This morning, NDN hosted the Ambassador of Colombia to the U.S., the Honorable Carolina Barco, in our third Latin American Policy Initiative (LAPI) briefing. Ambassador Barco gave a compelling and comprehensive presentation on Colombia and touched on a range of important issues, including the economy, drug problems, the business environment, and the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, among others. Below are both a photo from this morning (click here for all photos and for more info on the event) and a link to the Ambassador's PowerPoint presentation. Please click on the photo for a larger version.
Above: Ambassador Barco explains issues of importance to Colombia during her presentation
As many of you know, Declan Ganley, one the leaders of the Irish "No" vote on Europe's Lisbon Treaty, addressed the NDN community on the issue last Thursday. Mr. Ganley is the founder of the Libertas Institute, an organization whose mission is to provoke enlightened discussion on the European Union, its relevance to member states, and its role in world affairs. It is committed to making Brussels more democratic and accountable for the decisions it makes.
This afternoon, NDN offered an amazing opportunity to hear Declan Ganley, leader of the Irish "No" vote on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, address the public on why the "No" vote is so important and what it means for Europe and for democracy in general. Mr. Ganley's passion for the issue was clear as he gave an excellent talk on the Lisbon Treaty and the future of European Union politics. Check out our event page for a complete set of today's photos, with video soon to come.
Above: Declan Ganley begins his address on the Irish vote of "No" on the Lisbon Treaty (click photo for a larger version)
Yesterday, NDN's Globalization Initiative Chair, Dr. Robert J. Shapiro hosted a lunchtime discussion on his new U.S. Climate Task Force paper, "Addressing Climate Change Without Impairing the U.S. Economy." Rob led a stimulating discussion, peppered with a number of unique questions from the audience, making for a very informative and thought-provoking day as NDN continues to lead the way on such issues.
Last week, NDN's Green Project hosted Senator Jeff Bingaman, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as he gave a major policy speech on climate change. The video, photos, and transcript from that event can be found here. Stay tuned for information on an event on Energy and the American Way of Life (coming soon) and make sure to check back for other upcoming Green Project and Globalization events. More on NDN's Green Project can be found here.
Dr. Robert J. Shapiro addresses climate change while discussing his new paper (click on photo for larger version):
As part of NDN's new series of Green Project events that discuss climate change, energy prices, and the "Third Oil Shock" on the American and global economies, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman addressed the NDN community on these issues last Wednesday morning. Here's video footage if you missed it:
NDN launched the Latin American Policy Initiative (LAPI) earlier this year to provide policy makers and stakeholders an opportunity to discuss relations between the United States and the various countries in Latin America. The purpose of the series is to focus on a different country each month, and work to establish an ongoing dialogue and research to better inform those interested in Latin American policy.
This month, we are proud to continue this Initiative and focus on Colombia. While we had scheduled the forum before the dramatic events that have occurred recently in the country, we are excited to announce that the Honorable Carolina Barco, Colombian Ambassador to the United States, will join us for a timely discussion on hemispheric relations, Colombia's relations with other South American nations, trade, and other issues.
The event will take place on Tuesday, July 22, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in a Senate room yet to be determined. There will be a 45 minute panel followed by a 30 minute Q&A session. Lunch will be served. The event is free, but you must RSVP to attend. Seating is limited, so please make sure that you contact us as soon as possible. For more information about this series or any of our other programmatic work, feel free to contact Andres Ramirez at aramirez@ndn.org. Please check back with us soon for updates.
We just received video footage back from our LAPI event on U.S.-Ecuadorian relations with Ecuadorian Ambassador Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga, which was held in Longworth House Office Building on June 18. If you missed it, you should definitely take a look:
This past Wednesday on Capitol Hill, NDN held its monthly Latin American Policy Initiative lunch discussion on the state of U.S.-Ecuadorian relations with the Ecuadorian Ambassador to the U.S., Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga. Ambassador Gallegos addressed the issues of the Andean Border Crisis, the Andean Trade Program and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), and Immigration.
Here are a few photos from the event:
Top left: Andres Ramirez gives a short introduction
Top right and bottom left: Ambassador Gallegos talks Latin American policy
Bottom right: Eric Jacobstein of Rep. Eliot Engel's office gives some remarks
To see our previous LAPI event on U.S.-Mexican relations, including video, transcript, and pictures, please click here. For more information on NDN's Hispanic Programs, please click here.
Check back soon for transcripts and video footage of this event.
NDN is proud to announce the launch of the Latin American Policy Initiative (LAPI). This will include a monthly luncheon series that will feature Members of Congress, Ambassadors from Latin America, and other key policy experts. Each luncheon will focus on a single country and explore opportunities to increase understanding of the bilateral relationships that the United States shares with each country.
Our next luncheon will be on Wednesday, June 18th from 12:00pm-1:30 pm in Room 1116 of the Longworth House Office Building and will focus on Ecuador. Please join NDN, Hon. Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga, Ambassador of Ecuador to the U.S., and U.S. Representative Eliot Engel as we continue this exciting new effort. For more information, please contact Andres Ramirez via email at aramirez@ndn.org or phone at 202-544-9200.
Background on LAPI:
For years, NDN has been making the case that America is undergoing the most radical demographic transformation in its history. The rise of the domestic Hispanic population has brought about a New Politics in America. To help explain this, NDN and its team have conducted hundreds of briefings on the power of the emerging Hispanic community; and we've used Spanish-language media campaigns and press coverage to continue the discussion on what is such an important development in American politics.
Part of our analysis is that we must encourage our elected officials to engage in hemispheric relations more than they have in the past. The rising U.S. Hispanic population requires it, especially since our relationship with Latin America is becoming increasingly important for our domestic policy. That is why NDN began an effort to better discuss the importance of U.S.-Latin American relations. We heard from Governor Bill Richardson, who delivered a major foreign policy speech on ways to improve our relations with Latin America; and we convened an incredibly important forum on what a Post-Castro Cuba would look like.
We are excited to announce a new endeavor along these lines. We are launching a series of events focusing on the future of U.S.-Latin American relations. These events will focus on a different country each month, and work to establish an ongoing dialogue and research to better inform those interested in Latin American policy.
Just wanted to let everyone know that the transcripts of our May 9 New Tools, New Audiences forum are now available. They can be found on the May 9 event page here, along with video and photos. Please be sure to check back soon for any updates.
Check out the New Politics Institute for more information on our New Tools Campaign.
We just held a lunchtime press briefing today centered around our presentation called Hispanics Rising II: An Overview of the Growing Power of America's Hispanic Community, which is an updated version of our 2007 report, Hispanics Rising. Simon Rosenberg and Andres Ramirez led the discussion, and here are a few photos of the event (click for larger version):
