Apr. 3 - 5, 2003:

Dr. Mario Mauro

Member, European Parliament

Vice-President, Commission for Culture.

European Parliament

Hon. Mario Mauro finished second only to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the 1999 European Parliament elections on the Forza Italia ticket. He currently holds a strong power base in the European Parliament in the Partito Popolare Europeo (PPE). Mr. Mauro is also Vice President of the Committee for Culture at the European Parliament, and he works as “Ambassador” in the European Parliament for Communionee Liberazione, a religious movement that promotes Roman Catholic principals in everyday life. Ideologically, this group’s orientation is “ center-right.”

Dr. Mauro has proposed a number of educational reforms, including increasing funding for private schools. He has never visited the United States, and this study tour will attempt to introduce him to American values, society, education, and political parties.

He visited: Saint Michael's College, Champlain Valley Union High School, the Vermont State House, and other sites.

He also met with: Governor James Douglas; Mr. David Larsen, interim Commissioner of Education; Dr. Marc vanderHayden, President of Saint Michael's College; Ms. Valerie Gardner, Principal of Champlain Valley Union High School and Dr. Kenneth Ciongoli, former president of the Vermont Italian-American Society.

For any information please contact Dr. Bonnie Tangalos at (802) 654-2482, or write to btangalos@smcvt.edu