Chile is featured country at Passport to the World this Sunday in Franklin

Photo of Chilean cueca dance by Eduardo Castro. Licensed via Creative Commons.

Chile is the feature country of this weekend's Passport to the World Speaker Series at O’More College of Design Pavilion, 423 South Margin Street. The event begins Sunday, August 5, at 2:00 p.m.

Attendees will get a taste of Chilean culinary delights and information about exportation of wine, fruits and sea food. An exhibit of copper, ceramics, books, pictures, videos, leather, clothing and textile artifacts will also be featured. Topics addressed by speakers Cecilia Melo-Romie, Marlene Vergara, and Rosario Langlois will include Chilean demographics, politics, religion, traditions, culture, folklore, and the dance of “La Cueca.”

Cecilia Melo-Romie

Franklin resident Melo-Romie was born in San Javier, Linares, in the center part of Chile. She is an entrepreneur and also part of the multicultural team of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Vergara was born in Temuco, in southern Chile. She currently works for the FSSD as a pre-K social worker. Langlois was born in Puerto Montt in southern Chile; she currently works as Director of Outreach Programs for First Steps Inc.

Passport to the World is presented by Sister Cities of Franklin and Williamson County Tennessee, Inc., whose mission is to build global relationships, to share cultural and educational experiences and to inspire economic growth within our community. Co- sponsors for this virtual travel experience are the Williamson County Public Library and the Townsend Institute for Global Competency at O’More College of Design.