Quito

Ecuador Mi País y Alero Restaurant
te invitan a festejarle a Quito
con un campeonato de Cuarenta,
comida típica, y buena compañía.

Entrada Gratuita!
Domingo 11 de Diciembre de 2011 – 16h00 a 19h00
3500 Connecticut Ave NW Ste 2, Washington, DC 20008-6410
202-966-2530

Para más información visita:
www.ecuadormipais.org

Y haste fan de EMP en Facebook
facebook.com/ecuadormipais.org

Cuando: Sabado 3 de Diciembre
Hora: 10 pm en adelante
Donde: Don Churro Cafe (13905-B Metrotech Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151)
Entrada: $10 (con derecho a un canelazo) Todos los beneficios de la venta de estas entradas serán destinados a contribuir con la mision de EMP.

Les esperamos…

Ecuador Mi Pais is proud to support the Ecuadorian Film Showcase in Washington DC from June 20 – 25 at 7 pm every night. The movies are:

• Cuando me Toque a Mí (GALA Theater) June 20
• Labranza Oculta (GALA Theater) June 21
• Los Canallas (Letelier Theater) June 22
• Esas no son Penas (Letelier Theater) June 23
• Beueu (Letelier Theater) June 23
• Impulso (Letelier Theater) June 24
• Despierta (Letelier Theater) June 24
• Prometeo Deportado (Embassy of Ecuador) June 25

Free Admission (First-Come, first-seated)

All Films have English subtitles.

Join us for the relaunch of the organization:

• Thursday, March 31, 2011
• Happy hour prices from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
• Sutra Lounge
• 2406 18th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20009 (Adams Morgan) Metro / 42 bus / DC Circulator accessible

Con la colaboracion especial de:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szmbMxsOd6c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k7SdZJa988
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyPWQaNshSQ

Para realizar esta nueva producción, Alvear ha tomado parte en una nueva iniciativa de micro-financiamiento llamada The HectorFund.  Por medio de este programa, artistas independientes trabajan con sus fans y amistades para recaudar fondos para proyectos como grabaciones, videos, giras, etc…  Esta campaña no es de carácter caritativo sino más bien un mecanismo de inversión por medio de pre-ventas.  Hay distintos niveles de inversión y el retorno a cada nivel varía dependiendo de la cantidad invertida.  Este proceso es sumamente fácil y seguro y las contribuciones empiezan desde $10.  Para aquellos que no puedan hacer una inversión monetaria se les pide que ayuden difundiendo la campaña con sus amistades y enlaces (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc..) y de esta manera colaborar de igual manera con el proyecto.  Los detalles y toda la información necesaria para la campaña de Alex Alvear en The HectorFund se encuentra en este link:

http://www.thehectorfund.com/about/alex-alvear/

Esta campaña ha logrado recaudar casi el 40% del presupuesto completo, lo cual ha permitido la primera fase del proyecto, la grabación 13 temas con la sección rítmica, en los estudios de WGBH en Boston.

En caso de tener cualquier pregunta, por favor contactar a Alex Alvear directamente a: mangoblue@hotmail.com

Házte fan de Alex Alvear en FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Alex-Alvear/73696537429?ref=ts

By Luis Aviles

One must have to be pretty insensitive to remain unmoved by developing countries’ woes. Thanks to the Internet and television, tales about these countries’ suffering and misery seem to enter almost daily into our comfortable lives here in the developed world. So what can we do? Perhaps we could lobby our politicians about the debt in Third World countries, knowing that their actions are rarely altruistic. But there is another option: you can cut out the middlemen and work for those troubled countries directly, offering practical services as a volunteer.r.

Three years ago, I became a member of Ecuador Mi Pais, fulfilling a lifelong ambition of volunteering. Ecuador is a beautiful country, for many reasons, but especially for its huge diversity in geography, biology, and socio-culture. The variety of flora and fauna is famous around the globe, especially in the Galapagos Islands. Its ethnic diversity is perhaps one of the highest in the continent. However, in modern times, this small country in South America has been affected by many downturns in the economy, affecting the social programs directly. Therefore, the educational system in Ecuador, although it has been changing in the last few months, still shows inefficiency and low levels of penetration in the population. This was the reason why I wanted to be part of a newly born organization, which helps children access higher quality education.

Last year, I traveled to Ecuador and found that the programs Ecuador Mi Pais was leading were having a direct impact on children’s lives. Firsthand experience of real poverty is shocking. It is difficult to understand what it means to have virtually nothing until you see it for yourself. More than ever I realize how lucky we are in the developed world, yet there is so much about the Ecuadorian way of life that I envy. The generosity of people who have so little is humbling and their concern for each other make our society seem greedy and uncaring. Perhaps poverty is better for the soul than wealth. But surely there has to be a balance, but where that lies is a question I will leave to others. In the meantime, I will cherish my link with Ecuador and the mutual, beneficial exchange it provides, while recommending volunteering as a truly life changing experience.

During that visit to Ecuador I met Carla, one of the grantees of our scholarships and, needless to say, one of the best students at her school. Her parents had passed away recently. She now lives with her grandmother and her other siblings. It was very hard for her grandmother to pay for their education, as she lives off from government aid (nearly $150 a month). Fortunately, she was able to reach Ecuador Mi Pais for help for their children and we were able to grant her granddaughter a scholarship. Seeing this dear little soul’s face was the most rewarding feeling I had ever experienced. And that can make you feel like Bill Gates. I am far from rich, but in that environment, we saw how the sacrifice of small sums to us could make a huge difference to them. And what a privilege that is. I still can’t get over how fortunate I was to meet Carla. For a relatively small sum each year, we are paying for an education for her that will transform her prospects.

Choosing to volunteer is a great choice for numerous reasons. Besides the obvious resume boost, it gives you the opportunity to complete something you might not otherwise have had the time for. For graduate school admissions, volunteer work is highly respected and your time spent doing so may turn into something incredibly valuable for your future. I am currently going through the grad school admission process, and there are no words to describe how immensely volunteering has helped me advance in my career. Volunteer work is one of the first aspects of your resume that schools are looking for on applications. It also aids in the process of procuring a new job or when looking for an interview. Having more than just a gap between jobs shows potential employers that while you decided to end a previous profession you remained dedicated to something productive during your time off.

In essence, volunteering has helped me develop new skills, become part of the community, feel motivated, boost my career options, meet a diverse range of people, and most importantly has shown me a way to dedicate my time to help others.

Hilda Males Arango de Imbabura, Gustavo Toaquiza de Cotopaxi y Edwin Lluco de Chimborazo participaron en el programa de intercambio de artistas visuales llevado a cabo del 5 al 23 de mayo en distintas ciudades de los Estados Unidos.

Gracias a *ITD (The Instituto for Training and Development) artistas pertenecientes a las minorías de Estados Unidos, Guatemala, Bolivia, Colombia y Ecuador tuvieron la oportunidad de explorar e intercambiar experiencias y trabajos realizados. Ellos estuvieron cuatro días en Amherst, Massachusetts participando en reuniones y visitando diferentes instituciones de las cuales pudieron apreciar el rol del artista visual en la sociedad. Luego fueron a Washington DC, Nueva York, Albuquerque y Los Angeles.

Felicitamos a nuestros compatriotas quienes fueron escogidos de entre un grupo de ecuatorianos para representar orgullosamente a nuestro país.

*Desde 1985 ITD ha invitado a más de 3000 personas de 85 países. El objetivo de sus proyectos es establecer bases para experiencias Inter-culturales reuniendo a profesionales de todo el mundo quienes comparten cultura, ideas y conocimientos. Entre los temas esta el civismo e integración de minorías y artes escénicas para juventud en riesgo.

For many of us, Ecuador Mi País (EmiP) is a vehicle to make a difference in a country we love. Ecuador is a small country, moving at its own pace towards “development”. A beautiful country full of contrasts and inequality; education is one of the most obvious areas where this inequality manifests itself. Education is an area where we believe we can make a difference; an area where we must make a difference.

Even though technically education is a constitutional right, quality access is limited to only a small percentage of the population. Furthermore, access to higher education becomes even more difficult and the quality lags behind other countries in the region, particularly in the public arena. As we have witnessed through many of the projects we are currently involved in, rural schools and universities have monumental deficiencies and fail to provide students with the tools needed to think creatively and become active contributors to the country’s advancement.

The task of changing education in Ecuador is monumental. It might seem that volunteering to combat such a daunting problem is an exercise in futility. It sounds utopist. However, members of EMiP volunteer and hope you volunteer because it won’t just help improve the educational system, but in the process it will also change you. When you with your heart, to work passionately towards an unselfish goal, to grasp others people needs as your own, you grow as a person. We believe it is vital for us as human beings to dream beyond our reality, to push our creativity towards finding new solutions to old problems, to train our minds and hearts to add value to the important things in life, and to put our hands to work. Once this is achieved we provide the tools to begin to lay bricks on a foundation for a better world. In a recent presentation, the Dalai Lama said that we all must exercise our compassion, as we do our muscles. Idealistic initiatives are high class gyms for our soul.

We have been volunteering for EmiP for several years and we have, with your help, supported the education of over 90 students per year. We are convinced that we can and we will make a bigger difference in the future. We are continuously planning for our next step. We want to design a project that will change the lives of thousands of people. We want to invite you to dream with us. Dream about a large group of people with a strong bond amongst them working for a fair and just cause, dream of a better Ecuador, dream of a way to help people realize their own dreams. Make it happen. EmiP needs your dreams, your actions and your talent. Volunteer. Join us.

1. Projects Vice-President (2 Positions)
2. Cultural Vice-President (2 positions)
3. Executive Vice-President (2-Positions)
4. Communications Director Vice Presidency (2-Positions)
5. General Event Coordinator Vice Presidency (2-Positions)
6. Information Systems Vice President (2 positions)
7. Finances Vice-President
8. Fundraiser Vice-President

To apply, please send your resume to voluntariado@ecuadormipais.org indicating to which position you are applying.

—————–

Fundraiser Vice-President

Job Purpose

Obtain monetary and non-monetary resources for the organization.

Duties and responsibilities essential to the functions of the job include:

1. Participate in Board Meetings and provide direction and overall perspective on future initiatives of the organization

2. Design online and onsite fundraiser campaigns to collect funds for the Organization

3. Contact all members of the Organization to procure funds for the organization

4. Create campaigns to generate more members

5. Manage all online resources and social networks to collect funds

6. Mail children profiles and thank you gifts to the donors

7. Maintain close communication with donors and members

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements:

1. Undergraduate degree in fundraiser or liberal arts preferred. Masters degree is a plus.

2. Experience desired but not required. Experience may be considered in lack of educational degree.

3. Languages: Excellent written English and Spanish required

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

1. Ability to lead and work in teams

2. Must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization;

3. Excellent organizational skills

4. Excellent communication skills

Compensation: 

This is a paid position

—————————-

Finances Vice-President

Job Purpose

Direct the finances of the Organization. 

Duties and responsibilities essential to the functions of the job include:

1. Participate in Board Meetings and provide direction and overall perspective on future initiatives of the organization

2. Maintain transparent and accurate financial records

3. Prepare quarterly and annual budgetary statements

4. Oversee budgets of official EMiP events

5. Track donations using Paypal, Network for Good, and Google Checkout

6. Create financial reports

7. Facilitate money transfers between EMiP and our projects in Ecuador

8. With the help of Legal VP, you must file and maintain proper licensing for EMiP

9. Keep track of EMiP’s banking and investment accounts

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements:

1. Undergraduate in Finances or Accounting. MBA or CPA a plus.

2. Experience not required, but preferred

3. Must speak English and Spanish

4. Must be honest. 

5. Must have experience with Microsoft Excel or any other accounting program.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

1. Ability to lead and work in teams

2. Must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization;

3. Excellent organizational skills

4. Excellent communication skills

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position

——————————

Information Systems Vice President (2 positions)

Job Purpose:

Provide general direction to the VP of Information Systems and manage all resources and aspects related to the Information Systems of the Organization.

Duties and responsibilities essential to the functions of the job include:

1. Participate in Board Meetings and provide direction and overall perspective on future initiatives of the organization

2. Maintain, develop, and align the mission and vision to the Organization’s website

3. Manage the email accounts of the members and directors of the Organization

4. Manage the databases that contain the members of the Organization

5. Develop and send all newsletters and other communications to the members

6. Manage and integrate all fundraising accounts and its resources with EMP’s information systems 

7. Design strategies to increment the traffic to EMP’s  website and collect more donations

8. Integrate all information systems of the Organization with the existing social networks

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements:

1. Undergraduate Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems or related field preferred. Master degree in related field is a plus.

2. Experience desired but not required.  Experience may be considered in lack of educational degree.

3. Languages: Excellent written English and Spanish required

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

1. Ability to lead and work in teams

2. Must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization;

3. Excellent organizational skills

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position.

———————–

General Event Coordinator Vice Presidency (2-Positions)

Job Purpose: 

To provide general event coordination and support including recruitment and management of event participants, sponsors and volunteers, implementation of event route logistical plan, execute plan for communication and active engagement with past event participants as well as 2009 registered event participants, fulfill the strategy for the distribution of event collateral materials across the DC Metro Area. 

Duties and responsibilities essential to the functions of the job include the following and other duties that may be assigned as needed:

1.  Create and implement strategies for the recruitment of event participants, corporate teams, sponsors, and volunteers for any EMP’s events;

2.  Initiate and maintain relationships with local volunteers, staff and businesses to support activities;

3.  Meet or exceed participant recruitment and retention goals for 2009;

4.  Establish a volunteer network for the distribution of event collateral materials among local nonprofits, multilateral organizations, and private businesses;

5.  Secure all necessary municipal permits, university contracts, legal and administrative support for all events; and

6.  Provide on going support for all event participant logistical needs.

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements: Enthusiastic Leader.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

1.  Must have a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.  Position requires demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy;

2.  Must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization;

3.  Excellent organizational skills, event management skills, phone skills and willingness to make cold calls in support of the event.

4.  Sales, marketing, and/or non-profit event management experience preferred.

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position.

———————–

Communications Director Vice Presidency (2-Positions)

Job Purpose

The Communications Director provides a broad range of support to Ecuador Mi Pais EMP. The work includes (but is not limited to): media relations and communications planning; developing corporate communications materials such as the internal and external newsletters; and managing the Web content of EMP’s Intranet and public Web site, www.ecuadormipais.org. These tasks strengthen EMP’s brand-name and improve internal operations by increasing the organization’s communication with its members.

Duties & Responsibilities: 

1. Develop, maintain and update content on EMP’s internal and external Web sites (prepare/post files; update bios/project descriptions) 

2. Develop and edit internal weekly newsletter

3. Develop and edit biannual external newsletter 

4. Develop and disseminate press releases bimonthly

5. Develop corporate reports for CEO and senior management as needed

6. Prepare and edit capabilities reports quarterly

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements: Enthusiastic Leader.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

1. Must have a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.  Position requires demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy;

2. Must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization;

3. Excellent organizational skills, event management skills, phone skills and willingness to make cold calls in support of the event.

4. Sales, marketing, and/or non-profit event management experience preferred.

5. Ability to interact with project directors and other senior leaders

6. Must be a team player who can relate well with others along with ability to work independently 

7. Strong initiative to resolve problems and make recommendations

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position.

——————–

Executive Vice-president Vice Presidency (2-Positions)

Job Purpose: 

The purpose of the Executive Vice-president is to lead Ecuador Mi País. The main role is to work on defining short and long term goals of the organization, as a whole. Furthermore, the Executive Vice-president will represent the organization, along with, and in absence of, the Executive President. Finally, the Executive Vice-president will be in charge of setting HR goals for the organization.  

Duties and responsibilities essential to the functions of the job include the following and other duties that may be assigned as needed:

1.  Define goals for the organization and align them to the vision and mission.

2.  Participate in Board Meetings and provide an overall perspective on future initiatives of the organization, coordinating time and resources across all operative areas.

3.  Serve as the visible point of contact of the organization in formal meetings and events.

4.  Generate strategies to improve outreach and grassroots development for the organization

5.  Manage internal relationships and interactions within the organization, promoting and nurturing a constructive and inspiring work environment. 

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements: Strong community leader, committed to community development..

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

1.  Must have a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.  Position requires demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy;

2.  Must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization;

3.  Must possess solid leadership skills and ability to interact with high-rank officials and develop long-lasting relationships.

4.  Must have ability to inspire people and align them towards a common goal.

5.  Must be able to promote the organization’s cause to individuals not familiar with its vision, mission and/or goals.

6.  Must be able to manage conflict and solve disputes.

7.  Human Resources experience is a plus.

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position.

———————–

Cultural Vice-President (2 positions)

Job purpose:

Promote the Ecuadorian culture in the United States.

Duties and responsibilities essential to the functions of the job include the following and other duties that may be assigned as needed:

1. Demonstrated interest and commitment to the Ecuadorian culture and traditions.

2. Coordinate, assist in the planning and logistic of cultural events.

3. Identify and cultivates relationships among key cultural and advocacy organizations.

4. Update the cultural page on the EMiP website 

Reports to: Chairman of the Board/President.

Position Requirements: 

1. Strong community leader, committed to community development.

2. Spanish-English 

3. Education: Undergraduate in Liberal Arts preferred

4. Experience: 

• Ideal candidate should have a background in cultural/arts programs
• Fundraising experience for cultural events is a plus

5. Skills

• Ability to create and propose cultural projects financed with a short budget.
• Outgoing and sensitive to different backgrounds 

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position.

————————

Projects Vice-President (2 Positions)

Job Purpose

Direct, assign, and supervise funds to education projects in Ecuador. 

Key responsibilities

The Projects Vice President will be responsible for the development of proposals to improve access to good quality education for underprivileged children in Ecuador.  These proposals will be developed in coordination with other offices, especially the one present in Ecuador.  He/she will be responsible for coordinating all the efforts to develop the grants and present them to funding agencies to look for financing.  The Projects VP will work closely with the Resource Development VP to compete in different grant opportunities that this office detects available.

After the funding is secured, the Projects VP will coordinate the implementation of the Project and supervise it closely, lead an evaluation committee to make adjustments and will be responsible for the presentation of reports as required by the funding agencies and/or the Board of Directors.

This person will also oversee the evaluation of small ongoing scholarship projects in Ecuador along with the office in Quito and will make recommendations regarding the extension of the support provided to the different organizations to the Board of Directors.

Ideal qualifications or requirements

Ideally, the Projects VP will have experience in grant writing and/or project management.  Fluency in English is required and good writing skills are a must.  The candidate must show ability to work as part of a group and adjust easily to function as a member or as a group leader depending on the situation.  College degree is required and graduate level studies are preferred.

Compensation: 

This is a voluntary position.