Rotary hosts Int'l Day

Their work is sometimes overlooked, their role, sometimes misunderstood.

That is the life of diplomats and consuls. Both posts require individuals of high standing who must represent the nation whose flag they bear with the utmost professionalism and dignity.

So to salute both groups, the Rotary Club of Kingston, in which a few members are consuls, hosted the fine men and women on June 3 at their weekly meeting. This one was dubbed International Day, appropriate for the United Nation-esque feel of the gathering. As with any service club meeting, there were the usual traditions including the hilarious antics of the sergeant-at-arms.

Guest speaker, Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva, who is also dean of the Diplomatic Corps, gave a brief history of diplomatic relations before touching on ways to provide a business-friendly environment for Jamaica. He supported the firm stand taken against crime and opined that the recent unrest could present a good opportunity to rebuild. He ended by encouraging the gathering to remain optimistic and to work to keep up the good things that Jamaica has to offer.

The guests included St Kitts and Nevis High Commissioner Cedric Harper, Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner Yvonne Gittens-Joseph, Chinese Ambassador Chen Jinghua, Canadian High Commissioner Stephen Hallihan, Colombian Ambassador Ventura Emilio Diaz-Mejia, Argentine Ambassador Mario Pino, Chilean Ambassador Alfredo Garcia, Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda, British High Commissioner Howard Drake, Nicaraguan Ambassador David McField, consuls Hugh Levy, Chris Issa, Andrew Issa; Rotarians Allison Peart, François St Juste, Ian Andrews, Ed Khoury and Andre Hylton.