About Indiana Partners of The Americas

Partners of the Americas (POA), inaugurated in 1964 by President John F. Kennedy as part of the Alliance for Progress, joins volunteers from many walks of life in partnerships between US states and states or countries of Latin America to improve lives of people across the hemisphere. Indiana and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil , one of the first of the now-60 partnerships, connects Hoosiers and Gauchos in volunteer action through professional, educational, and cultural programs with homestays---sharing hands-on expertise and building goodwill for a peaceful global community. A Partners of the Americas international office in Washington, DC provides central coordination among all the states. [see the story of our 40-year history]

We not only dream about a better world, we roll up our sleeve and make a difference.

Our Partner state, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), has strong similarities and dramatic differences from Indiana that enrich our programs and exchanges. [More about Rio Grande do Sul: Power Point Presentations Porto Alegre, and Brasilian Partners. Also see Wikipedia for more information]

For over 40 years, our dynamic, volunteer-driven partnership has produced a wide range of programs and opportunities for Gaucho and Hoosier Exchanges in the six program areas consonant with those identified by POA international: Youth Education & Leadership; Health & Medical; Arts & Culture; Social Services; Agriculture & Natural Resources; Justice & Civil Society.

Changing Places ---- Improving Lives

All of our programs are based on collaborative relationships with local people, businesses and organizations in IN and RS. Youth exchange and development is an especially vibrant program area:

• Youth Ambassadors volunteer service and leadership program
• Agricultural Youth Exchange on agribusiness and production techniques
• Sport for Youth Development
• Student Nursing Exchange

Our Living Language Program and other Education and Culture programs through POA International provide a basis and continuum of our work in fostering cultural understanding.

Other current programs being implemented as specified in our joint Biannual Plan, developed in collaboration with our RS Partners are:

Business and Government connections and relations are an ongoing area of exchange. See April 2009 Exploritory Report to Porto Alegre , American Business Fellows and American Government Fellows programs offered by our chapters through POA International.

See the POA International website for other opportunities and ideas to participate in Partners exchanges---and, bring your ideas for new programs to us.

Be a part of our Cultural Outreach in Indiana to our mission to share the fun, and foster education on Brazilian culture, especially the Gaucho culture of our Partner State . [See Events]

Skyline of Porto Alegre. Capital of Rio Grande do Sul

The partnership of Hoosiers and Gaúchos (as our partners in southern Brasil call themselves) has produced trips by professionals, such as: teachers of English as a second language, agriculture experts, nurses and physicians seeking information about anti-drug education, artists and musicians, businessmen, and others. For many years we supported a "Seeds for the Americas " project to help indigent people develop produce gardens. We arranged training programs for emergency medical technicians, firefighters and policemen; group exchanges for a Brasilian youth orchestra and two Indiana choirs; trade missions lead by the Governor and Lt. Governor.. Some special travel grants are available but most travelers pay their own airfare with Partners in the host state providing an itinerary, home hospitality, and local transportation.

The Waterfall in Canela

One of our more successful projects has been our on-going "Partners Youth Ambassadors" program. For sixteen years we have found host families for up to six Gaúcho high school kids to spend part of their Summer vacation (January and February) in Indiana. Only a few Hoosier kids had returned the favor. Indiana Partners cooperated with the White River Youth Choir on a project that sent them to Brasil to perform over the Summer of 1999. It was a project that allowed the choir to tour Brasil and to spread the gift of music, while learning about the different cultures of Rio Grande do Sul.

The White River Youth Choir

The Hoosier/Gaúcho partnership may be called upon for information about our partner state and country, Portuguese/English translations, and introductions to counterparts (governmental, academic, legal, commercial, etc.). Members of Partners engaged in projects approved by both committees may seek home hospitality when traveling to the Partner state.

Traditional German houses in Nova Petropolis

Rio Grande do Sul produces 90% of Brasil's wines, produces 28% of foodstuffs, does 80% of that countries agribusiness, ships 40% of their leather products and does 40% of the equipment manufacturing in Brasil. They have three times the area of Indiana, much of which is devoted to beef ranching, soybeans, wheat and corn. The influence of German farmers and miners and Italian wine producers is very strong among the Gaúchos, and they welcome opportunities to make friends and do business with Hoosiers.