Still solid, still valid

Recently, at the CIAT Executive Secretariat offices in Panama we had a working group meeting on the financial future of the CIAT organization. But this blog is not about that. It’s about the foundation of the organization.

I had the good fortune of being one of the initial speakers where I addressed issues of planning and budget. And of course they go hand-in-hand.

So, let me share with you copy of the “Acta de la Asamblea Constituyente.”

Page 1:

Not exactly the Holy Scriptures but important, nevertheless.

What got my attention was the fact that in order to focus on the future we needed to first look at the past. What immediately came to my mind was William Shakespeare.

What does William Shakespeare have to do with taxes and the CIAT organization? Absolutely nothing. But I did remember one of his plays, “The Tempest,” and remembered Antonio’s comment to Sebastian as they plotted to commit murder and regain the throne, “Whereof what’s past is prologue…” But my recollection of the expression was more in the positive sense. What is our organizational Magna Carta? What is our foundation? Thus, the “Acta de la Asamblea Constituyente” and what it revealed is rather interesting. The 35-page document outlines what the organization is to be, it’s objectives, and in essence the initial bylaws.

There are a number of significantly interesting subjects in the document. But the one that stood out the most to me was Article 2, stating the “Objectives” of the organization. Lo and behold, the objectives in 1967 are as true today as they were then.

Here are pages 5 and 6, which capture those objectives:

After almost 50 years the organization preserves the ideas and spirit of the 17 American founding-members.

As we get ready to hold our 48^th General Assembly in Brazil, I focus on the fact that again that meeting will be another opportunity for member countries to share concerns and solutions to daily challenges each one faces. And when you have a team of colleagues facing similar challenges who are ready, willing and able to support you, who can offer possible solutions, the challenge is a bit easier to bear.  Each one of those 9 issues, objectives, was clearly captured by those men and women who in 1967 decided to give the CIAT organization a purpose.

I can associate each one of these objectives with a recent activity in support of a member country: organize seminars; collect, publish and distribute tax-related information; provide technical assistance; collaborate with other organizations; and, many other activities.

Much of this is done through collaborative efforts with other organizations and a network of member-country subject-matter-experts. And these are members who are more interested in giving than receiving. That’s the beauty of our organization, and it continues to live by the mandate of the founding members.

See you in Rio!

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