On Thursday, March 3rd, 2022, the Utah International Mountain Forum, (UIMF), a coalition
of student clubs at Utah Valley University, under my leadership hosted His Excellency,
Ambassador Harold Forsyth, Chair of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American
States (OAS) and Permanent Representative of Peru to the OAS.
Dallas Karren, UIMF President, reads a prepared statement and conducts the event with
UIMF members on stage and His Excellency Ambassador Harold Forsyth
The OAS is the world’s oldest international regional organization, comprising 34 independent
States of the Americas and “constitutes the main political, juridical, and social
governmental forum in the Hemisphere” with a focus on democracy, human rights, security,
and development. Dedicated to “International law,…order,” and “intensive continental
cooperation,” the OAS regards “representative democracy” as “indispensable,” “solemnly
affirms” the “principles and purposes” of the United Nations, and promotes the individual
and collective “Political, juridical,...economic,” and social well-being of its member
States.
His Excellency, Ambassador Harold Forsyth, Chair of the OAS and Permanent Representative
of Peru, shakes my hand following conclusion of the event
This event and our distinguished guest was of utmost importance to me
professionally and personally. Having spent two years in Colombia, I understand the
needs and benefits in advancing the OAS objectives in the American continents, and
in particular, Latin America.
The event was co-sponsored by the UVU Office for Global Engagement and
the UVU History and Political Science Department, for whose continued support we are
grateful. Student members of the UIMF worked as a team and prepared the event and
handled advertising and all necessary logistics under my supervision through a task
list and event agenda that I created and delegated among members.
A presentation by Alitha Thompson, UIMF Vice-President, details the accomplishments
of UIMF members
Students prepared and read statements during the event that addressed the need to
promote institutional frameworks within mountain and rural areas as part of the focus
of the UN and OAS development agendas.
As President, it was my responsibility to open and conduct the event. In my prepared
statement, I provided opening remarks and thanked H.E. Ambassador Forsyth for being
with us. I further provided information and history on the organizations represented
at the event before laying out the agenda. Afterwards, I turned over the podium to
other UIMF members.
Alitha Thompson, Vice-President of UIMF and President of Foreign Affairs, had a powerpoint presentation in which she expounded upon UIMF accomplishments.
Rusden Scott, UIMF Member, spoke on the SEL method at UVU. Stefan Atkinson, Vice-President of Foreign Affairs, informed us on mountain communities and their importance. Alexandria Lamb, Foreign Affairs Member, then addressed us, on the subject of non-traditional students. William Clark, spoke on the negative effects of climate change on mountain areas. Next, two students from Central and South America discussed sustainable
mountain development within their respective countries. Tristin Smith, UVU Rotaract President, presented on Guatemala and current challenges with the Drug Cartels. The Concluding
student speaker, Carolina Yauyo, UVU Global Student Leadership Council Member and Native of Peru, articulated Sustainable Mountain Development in Peru. Other UIMF
members also contributed to preparations and logistics for the event.
Ambassador Forsyth responding to students
Presenting Ambassador Forysth with a gift bag and poster for signing
On behalf of the Utah International Forum, I presented Ambassador Forsyth with a gift
bag as an expression of our gratitude for his time with us, then asked him to sign
an event poster. Additionally, we Prepared a folder of UIMF accomplishments which
we presented to Ambassador Forsyth. This included Written statements from UVU students
that were accepted and published as official UN documents during the sixty-fifth and
sixty-sixth sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, two Extensions of Remarks
in the U.S. Congressional Record by Congressmen John R. Curtis and Ben McAdams, the
UN Secretary General’s report on SMD A/74/209 from July 22, 2019 which highlights
the UIMF, and several other UN documents. We also included brochures and information
such as when the UIMF hosted through SEL the Fourth International Women of the Mountains
Conference in 2015 in Utah; included language about mountain communities for the first
time in the final document of the sixty-eighth United Nations Civil Society Conference,
held in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 26-28, 2019; or presented at the 2018 High
Level Political Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The purpose
of this was to demonstrate to Ambassador Forsyth the Student-Engaged Learning (SEL)
model at UVU to demonstrate how students can be involved and make an impact throughout
the Americas.
Ambassador Forsyth signs our poster
We were then honored by Ambassador Forsyth addressing our coalition and responding
to our statements. He addressed us, thanking us for our insight saying that he learned
a great deal about issues that he did not know much about. He promised to push for
the inclusion of our objectives and possibly create a group within the OAS to do so.
Additionally, Ambassador Forsyth acknowledged our requests to connect Tristen Smith
and myself with the OAS Ambassadors of Guatemala and Colombia, respectively, and he
said that he would accomplish this for us. Carolina Yauyo, who is a native of Peru,
was able to network with the OAS Ambassador of Peru, Mr. Forsyth, as a result of this
meeting. These connections serve to aid us in our professional endeavors of our respective
countries of interest.
OAS poster signed by Ambassador Forsyth during our event pledging support of our coalition
Ambassador Forsyth gladly signed our event poster which I presented to him, and demonstrated
his approval and support, stating, “Deeply touched by your strength and resilience.
We are with you.”
Group photo with Ambassador Forsyth
Following the conclusion of our event, a luncheon was held by the University and the
Office for Global Engagement during which possibilities of collaboration between UVU,
Peru, and the OAS were discussed.
Dr. Baldomero Lago, UVU Chief International Officer and Honorary Consul of Spain speaks
during a luncheon with Ambassador Forsyth, Former Lima Mayor and Presidential Candidate
George Forsyth, and UVU faculty.
After the lunch, I thanked His Excellency Ambassador Forysth again for coming, and
he promised me to be in contact.
Mr. Dallas M. Karren, UIMF President
