The document proposes 3 potential sites - Panama, Costa Rica, and St. Thomas - for hosting the 2013 NABSW International Conference, providing details on accommodations, tours, and costs for each location, with the Panama site featuring the Riu Panama Plaza hotel and tours of Panama City and surrounding areas, the Costa Rica site featuring the Ramada Herradura hotel and tours of San Jose and surrounding volcanoes and gardens, and the St. Thomas site featuring the Frenchman's Reef Resort and tours of the island.

1. NABSW International Conference
Site Proposal for 2013

2. This proposal is to present
3 possible sites locations with
cultural and tour considerations
for the
2013 NABSW
International Conference

3. Proposal Contents
• The African Connection
•Panama
Riu Panama Plaza
Panama City Tours
•Costa Rica
Ramada Herradura
San José Tours
•St. Thomas
Frenchman’s Reef Resort
• Cost Comparison Morningstar Bay Tours

4. THE AFRICAN CONNECTION
• The trans-Atlantic slave trade took place from the 16th through to the
19th centuries. The vast majority of slaves transported to the New
World were Africans from the central and western parts of the
continent. Sold by Africans to European slave traders, Africans were
transported to the colonies in North and South America. The numbers
were so great that Africans who came by way of the slave trade
became the most numerous Old-World immigrants in both North and
South America before the late eighteenth century.
• The South Atlantic economic system centered around making goods
and clothing to sell in Europe. The numbers of African slaves brought
to the New World continued to grow to support this industry. This
was crucial to those European countries who, in the late seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries, were vying in creating overseas empires.
• The word '''Maafa''' (also known as the African Holocaust) is derived
from a Kiswahili word meaning disaster, terrible occurrence or great
tragedy. The NABSW International Conference will continue the Pan-
African study of the ongoing suffering of people of African heritage
through slavery, imperialism, colonialism, apartheid, oppression,
invasions and exploitation across the world.

5. PANAMA

6. Afro-Panamanians
• Panamanians of African descent are 15% of the population in Panama. The
Afro-Panamanian population can be broken into the "Afro-Colonial", Afro-
Panamanians descended from slaves brought to Panama during the colonial
period and the "Afro-Antillean", West Indian immigrants from Trinidad,
Barbados, Martinique and Jamaica, brought in to build the Panama Canal.
Afro-Panamanians can be found in towns and cities Colón, Cristóbal and
Balboa, Río Abajo area of Panama City, the Canal Zone, and province of Bocas
del Toro.
• The first blacks to arrive in Panama came with Vasco Núñez de Balboa, in
1513. Panama was a very important territory because it had the shortest
point from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Goods were taken from ports in
Portobelo and Nombre de Dios, transported overland to ports in Panama City
and reboarded on ships headed to South America. Initially, Indian labor was
used. Due to maltreatment and disease, the Indian population was
decimated. Bartolomé de Las Casas advocated getting slaves from Africa. By
1517, the trade in Africans were on the way. Initially slaves were used to
work the land and maintain ships in port. Later they were used to transport
goods across the isthmus. The transporting of goods was grueling - not only
the thousands of miles of terrain, but bad weather and attacks by Indians.

7. Afro-Panamanians
• In 1904, the United States purchased France's rights to the
unfinished canal for $40 million and began the Herculean task of
carving a canal through the isthmus.
• The presence of the Canal changed lifestyles in the country. A
people that had primarily earned their living as subsistence
farmers now gained most of their income from the Canal. The
canal employs about 3,500 United States citizens and some
10,000 Panamanians.
• Among the available housing areas assigned to canal employees
are Balboa and Ancon on the Pacific side and, on the Atlantic
side, Cristobal, Coco Solo, and Margarita. Gatun and Gamboa are
communities primarily for people who work at the locks or in
dredging and hydroelectric operations.
• Today, Panama has many skyscrapers and all the associated
social conditions

8. Tours – Panama City
Full Day Panama City Tour & Miraflores Locks
•Take a private tour of Panama City and the Miraflores Locks. Start the tour with a 30 minutes drive to Miraflores to
see the huge vessels passing the Panama Canal. The busiest hours are from 9am to 10am and from 2pm to 5pm, so
you will be able to see many ships getting lifted or lowered 16 meters in two distinct steps. Enjoy the view on the
Locks from a sheltered terrace and listen to the explanations of your guide. To complete the visit of the Canal you will
visit the Museum and Visitor Center at Miraflores which gives you a good idea on the construction of the Canal – a
masterpiece of engineering. Also learn about the history of the canal and its significance for Panama and the entire
world trade as well as on the current expansion project.
•After the visit to the Canal, continue to the Amador Causeway, a road that connects three Islands in the Pacific
Ocean and offers magnificent views on the Canal on one side and on the skyline of Panama City on the other side.
Lunch will be served in a Panamanian restaurant on the causeway. After lunch the tour continues to the Casco Viejo,
Panama City’s colonial quarter. At the Casco Viejo you feel set back in time as you admire the lovely colonial houses,
the narrow roads and the impressive churches. You will get a good idea about Panama’s history by driving or walking
through the main attractions of this quarter. Continue the tour to Panama Viejo, the Old Panama. Panama Viejo was
the first European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. This first Panama City was looted and destroyed
by the notorious English buccaneer Henry Morgan in 1671 and therefore abandoned. Today there are only ruins left.
Still, the tower of the ancient cathedral is standing and has become a landmark of the town.

9. Tours – Panama City
Full Day El Valle Market
El Valle is a small mountain village located in an extinct volcano crater. It is famous for its sunny
though cool climate and for its daily morning market (biggest on Sundays). Travel to El Valle,
about 2 hours west from Panama City. On the drive you will cross the famous Bridge of the
Americas and ride along the Pacific Coast before turning uphill to the mountain village. Every day
many local families come from all the valley to El Valle to sell their goods on the colorful market.
Purchase regional products such as stone soaps, ceramic articles, hand-made wooden baskets,
wooden gifts, etc. Prices are negotiable. If there is time left, you can visit some of the other El
Valle attractions such as the natural hot springs, the petroglyphs, the zoo "El Nispero" or the
stunning waterfall "Chorro Macho"
Note: The market is open every day - however, on Sundays it is bigger than on other days.

10. Tours – Panama City
Panama Canal Railway, Portobelo & Embera Indian Village
•Undertake a train trip on the historical and original railway course from Panama City to Colón. This 1-hour travel
leads you through the jungle and along the Panama Canal. This course was finished in 1855. The French Panama
Canal company had acquired the railway line in 1880, as an assistance to build the Canal. In 1904 the Americans
bought the Canal and the railway line and were operating it line until 1979. In 1998, Panama privatized the railway
line and renewed it completely. Since 2001, the course is again passable and a unique attraction.
•Continue from Colón to the port of Portobelo. This port was the gathering point of the Peruvian treasures in the
15th century. The gold and silver was shipped from here towards the metropolis of the empire, and in addition,
Portobelo was the center of control and inspection of the goods, which arrived from Spain. The ruin complex is
built and set up in the middle of the tropical jungle and covers a set of fortresses, castles and military bases.
•After this historical excursion, you will continue to an Embera Indian Village on Rio Piedra. A fascinating and dense
jungle will accompany you on a short boat trip to the village. Upriver, you will step out of the dugout canoes and
enter the village of the Embera Indians, one of seven indigenous tribes in Panama. The village's chief will give you a
brief explication on the history of the tribe, its traditions, cultures, beliefs and how they life today. Then, a
traditional lunch of fish and plantains prepared by the Embera women will be served to you. In the afternoon you
will experience a traditional Embera dance and have the opportunity to shop for handicrafts. The sale of local
products directly benefits the village and helps to pay the school fees for the children.

11. Proposed Conference Hotel
Riu Panama Plaza – Panama City

12. Riu Panama Plaza – Panama City
• 645 Guestrooms
• 21 Conference Rooms
• 1 Business Center
• 1 Gym
• 1 Spa & Wellness Center
• 1 Open-Air Pool w/Jacuzzi
• 1 Beauty Salon
• 3 Restaurants
• 3 Lounges
• 1 Gift Shop

13. Riu Panama Plaza – Panama City
Accommodations Air Meeting Space
Single $3100 pp. Air $620 pp. 5 Days $550 pp.
Double $1635 pp. •Nonstop •2 Coffee Breaks
Triple $1335 pp. •John F Kennedy (JFK) (AM/PM)
•Gratuities Tocumen Intl (PTY) •2 Screens
•Daily Buffet Breakfast •2 Data Shows
•Deluxe Room 14 Nights •2 Microphones & Speakers
•RT Shuttle Service •Laser Pointers
•Wi-Fi •Wi-Fi & Tech Service
•24-Hr Room Service

14. Tours – Panama City Options
Full Day Panama City Tour & Full Day El Valle Market Panama Canal Railway,
Miraflores Locks Portobelo & Embera Indian
Village
Miraflores Locks National Parks Train Ticket
Old Panama Lunch Maria Chiquita Portobelo Museum
Casco Viejo Museum Embera Village Entrance/Lunch
Lunch National Park Entrance Fee
$75 pp. $80 pp. $120 pp.
• Transportation • Transportation • Transportation
• Entrance fees • Bilingual guide • Entrance fees
• Bilingual guide • Duration: 8 hours • Bilingual guide
• Lunch • Bring: Comfortable clothes and • Lunch
• Duration: 6 hours shoes, camera, hat, sunscreen, • Duration: 10 Hours
• Bring: Comfortable shoes, sunglasses • Bring: Comfortable clothes and
Camera, Sunscreen, Water shoes, camera, hat, sunscreen,
• Important Note: Old Panama is sunglasses, water
closed on Mondays.
All Tours Include transportation on deluxe A/C motor coach, gratuities not included
Full Day Cruiser Bus / Up to 45 Passengers: $592.00

15. COSTA RICA

16. Afro-Costa Ricans
• Three per cent of the population is of Black African descent (called Afro-
Costa Ricans) and are English-speaking descendants of 19th century
black Jamaican immigrant workers. The indigenous population numbers
around 1%, 41,338 individuals. In the Guanacaste Province, a significant
portion of the population descends from a mix of local Amerindians,
Africans and Spaniards. Most Afro-Costa Ricans are found in the Limón
Province.
• The first blacks that arrived to Costa Rica came with the Spanish
conquistadors. Slave trade was common in all the countries conquered
by Spain, and in Costa Rica the first blacks seem to have come from
specific sources in Africa- Equatorial and Western regions. The people
from these areas were thought of as ideal slaves because they had a
reputation for being more robust, affable and hard-working than other
Africans.
• The following century witnessed a gradual lessening of the abysmal
differences between blacks and their white owners. As whites took black
women as their concubines, they freed the children that were born from
this union. The same thing started to happen with the "zambos" or the
products of the union between Indians and blacks. Some analysts have
suggested that this tendency to free slaves was due in part to the desire
of the owners to free themselves of the economic burden that slaves
had become in a poor country such as Costa Rica.

17. Afro-Costa Ricans
• Costa Rica's early black population was "dramatically upwardly
mobile" and by the 1920s a majority of the West Indian immigrants
owned plots of land or had risen to higher-paying positions within
the banana industry. Unfortunately, they possessed neither
citizenship nor the legal right to own land. In the 1930s, when
"white" highlanders began pouring into the lowlands, blacks were
quickly dispossessed of land and the best-paying jobs. Late that
decade, when the banana blight forced the banana companies to
abandon their Caribbean plantations and move to the Pacific,
• “White" Ticos successfully lobbied for laws forbidding the employment of gente de color in other provinces,
one of several circumstances that kept blacks dependent on the largesse of the United Fruit Company, whose
labor policies were often abhorrent. Pauperized, many blacks migrated to Panama and the U.S. seeking
wartime employment.
• Costa Rica's black population has consistently attained higher educational standards than the national average
and many blacks are now found in leading professions throughout the nation. They have also managed to
retain much of their traditional culture, including religious practices rooted in African belief about
transcendence through spiritual possession (obeah), their rich cuisine (codfish and akee, "rundown"), the
rhythmic lilt of their slightly antiquated English, and the deeply syncopated funk of their music.

18. Tours – San José
Irazu Volcano, Orosi Valley &
Lankester Gardens
•Drive up the magnificent Irazu Volcano. The winding
road travels through fertile lands cultivated with all
kinds of vegetables as we observe a lovely panoramic
view. As we descend to the city of Cartago we will stop
at the Virgin of the Angels Basilica.
•Then the trip continues to Lankester Gardens, a
University of Costa Rica Center for investigation that
protects more than 800 species of orchids, bromeliads
and countless species of other plants.
• Continue to the Valley of Orosi where creation overflows in unparalleled beauty. We will be able to visit one
of the few remaining colonial churches and we will stop for lunch in one of the local restaurants. During our
tour we will be able to observe La Casa Del Soñador an example of Costa Rican primitive art.

19. Tours – San José
Poas Volcano/ Doka State Coffee Tour & Butterfly Garden & City Tour
You will ascend towards the volcano passing thru coffee plantations, and then continue our trip through
fern, flower and strawberry farms. At the Poas Volcano you will have time to enjoy the impressive main
crater with its sulfur fumaroles, and hike on a trail to the beautiful Botos Lagoon. Continue to Doka
Estate Farm, where you can learn about the production, the harvesting, the processing plant and the
roasting of the grain, besides our other natural attractions like the butterfly garden and beautiful
landscapes and surroundings.
San Jose City Tour
Starting on the East side of San Jose you will visit the Democracy Place and the National Museum, the
Courts, Los Yoses, San Pedro Mall, Hispanidad Fountain and the Rodrigo Facio Campus in the University
of Costa Rica. After we have seen the capital’s main attractions, our first stop will be in the impressive
Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and the beautiful National Theater where we will have a guided visit
through them. Then the tour continues to the western section of San Jose: La Sabana Metropolitan
Park, Costa Rican Contemporary Art Museum or the first International Airport in Costa Rica, the
National Gymnasium, the Comptroller’s office, residential area of Rohrmoser, Nunciatura, Nobel Peace
prize winner Oscar Arias Sanchez’s home, Rohrmoser Boulevard and Pavas section.

20. Tours – San José
The Full Day of Enchantment Tour!
In addition to learning about the great cultural richness of rural life in San Antonio de Escazu, explore the
majestic hills that unfold on the beautiful town of Escazu!
At 8 a.m., our local guide, who has lived his entire life in San Antonio de Escazu, will join the group in San
Rafael. Here, he will begin to tell the history of Escazu. Once in San Antonio, we will visit the Catholic Church,
which is a cultural heritage site. Then, we will go to the Encanto-Piedra Blanca/CODECE Offices, where one of
the founders of CODECE will offer an interesting talk about the Association’s conservation efforts.
After putting on our rubber boots, we will start the walk through the hills of Escazu (2 hours). The area shows
an impressive view of the Central Valley and rich flora and fauna. In addition, there is quite a variety of stories
and legends in the area! The local guide will explain the path through the Cerros de Escazu, taking into account
the uses and meaning of the mountain for farmers, as well as the oral tradition which revolves around the
Cerros. At the Cerros, we will enjoy some fruits of the season.
At the end of the walk, an ox driver and his beautiful typical cart will be awaiting visitors to finish up with a
ride. The next visit is to the masques factory, where we will learn more about the tradition of the masques and
open-air festivals or “turnos” in Costa Rica, and observe how these colorful masques (an important attraction
in the festivities of Costa Rican people) are manufactured. Visitors will participate in a masque-making contest
and the winner will receive a nice surprise.
After the talk, the local guide will lead visitors to the “Don Torino’s sugar mill”, which still uses oxen to get the
juice of sugarcane. We will know how sugar cane is processed: how cane juice becomes the well known “tapa
de dulce”. To finish, we will enjoy, at the Cuevita de Zárate, a delicious typical lunch with “olla de carne”
prepared by excellent cooks of San Antonio de Escazu who partner in the project.

21. Proposed Conference Hotel
Ramada Herradura – San José

22. Ramada Herradura – San José
• 229 Guestrooms
• 1 International Conference Center
• 3 Open-Air Pools
• 5 Jacuzzis
• 3 Restaurants
• 1 Bar
• 1 Casino
• 1 Beauty Salon
• 1 Spa
• 1 Fitness Center
• 1 Gift Shop
• 1 Business Center

23. Ramada Herradura – San José
Accommodations Transportation Meeting Space
Single $2565 pp. Air $700 pp. 5 Days $300 pp.
Double $1490 pp. •Nonstop •Whiteboards, flip charts,
Triple $1275 pp. •John F Kennedy (JFK) pilots & podium
•Superior Room 14 nights Juan Santamaria (SJO) •Technology (sound for 100
•Wi-Fi people, wireless
•Calls to USA/Canada microphone, 120'' screen,
•Daily Breakfast 3000 lum projector and
•Gratuities cable for PC sound)
•RT Shuttle

24. Tours – San José
Irazú, Lankaster & Orosí El Encanto de la Piedra Blanca Poás Volcano, Coffee Tour &
Valley San José city tour
$95 per person $102 per person $102 per person
• Transportation • Duration: 6 to 7 hours • Transportation
• Entrance fees From 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. • Entrance fees
• Bilingual guide • Local guide, hike, fruits and • Bilingual guide
• Lunch water, sugar mill visit, mask • Lunch
• Duration: 9 hours maker’s workshop, traditional • Duration: Full day
lunch.
• Difficulty level: medium. We
recommend this tour for
hikers lovers.
• Recommendation: bring an
extra pair of shoes and socks
because during the hike we
have to cross a river.
All Tours Include transportation on deluxe A/C motor coach, gratuities not included

25. ST. THOMAS

26. St. Thomians
• The Danish conquered the island in 1666, and by 1672 had
established control over the entire island through the Danish West
India and Guinea Company. The land was divided into plantations
and sugar cane production became the primary economic activity. As
a result, the economies of Saint Thomas and the neighboring islands
of Saint John and Saint Croix became highly dependent on slave
labor and the slave trade.
• In 1685, the Brandenburgisch-Africanische Compagnie took control
of the slave trade on Saint Thomas, and for some time the largest
slave auctions in the world were held there.
• Saint Thomas was known for its fine natural harbor, known as
"Taphus" for the drinking establishments located nearby. In 1691,
the primary settlement there was renamed Charlotte Amalie in
honor of the wife of Denmark's King Christian V.
• While the sugar trade had brought prosperity to the island's free
citizens, by the early 19th century Saint Thomas was in decline. The
continued export of sugar was threatened by hurricanes, drought,
and American competition.

27. Tours – Morningstar Bay
T
St. Thomas Island Drive
This tour is an excellent way to get an overview of the entire island. Participants
will visit the Estate St. Peter Greathouse & Botanical Gardens, the fabulous
panoramas found at Drake’s Seat overlooking Magen’s Bay and will stop at
Mountain Top for a complimentary banana daiquiri and shopping. When the
tour is finished, (approx. 2.5 hours) the group will be taken to Ft. Christian near
Emancipation Park in Charlotte Amalie where they will be on their own for
shopping in the historic district. A return ticket for the Frenchman’s Reef
Shopping Ferry is included for the return to Frenchman’s Reef at leisure

28. Tours – Morningstar Bay
St. John Safari
The St John Safari is considered a "Must Do," among Frenchman’s Reef guests.
This trip picks up at the resort's dock and takes you straight over to Cruz Bay, St
John. An open air safari truck will be waiting for you to begin exploring the
island. Where you are immediately taken on a climb up the mountain to a
lookout point of the surrounding islands, "It feels like your driving through
Jurassic Park - no one around but massive birds and lush canopy." After taking
award winning pictures you descend down to Annenberg Sugar Cane Mill, part
of the National Park (where the rum was made for pirates). You then wind down
to the famous Trunk Bay to explore the underwater snorkel trail! Finally, you
relax downtown for shopping, lunch, and even happy hour cocktails. Your ferry
awaits your return to The Frenchman’s Reef with complimentary Rum Punch.

29. Tours – Morningstar Bay
Coral World Ocean Park
Voted top attraction in the V.I. Get up close and personal with the beauty and
magic of Caribbean marine life in a stunning setting. View life on a coral reef
from the unique Undersea Observatory. Pet a shark, hand feed a stingray or a
rainbow lorikeet! Add-ons include brand new Sea Lion Splash, Shark and Turtle
Encounters. We provide admission and organized tours as well as special evening
events.

30. Hovensa Refinery
St. Croix
HOVENSA refinery closed in February 2012 resulting in about 2,000 workers
loosing their job. The economic losses over the past 3 years were reportedly
caused primarily by a weakness in demand for refined petroleum products due
to the global economic slowdown and the addition of new refining capacity in
emerging markets.
•The social, psychological, economic and health impacts have been devastating
for the Black community
•Social and mental heath health support are critical to the survival of the
community.

31. Proposed Conference Hotel
Frenchman’s Reef – Morningstar Bay

32. Frenchman’s Reef – Morningstar Bay
• 478 Guestrooms
• 31 Meeting Rooms
• 5 Restaurants
• 2 Bars
• 2 Lounges
• 1 Business Center
• 4 Outdoor Pools
• 1 Beach
• 1 Spa & Salon
• 1 Fitness Center

33. Frenchman’s Reef – Morningstar Bay
Accommodations Transportation Meeting Space
Single $4235 pp. Air $540 pp. 5 Days $55 pp.
Double $2335 pp. •Nonstop •Whiteboards, flip charts,
Triple $1705 pp. •John F Kennedy (JFK) pilots & podium
•Water View Rm. 12 nights Cyril E King Int’l (STT) •Technology (sound for 100
•Wi-Fi people, wireless
•Daily Breakfast microphone, 120'' screen,
•Gratuities 3000 lum projector and
•RT Shuttle cable for PC sound)
•Weekly Cocktail Reception
•Limited Room Service

34. Tours – Morningstar Bay
St. Thomas Island Drive St. John Safari Coral World Ocean Park
$49 per person $95 per person $19 per person
• Transportation • Transportation • Transportation
• Shopping Ferry Ticket • Duration: 8 hours • Duration: 3 hours
• Duration: 2.5 hours Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday Only

35. Cost Comparison
Panama Costa Rica St. Thomas
Conference Conference Conference
14 Nights – August 2013 14 Nights – August 2013 12 Nights – July 2013
Single $2270 pp. Single $3565 pp. Single $4830 pp.
Double $2805 pp. Double $2490 pp. Double $2930 pp.
Triple $2505 pp. Triple $2275 pp. Triple $2300 pp.
Passport Required Passport Required No Passport Required
Not included: travel insurance, meals and gratuities not listed, departure fee $28 per person
from SJO, passport and visa fees

36. Proposal
Once a location is selected,
a full itinerary and cost detail will be developed.
•Panama
Riu Panama Plaza
Panama City Tours
•Costa Rica
Ramada Herradura
San José Tours
•St. Thomas
• Frenchman’s Reef Resort
Morningstar Bay Tours

37. P.O. Box 191911, Boston, MA 02119
Thank You
Jeanne Richardson
Blue Dynasty Entertainment and Travel
877-368-8003 ext. 3