FIA-LA meeting in Buenos Aires

Delegates from the Latin American group of the federation were charmed by the kind hospitality of FIA’s Argentinean member Asociación Argentina de Actores (AAA) as they gathered in Buenos Aires from November 30th to December 3rd, 2012. Twelve FIA-LA members coming from nine different countries spreading out over the continent (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Uruguay) took part to a joint seminar with Latin American UNI-MEI affiliates, developing their common work on health and safety and mobility of workers in the audiovisual industry.

Driven by the energy of a recent meeting held only two months before at the FIA Congress in Toronto, they also further discussed their shared interests and common goals as a group. Topics of discussion were numerous and varied, allowing the FIA-LA members to discuss issues such as the relationship with collecting societies, the potential growth of the FIA membership in Latin America, the initiatives that exist to promote gender equality in the audiovisual and live performance industry, new and innovative means of (self-)funding for the unions, etc.

The group also decided to engage in a compilation of national legislations – or at least their descriptions – that are of interest for the promotion of performers’ rights. In addition, this Buenos Aires meeting saw FIA-LA elect its new President and General Secretary – respectively Luis Alí from Argentina and María Verônica do Nascimento Gomes, from Brazilian State Espiritu Santo.

Two FIA-LA resolutions were adopted. One recalling the FIA-LA support to its Ecuadorian member FENARPE, and one encouraging the Peruvian State to be more respectful of its Laws on the Foreign Status and on the Performing Artist. You can read and download those two resolutions below the pictures of the meeting.