LIMA --Imagine being invited to give a speech to launch one of the newest WTCs. You spend much time preparing because this is going to be in a foreign country where the language is Spanish. You send your power point presentation and a taped message from Guy Tozzoli ahead of time. But just before the event, your host tears up your speech, removes the power point and tells you “we want you to speak from the heart.”
Part of the audience at Kofi Boateng's presentation in Lima |
That is what the General Manager of WTC Lima, Mr. Victor Hugo Visval, did to me on September 1, 2010. Thus in front of the more than 500 well-attired business, academic and government leaders of Peru, I reached deep into my Bronx, NY- learned Spanish and said: “Buenas noches mis amigos. Estoy muy orgulloso d’estar acqui desde el principio de WTC Lima. Ahora, me voy hablar ingles.” (Good evening my friends, I am honored to be here for the inauguration of WTC Lima. Now I am going to speak English.) |
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Being in South America, I informed them that I am from Ghana and if anyone in the room was from Uruguay, I was looking for my soccer ball. The room lit up in applause and they listened attentively to the value that is called a World Trade Centers Association. I stressed that the global network of WTCA surpasses anything that a chamber of commerce or ministry of trade could offer, and we continue to invest in strengthening this network. The true value of the WTCA initiative is to create prosperity in communities, countries and the world via the creation of jobs and wealth though trade. The night was charmed with success, and WTC Lima is off to a great start. On behalf of all of us, I congratulated its leaders, principally, Sn. Raul Diez Canseco (Chairman – shaking my hand in the picture below, and Victor Visval (next to Sn. Canseco).
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