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A monument to pay for, a mistake
to avoid, a mother to find...
Still need funds for US monument at Amador
As you know, Panama celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2003. The United States community was asked to participate in a special project along with eight other groups, thanking Panama for making it possible for all of us to grow and develop here, as well as highlighting our contributions to Panama during the last one hundred years. This project includes a plaza, a museum and an auditorium which will have a capacity to serve 250 people.
The Plaza was inaugurated on October 12, 2003. The completion of the museum and auditorium will follow. The expected time line is five to seven years.
The plaza is located in Amador, in the area directly across from the ARI offices. The lot is on the main road at the corner where you go in to the Country Inn Suites. It is a lovely location, proving a place of prominence for the plaza.
The project is sponsored by the Fundación de la Cultura y de las Etnias, a nonprofit organization headed by José Chong-Hon. Members of the foundation are representatives from the nine major communities (Afro-Antillean, Chinese, French, Greek, Hindu, Italian, Jewish, Spanish and United States). Each of the nine has a monolith which contains a brief statement describing the arrival and contributions of each group. The cost for each group was $40,000. We were asked to raise the money as a community.
Only two groups have not raised their quota, the United States and the French. We have not given up, and extensions have been granted to allow us to meet our goal. We owe approximately $10,000. As chairperson of the United States committee, I have worked with a small group of dedicated people. We are very determined to complete our task. We could not imagine a project like this going forward without the US as a participant. Therefore, we have come up with the plan of "100 Americans, $100." If you are an American citizen or supporter of the US, we urge you to make a $100 donation. You name will be included in the book of honor listing all donors. This book will be housed at the museum, which will be located on the monument grounds. Please help us honor our commitment to the Plaza Foundation.
We also have the opportunity to include a few more names on our obelisk. For a minimum donation of $2,000 you can honor your family members or organizations. The final engraving will begin soon, so that donation needs to be completed as soon as possible.
We will be happy to accept other donations in any amount as well. The important factor is to reach the quota.
If you are willing to make a personal or corporate contribution, please contact Rita Sosa, who represents the US community on the board of directors of the Fundación Plaza de la Cultura y de las Etnias. Checks should be made payable to Fundación Plaza de la Cultura y de las Etnias.
Editor's note: Rita Sosa, a retired educator, is a long-time prominent member of Panama's American community and a past president of the American Society of Panama. This is a legitimate and worthy project, which will be an important addition to Panama's cultural resources when it is completed.
Buy NOW?
I am reading your "Anatomy of a scam" series with great interest since I have been researching Panama with regard to relocating my family there.
I've also been watching SCLD and have had similar pressure via telephone and email to 'buy now' even though I very quickly made them understand that I'm still busy with my homework on Panama and I'll be keeping an eye on their developments. What I appreciate about your article, is that while exposing the truths of the matter, you are also providing glimpses into the actual workings of Panama, what her people and government are like and what her laws really say. These are things that an outsider may never get to learn, and arguably not even someone who visits Panama to check out the investment offers. The Internet is liberally scattered with second-hand knowledge and popular buzz that have been stripped of clarifying information vital to deepen one's understanding and help make a wise decision from a few thousand miles away. What information the Internet does not say becomes my ignorance, even though I feel that I've done a fair bit of homework. This makes the gathering of vital in depth knowledge most frustrating.
Misinformation and absence of information are the greatest threats to someone like me who is trying to create a better future for my family with hard earned money. So it is refreshing to have someone like you add far greater depth to my two years of Internet research on Panama. I fear that even a personal visit to Panama would not have yielded such valuable information. I suspect that, as one of your previous readers did, an investigation by a trustworthy Panamanian attorney is in order.
If relocation is also a consideration, spending a considerable time renting in the area where I'm considering a land purchase is essential, with a fair amount of time spent off the beaten track talking to as many people as possible that are not trying to romanticize Panama as a paradise because they're trying to sell you something.
The information you and your other readers have offered are motivating me to dig even deeper so that I can one day truly make an informed decision. And to reach that goal, I will continue to read The Panama News.
Looking for his Panamanian family
Let me introduce myself. I was born Roberto Ernesto Camarena on June 18, 1961 at Santo Tomas Hospital in Panama City, son of Vicenta Camarena. On December 22, 1961 I was adopted by an American family of Buford and Mildred Edwards. My name was legally changed to Bruce Squire Edwards. I now live in Los Angeles, California.
I am asking for your assistance in locating my birth mother in Panama. My adoptive mother has passed away, and my adoptive father is elderly. I want to locate my birth mother before it is too late. As an adoptive child, I want to fill this "void" in my life, and find out who I really am.
I have learned, that at the time of my birth, I had one older brother and one older sister. Their names I do not know. I do not believe we have the same birth father.
I was told my birth mother worked as a maid, and did not feel she could afford a new baby, and decided to give me up for adoption.
Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
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