March 19, 2009 

MEDIA CONTACTS: Ellen Yui
(301) 270-8571; ellenyui@yuico.com 
Michelle Sherrard
(202) 994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN POLICY EXPERTS PREPARE FOR THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS BY EXPLORING WAYS TO INVIGORATE THEIR ECONOMIES WHILE ENHANCING NATIONAL SECURITY
APRIL 7, 2009

EVENT: 

Ten days in advance of President Obama's first meeting with many of the leaders of the Western Hemisphere during the Fifth Summit of the Americas to be held in Trinidad, April 17-19, the GW School of Business Center for Latin American Issues will co-host a dialogue among top experts on priority issues affecting U.S. relations. The symposium will provide incisive and informed background for this upcoming diplomatic gathering and recommend a way forward for the U.S.'s relations with its strategic neighbors and partners.
 
WHEN:  

Tuesday, April 7, 2009; 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
 
WHERE: 

The George Washington University
Jack Morton Auditorium
805 21st St., NW, Washington, D.C.
(Corner of 21st and H streets)
Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro (Orange and Blue lines)
 
RSVP:  

This event is free and open to the public. Members of the media should RSVP to Ellen Yui at (301) 270-8571 or ellenyui@yuico.com.
 
PANELISTS: 

The Economic and Social Agenda
- Ines Bustillo, director, Washington Office, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (panel chair)
- Peter DeShazo, director, Americas Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Eric Farnsworth, vice president, Council of the Americas
- Mustafa Mohatarem, chief economist, General Motors

Governance and Security
- Douglas C. Lovelace, director, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College (panel chair)
- Carlo Dade, executive director, Canadian Foundation for the Americas
- Lino Gutierrez, adjunct professor, GW; Former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina
- Michael Shifter, vice president of policy, Inter-American Dialogue

BACKGROUND:

The Fifth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Trinidad, April 17-19, is being watched intensely, in great part because it will be President Barack Obama's first opportunity to define the United States' new role in the region.

At irregular intervals, the heads of states of the Western Hemisphere meet to seek solutions to problems that affect the Americas. Since the last Summit of the Americas in 2005, the region has been confronted with a number of dramatic issues that require collective action. Issues include the financial crisis, global trade, immigration policies, poverty, education challenges, organized crime, and global warming (which disproportionately affects the Caribbean and Latin America), among others.

The event is co-hosted by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College; the Center for Strategic & International Studies; Inter-American Dialogue; Council of the Americas; the Heritage Foundation; and the Canadian Foundation for the Americas.

The Center for Latin American Issues is a premier center for the pursuit of scholarship and academic excellence on issues pertaining to Latin America and the Caribbean region. Through its programs and activities, the center seeks to further academic study and research on major Latin American issues and on how those issues affect the interests of states within and beyond the region; to accelerate the development of human resources, including the professional skills and competencies of public servants and managers; to propagate the ideals of political and economic democracy throughout the region; and to foster greater mutual understanding among the peoples of the hemisphere.

GW's School of Business prepares students for professional management careers. The depth and variety of its academic and professional programs, including five specialized master's programs, provide rich opportunities for students in the school's core Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, and doctoral programs. GW's undergraduate- and graduate-level international business programs rank among the world's best.

For more information about the Center for Latin American Issues, visit www.gwu.edu/~clai.

For more information about GW's School of Business, visit www.business.gwu.edu.

For more news about The George Washington University, visit www.gwnewscenter.org.

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