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Welcome 2021 Newsletter

¡Bienvenidos!

We hope everyone has had an incredible start to the academic year! Here’s the rundown of what we’ve been up to and what’s coming up..,

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Upcoming events…

Want to make a difference and shape the society? Put yourself forward for one of our vacant roles in the upcoming by-elections. The roles available are welfare officer, outreach officer and social media officer. Please contact one of us if you have any questions about the positions available. Nominations will run from the 1st to the 8th of November.

We will be attending a webinar about the effects of COVID-19 on Latin American democracy on the 2nd of November. It will be hosted by the Latin American and Spanish society and there will be expert guest speakers. Please sign up below if you are interested in attending.

Register on Eventbrite

We would also like to include an event that we would like all of us to go to as a society! UCL Mex Soc has invited us to attend their ofendra on the 2nd of November-they will be displaying it from 12:00pm to 6:00 PM at the student centre, there we would meet other fellow Latinos and take part in one of the nicest traditions in Mexican culture. After that, together with Mexican society, we will head to a day of the dead PARTY hosted by KCL (tickets can be bought here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dia-de-muertos-day-of-the-dead-tickets-199444553027)

Register on Eventbrite

Our next social event will be on the 18th of November so keep an eye out on social media for more info!.

What we’ve been up to…

After a very successful Cultural societies brunch and welcome fair, we had our welcome event on the 7th of October – thank you to everyone who attended and made it so great.

Meet and greet.

If you have anyone who you would like to give a talk to in the society, contact one of us below and we will do everything we can to make it happen!.

(The last link is to our WhatsApp group chat!)

Lastly, please don’t forget to get your standard memberships so you are able to attend our upcoming in-person events.

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Nominations for 2021-2022 committee are now open!

Hola a todos!

We are excited to announce that Colombian Society is looking for new committee members and nominations are already open!
This is a great opportunity to enhance your CV, getting involved with UCL student life, and expand your network with like-minded people! 


Positions available 

  • President 
  • Treasurer 
  • Welfare Officer 
  • Social Media Officer 

About the positions:

  • President: As president, you will be responsible for the overall direction and agenda of the society and for the management of the rest of the committee. A president should be able to encourage collaboration and coordination between members of the committee, should be able to reach out to other societies/organisations on and off-campus. Finally, a president should constantly be seeking for growth opportunities. 
  • Treasurer: As treasurer, you will be responsible for handling the finances related to society ( e.g. preparing budget forms). You would also liaise with UCLU directly in regard to financial matters. Finally, you would be determining the financial feasibility of events and ensure any allocated budget is adhered to. 
  • Welfare Officer: As a welfare officer you would be representing all minority communities within the society and promoting inclusivity, you would also be helping out with the organisation of events and making sure they are inclusive and can be accessed by most people. 
  • Social Media Officer: You will be encharged of all our social media accounts: Instagram, Twitter, our website (creating the newsletter), Facebook, and Youtube. You will use these to promote our events and attract as many people and members to them.

General requirement to nominate yourself:

  • Be a registered society member for at least 28 days
  • Have a genuine interest and passion for the society
  • Be willing to commit to the role for the whole academic year
Apply here

Just search Colombia on the search bar and the positions for our society will be there! 

This is your chance to make great contribuitions and join a wonderful committee! 

We look forward to your applications! 

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Empanada Cook Along Shopping List

  • Harina pan (1 cup of harina pan flour to one cup of water)
  • 1 and a half red tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1 spring onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 white onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 yellow potatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1 Garlic clove
  • One pinch of Color (yellow powdered food colouring (can be turmeric))
  • 250g shredder beef
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups of Sunflower Oil to fry empanadas in

Optional Ají (dipping sauce):

  • A bunch of Coriander
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 spring onion
  • 1 chilli
  • The juice of one lime
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Where to get these ingredients?

Near campus:

In Camden– For Harina Pan and Color

Shop name: SIl & Roj Food Centre

207 Eversholt St, London NW1 1BJ

Some selected tesco stores do sell Harina Pan specially the really big ones so do check this out as well.

All other ingredients

We bought everything else in Lidl and it was quite cheap there 🙂

Hope you enjoy our Cook Along this Thursday 29th of October!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ucl.zoom.us/j/92381464704?pwd=cVA4Vi8yaHdTYjNsTG85Z1lqODdCUT09
Meeting ID: 923 8146 4704
Passcode: empanada

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Introducing our new committee 2020-2021

President: Sofia Rogers Ruiz

¡Hola a todos!

I am a proud Pastusa in London studying an MSci in Chemistry with Mathematics at UCL. Both Colombian and English culture have made me the person who I am now. I have had the fortune to be born and raised in Colombia by a Colombian mother and a British father. Having been very lucky to have moved to the UK five years ago – and being fully exposed to both cultures – I have been able to understand their differences, similarities and the ways on how to connect both of these cultures together and hence have a greater understanding of the richness Colombia has and the happiness its traditions bring to people who learn, and experience it.

My goal as President is to show people from other cultural backgrounds what Colombia has to offer. As all my family and friends are still in Colombia I am constantly up to date with the latest news about the sociopolitical situation of our country and the emerging trends, therefore being very easy for me as President to come up with events for the society where this news can be shared and discussed, and where possible emerging talents can be introduced.

Being a young candidate, this year I wish to attract the undergraduate cohort by firstly appealing to them with what gives Colombian people their ‘flavour’! (Sabor!), with things such as our dancing (reggaetón, salsa, bachata, cumbia, etc), our foods, our humour and mannerisms (which could be shown by our telenovelas, books and documentaries) and of course our incredible flora and fauna. Once they are captivated by the richness in Colombian culture, people will become more intrigued about life in Colombia, which with every country, comes with its benefits and drawbacks. All of these aspects would be discussed during the events and hence will ultimately achieve what I have always wanted to, which is to show what being Colombian really means.

Treasurer: Diana Salazar

I am studying a PhD at the Bartlett School of Architecture. I see the relevance of the work done by the Colombian Society for students, and also for the Colombian diaspora in London and would like to support their work.

Welfare and Outreach Officer: Natalia Sanchez

Hi everyone! I am a second year chemistry BSc student from Pereira.

I think Colombian society has tremendous potential for growth and this year we will strive to make it much more inclusive and interesting for everyone. As welfare and outreach officer I will work to ensure the society celebrates its cultural background and is welcoming to anyone who wants to learn about it. I will also be working closely with the president to build collaborations with other Colombian societies in London and to adapt our events to make them as safe as possible in our current situation. 

Due to COVID-19 I think now more than ever we should all be very aware of our mental and physical wellbeing and if at any point you are struggling I will be available to help you work through it.

Newsletter February 2021

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2021! We hope that everyone is as well as they can in these uncertain times. Scroll down to see some interesting things happening at UCL’s Colombian Society!

The untapped world of Colombian chemical diversity by Dr. Federico Padilla

We are proud to announce this talk by guest speaker Dr Federico Padilla on Wednesday 17th of February at 18:15 GMT. Despite being one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Colombia and its biodiversity is still largely unexplored territory! Join us for this talk where Dr Padilla will tell us about his role as a researcher at the Commercial Phytochemistry Unit (CPU) of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Current members of the society will automatically receive the link for the meeting closer to the date, whilst anyone who is not a part of the society can access the talk by getting a ticken on Eventbrite via the link below.

Register on Eventbrite
Salento landscape. Taken by our new treasurer Natalia Sanchez.

An update on our committee…

Thank you to everyone who put themselves forward for a position in our committee in the last two by-elections!

We would like this opportunity to welcome Luca Petrini as our new welfare officer, replacing Natalia who acted as a welfare officer and interim treasurer for a few months and is now our official treasurer.

Luca Petrini, your new welfare officer

Other News…

Also, exciting things are afoot…we have recently been in contact with a group in charge of promoting Latinx culture in London, they have shared an opportunity for emerging writers in the society at their online magazine Reggaeton.com + shared music by Latinx in the UK, here is the link to some of their tracks here https://s.disco.ac/gvbqpddvrtqc. If you wish to know more, you can always contact us for more information!

Newsletter Sept-Oct 2020

¡Hola a todos!

First of all we would like to thank everyone who came to our zoom meet and greet on the 21st of September, it was great to see you all. If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry! there will be plenty of opportunities to meet fellow Colombians and Colombia enthusiasts in the upcoming weeks.

This month we have had a few events, we were live via Zoom answering questions about the society during the Student’s Union Welcome Fair livestream on the 30th of September and the 3rd of October.

Some of us tuned in to a webinar by Malcom Deas hosted by the Anglo Colombian Society on ” the legacy of former president Virgilio Barco and the capacity of the Colombian government to reform in the light of the Peace of 2016″. They will be having similar events throughout the year and we will let you know about the through our social media channels.

Wellbeing…

Although this year is unlike anything we have ever seen, as a society we strive to be there for anyone who needs it during these difficult times. Our Outreach and Welfare Officer Natalia Sanchez is available for a chat if you need it and will be able to direct you to any other UCL Wellbeing services. Just drop her an email and she will get back to you.

We would also like to draw your attention to out WhatsApp group, which will be the main means of communication between current society members. Join by clicking on the link below to keep up to date with any events, share your ideas and chat to get to know other society members.

Upcoming events…

Empanadas!

We are hosting an empanada cook-along next Thursday 29th of September at 6:30 pm BST!. Tune in via zoom to learn how to make the Colombian delicacies or to share how you make your empanadas. Zoom link will be available in all of our social media and What’s On calendar on the Student’s Union website. At the end of the event we will be giving you more information about our upcoming arepa-making competition and how you can compete for a basket full of Colombian goodies, whether you want a taste of home or want to explore Colombian cuisine further, it is not to be missed!

Other news...

Unfortunately our wonderful treasurer Diana Salazar has had to resign so we will be opening elections for a new treasurer soon and some other committee positions, make sure to follow our social media to find out when nominations and voting will be available.

Social media links:

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Newsletter, January 2020

Welcome event

Welcome back!
We hope you have had an amazing start in 2020! Here are some of the events that we will be having in January!

Fernandomontanodance3

Huge success! Colombian Society Introducing Fernando Montaño: “Una buena ventura” 
This event held yesterday attracted many students and members from UCL and the Colombian community. Fernando Montaño greeted the audience with a performance, followed by a conversation about his book “Una Buena Ventura” (A good fortune). In case you missed it, you can see the Facebook live video here.

Next Tuesday 21st: “From Academia to the Colombian Congress”: A talk with Juanita Goebertus

WhatsApp Image 2020-01-17 at 15.26.41

Before becoming a member of the Colombian House of Representatives, Juanita Goebertus was the Deputy Director of the Institute for Integrated Transitions, having previously served as Senior Associate. She has also been the Head of the Transitional Justice Group at the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia for four years, during which time she was intensively involved in the peace talks between the Colombian Government and the FARC in Havana, Cuba. Previously, she was advisor to the National Security Advisor of Colombia, researcher at the Hauser Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, advisor to the Undersecretary of Defence of Colombia, and a researcher at Fundación Ideas para la Paz.

Juanita holds BAs in Law and Political Science from the Universidad de los Andes and an LLM from Harvard Law School.

When: Tue, 21 January 2020 Where: UCL Development Planning Unit, 34 Tavistock Square Room 101 WC1H9EZ
For tickets please click here 

Adriana Lucía 1

Give it a Go Week – Colombian Film Night – Porro hecho en Colombia.

Porro Made in Colombia is an interesting and lively tour of the origins of one of the most characteristic and lively rhythms of the Caribbean. From the Department of Córdoba, a mixture of races and culture, a land where everything is sung; from working at the ranch to the agriculture, during holidays and get together. The film is a tribute to Porro and its links with other rhythms like bullerengue mapalé, the fandango. Getting to know the great Caribbean music, legendary performers, dancers and parades through the big screen accompanied by the spectacular voice and compositions of Adriana Lucia. Watch the trailer here.

When: Thu, 23 January 2020 Where: Drama Studio UCL Institute of Education 20 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AL London, United Kingdom
The event is free! For tickets please click here  

Salsa party UCLCOL

Monthly Latino Night – UCL Colombian Society + Children Change Colombia

Children Change Colombia and the UCL Colombian Society are joining forces to raise funds in support of Colombia’s most at risk children. On the last Friday of every month we invite you to a unique experience featuring 2 rooms of Latin music in the heart Camden.

Come and say hello on the night to find out more about who we are and what we do! At 9.00- 9.30pm one of our team will be at a table in the main room, opposite the DJ booth. Please come by and introduce yourself – we would love to meet you and thank you for supporting us! Look out for our black t-shirts with a big Children Change Colombia logo on!

When: Fri, 31 January 2020 Where: Gabeto Chalk Farm Road London NW1 8AH
For tickets please click here 

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Bienvenida año 2019-20

¡Hola!

En nombre del comité de la UCL Colombian Society me agrada darles la bienvenida a UCL éste nuevo año académico. Estamos preparando varios eventos para darle la bienvenida al año 2019-20. Por lo pronto, tenemos cinco cosas que contarles:

  1. El Colombia-UK Research Summit  http://studentsunionucl.org/whats-on/clubs-societies/colombian-research-in-uk-6th-annual-summit
  2. Hay una feria de bienvenida éste fin de semana, ahí estarán sociedades culturales y de deportes, entre ellas la nuestra. ¡Búsquennos! También asegúrense de encontrar varias ofertas estudiantiles y aprovechar al máximo este nuevo año  http://studentsunionucl.org/whats-on/events-activities/welcome-fair
  3. Estaremos creando un grupo de Whatsapp para los colombianos en UCL de éste año, si están de acuerdo en ingresar, por favor hagan click en éste enlace: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EWU1RkGpTL8GAXjpQRtmTo
  4. Pronto enviaremos información acerca del picnic de bienvenida que tendremos en el mes de Octubre.
  5. Pueden encontrar a los miembros de nuestro comité, y algunas actividades que hemos hecho en nuestro blog, Twitter y Facebook.

Saludos,

 

Carlos Valencia

Presidente

UCL Colombian Society

Newsletter: May-June 2019

Newsletter, May-June 2019
Results from the AGM, Latino Night on May 31st, El Paseo Oxford and Academic Speed Dating

Annual General Meeting 
Our Annual General Meeting was held last May 22nd, 2019. During the meeting, the following officers were elected for the year 2019-20:
• President : Carlos Valencia-Hernández
• Treasurer: Vanessa Galeano-Duque
• Welfare officer – Stephanie Ashton
• Outreach officer – Juliana Gomez-Quintero
• Social officer – –
• Support officer – Nancy Daza
Special  thanks: Verónica Ramírez who helps as Community Manager on Twitter.

Latino Night: Children Change Colombia + UCL Colombian Society
Join us to the Love Latino party of Children Change Colombia and help us raise funds for Colombian children!

If you buy your tickets online, the funds will go for Children Change Colombia and their proyects in Colombia. Link here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2364894430240556/

Photo by delfi de la Rua on Unsplash

El paseo Oxford: UCL + LSE Colombian Societies 
Colombian students from Oxford, UCL and LSE are meeting for a walk in Oxford on June 16th
If you would like to go please fill in this form.  If you are not a student, it does not matter! You are invited as well!

Academic Speed Dating – Coming soon
MSc students, PhD students, Colombian researchers and academics researching on topics relevant to Colombia will be meeting at UCL to have a fun and informal discussion about their research. Date: In June, TBC.

UCL Colombian Society Newsletter, February

Our first event in 2019 was a talk about the evolution of the urban war on drugs in Colombia, and how it evolved from the late 1970’s up to date. There were many questions from the audience about the long lasting effects of drug trafficking on different parts of the country and in all the sectors of the population.

Save the date: February 22nd – “La Negociación”, a documentary about the peace talks in Colombia.

UCL Colombian Society is bringing the documentary “La negociación” (The negotiation), by Margarita Martínez. This documentary shows the discussions inside the peace negotiation teams from the State of Colombia and FARC rebels. The critical moments along the peace process are shown from different perspectives in this cinematic piece.  A panel discussion will be held after the documentary.

 

Do you have any ideas for events or talks about Colombian culture? Email us!