN March 21: Nowruz

David Singer assumed the position of cultural attaché on Jan. 29, replacing Gyorgy Rethazi, who departed the post on Nov. 1.

India S. Jaishankar was appointed ambassador of India to the United States in December 2013, having most recently served as India’s ambassador to China from 2009 to 2013. Ambassador Jaishankar, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, also previously served Ambassador as high commissioner to S. Jaishankar Singapore (2007-09), head of the Americas Division in the Ministry of External Affairs (2004-07), ambassador to the Czech Republic (2000-04), and deputy chief of mission to the Indian Embassy in Japan (1996-2000). In 1990, Ambassador Jaishankar became commercial counselor in Budapest. After three years in that position, he returned to India where he served first as director of

East Europe Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and then as press secretary for the president of India. He also served in the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on a prior occasion, from 1985 to 1988 as first secretary handling political affairs, followed by two years as first secretary and political advisor to the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka. In addition, he was undersecretary of the Americas and policy planning in the Ministry of External Affairs (1981-85) as well as third and secretary (political) at the Indian Embassy in Moscow (1979-81). Ambassador Jaishankar holds a Ph.D. and master’s of philosophy degree in international relations and a master’s of arts in political science. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Ambassador Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter.

Qatar Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari was appointed ambassador of Qatar to the United States in December 2013, having previously served as Qatar’s ambassador to France with accreditation to Switzerland and the Holy See for the past decade. In 2007, he also became nonresident ambas- Ambassador sador to Monaco and Mohammed Jaham Portugal. Ambassador Al Al Kuwari Kuwari joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1981 as third secretary. He was first posted to Washington, D.C., from 1981 to 1986, and to Madrid from 1986 to 1990. He later became chief of the Information Department of the Cooperation Council to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1991. Following a post in Tehran (1991-92), Ambassador Al Kuwari served as deputy head of cabinet (1993-95), director of European and American affairs (1995-97; 2001-02), member of the Diplomatic Consular Services (1997-2001), and head of delegation of the Qatari political and strategic dialogue with France (2001-02). Ambassador Al Kuwari received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Portland and his master’s degree in international relations from the University of Madrid. He is married with five children and speaks English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

MONGOLIA March 8: International Women’s Day NAMIBIA March 21: Independence Day PAKISTAN March 23: Pakistan Day PALAU March 15: Youth Day PANAMA March 4: Carnival PARAGUAY March 1: Heroes’ Day ROMANIA March 8: International Women’s Day

KYRGYZSTAN March 8: International Women’s Day March 21: Nooruz

RUSSIA March 8: International Women’s Day

LAOS March 8: International Women’s Day

ST. VINCENT and THE GRENADINES March 14: National Heroes’ Day

LESOTHO March 11: Moshoeshoe’s Day

SOUTH AFRICA March 21: Human Rights Day

LIBERIA March 12: Memorial Day March 15: J.J. Robert’s Birthday

SYRIA March 8: Revolution Day

LIECHTENSTEIN March 19: St. Joseph’s Day LITHUANIA March 11: Restoration of Independence of Lithuania LUXEMBOURG March 4: Carnival MADAGASCAR March 29: Memorial Day MALAWI March 5: Martyrs’ Day MALTA March 19: St. Joseph’s Day MARSHALL ISLANDS March 1: Memorial Day and Nuclear Victims’ Remembrance Day MAURITIUS March 12: National Day MEXICO March 21: Birthday of President Benito Juárez

TAIWAN March 29: Youth Day TAJIKISTAN March 8: International Women’s Day March 21: Noruz TRINIDAD and TOBAGO March 30: Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day TUNISIA March 20: Independence Day March 21: Youth Day TURKMENISTAN March 8: International Women’s Day March 21: Novruz Bairam UGANDA March 8: International Women’s Day UKRAINE March 8: International Women’s Day UZBEKISTAN March 8: International Women’s Day March 21: Noruz ZAMBIA March 12: Youth Day

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Some of the food on display looks good enough to eat, but it isn’t real — a deception that serves a purpose. For example, foods are made using colored plastipot and candle. You can eat a cine, a putty-like modeling leisurely meal at a fraction of clay, and laid on a plate in the space. stylized compositions to help cooks replicate the design of THE FOOD a complicated multiple-piece Photo: SPain artS & culture meal. Practically everyone knows Ceramic tapas will also trick tapas are Spanish, but did you an “Oxymoron Maker” (ice cream sandwich you. Exact replicas in size, know that “tapa” means “lid” in maker) designed by andreu carulla is part of an shape, color and sheen, they Spanish and is derived from exhibit on Spanish tapas. are used in bar displays to let the ancient custom of covering a glass of wine with a piece of food such as a bread the public know what’s available without laying food slice? There are several legends about the origins of on the counter to spoil. Glistening black olives and tapas. One rumor is that a king required drinks to be roasted potatoes bristling with butter and green pepaccompanied by food to help patrons avoid getting too pers are sure to whet the appetite, even if they are only drunk. This concept evolved into tapas — small dishes illusions. One of the most striking installations is a selection of of food accompanied by wine. The last section of the exhibit will make you hungry wine bottles housed in a five-level, circular white disfor more than history, offering delectable examples of play brightened by LED lights that illuminate the bottles, which stand out for their bold and appealing the food that’s defined Spanish cooking. A video of how churro is produced makes you want labels. “Everyone knows that to eat is a need, but it’s also an to stick your hand into the screen to grab a fistful of the deep-fried doughy confection, which comes out of a experience, a ritual,” said Capella. “We eat three times a machine with a star-shaped nozzle and is hugely popu- day, which means thousands of times in a lifetime. In this exhibit we show food can be decorated, that we lar in Spain. A wall display depicts a dozen “paelleras,” the special can have fun with food, its preparation and serving it. skillets for paella, which vary in width but are all the We make the experience of eating entertaining.” same shallow depth to optimize cooking of this Spanish Audrey Hoffer is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. culinary staple.

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Interests, Technology, & Analysis for the "pita-consuming" region from page 33 Body: PITAPOLICY focuses on international development; Quilts research & writing, such as said Treanor.“The level of skill, experformulating policy papers; tise and time that went into their program evaluation; and work is astonishing.” survey A “Double Wedding Ringdesign. Quilt” Issue areas of from 1930 depictsfocus interlocking cir- MENA region for the cles made of small pieces of fabric. The bright pastels include: in pink, blue and minty green were colors available for first time after World War I, when Germany was forced~Human to reveal itsDevelopment Photo: BrooKlyn MuSeuM / gaVin aShWorth, PhotograPher (Indicators, previously secret dye chemical for-Social Entrepremulas. neurship) ~ A whole-cloth quilt from the 1830s “Crazy Quilts,” made with affordable, vibrantly colored textiles, block.The result is a garden bursting with flowers — sunflowers, thistles, popped up at the height of the Development Institutional & Industrial Revolution. Known for strawberries, pansies and daisies. Society ~ panoply, this Like Stinson’s floral their bold designs,Civil loud colors, and (Transparency) multiple geometric and organic- exhibit offers an abundance of art to Economic shaped decorative elements, their praise and admire in its own right striking appearance has a contempo- — a visual feast of pattern, color and Development design that evolved over time while rary appeal even though they were (Resource evoking a side of American hisfirst made more than 100 years ago. also Management) ~ Political On such “Crazy Quilt,” made by tory that tends to get short shrift. Participation Mary A. Stinson around 1880, is a & Civic masterpiece of embroidered silk flo- Audrey Hoffer is a contributing writer ral design in the middle of each quilt for The Washington Diplomat.

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