The UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute, Albuquerque International Association and the Center for International Studies will host a talk titled "Two Americas and the United States," by Jane Thery of the Organization of American States (OAS). The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. at the UNM Hibben Center.
North and South America present statistics of high crime rates, fragile democracies, inadequate courts, persistent poverty and corruption. At the same time, the Americas are plDavid Brookshire of booming exports, vibrant cities, world-class cultures, innovation and social progress. The tensions between these co-existing Americas can explain much of the political and economic dynamic in the hemisphere today.
What are the results of these tensions within Latin America and between North and South, and what are their implications for Latin America in the global economy? How could recognition of this reality condition U.S. foreign policy toward the region? What can be done by Latin American and U.S. leaders to move beyond the Two Americas to create a successful continent and a cooperative hemispheric alliance?
Thery is the Chief for Institutional Relations, Department of External Relations, of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C. She manages relations with the U.S. Congress, inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank, universities and “think tanks” for the OAS. Her previous positions within OAS included Principal Specialist of the OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat Principal Specialist in the Trade Unit of the OAS.
Before joining the OAS, Thery held senior positions with the Institute for International Economics, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, and the University of Maryland's School of Public Affairs. She began her career in Lima, Peru as the Ford Foundation's International Affairs Program Officer for the Andean Region and Southern Cone from 1982-1985.
Thery has consulted for the Inter-American Development Bank, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Odebrecht Company of Brazil, among other organizations, and has worked in more than 50 countries, primarily in the developing world.
She speaks frequently on U.S. - Latin American economic and foreign policy issues, trade policy and development, with recent lectures at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, the National Defense University and Yale University.
Posted by scarr at October 15, 2007 04:22 PM