Georgetown Launches Latin America Initiative
On March 16th, Georgetown University launched the Latin America Initiative in an attempt to strengthen the university’s dialogue about and engagement with the region. Through the initiative, Georgetown hopes to build upon already established connections while fostering new ones for the future. The celebratory launch event featured a discussion regarding the future of Latin America and the challenges and opportunities for the United States in the region going forward. The discussion featured renowned panelists including Ricardo Ernst, a professor at the McDonough School of Business, Samuel Lewis, former Vice President of Panama, and Thomas Shannon, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs and former U.S. ambassador to Brazil.
Their discussion highlighted three particular topics: governance and the rule of law, economic growth and innovation, and social and cultural inclusion. Contextualizing the conversation, Ernst highlighted the apparent contradictions of the Latin America paradox: persistent development underscored by pressing problems. Specifically, despite steps forward in relation to the three established themes, Latin America continues to face issues including violence, corruption, and a lack of transparency in governance.
Far from harping on existing problems, the discussion embraced the possibilities for the future. Due to the rapidly changing political and social environment, Latin America finds itself at a pivotal juncture in history.
To this end, the discussion heavily emphasized the need for the United States to harness democratic trends in order to solidify the recent developments in the region. Doing so requires looking beyond the traditional paradigm of security, wrought with the dangers of narcotics and illegal immigration. The panelists suggested redefining the U.S. relationship with Latin America in order to shed the typical points of contention and create a path to the future.
Lewis’s closing remarks epitomized the essence of this initiative and its significance to the Georgetown community as a whole. When asked his advice for future leaders hoping to play a role in this development, he challenged the Georgetown community to function as agents of change. He reminded the audience that privilege gives each and every member of the Georgetown community the responsibility to aid. By harnessing the opportunities provided at Georgetown, including the available education, the networking connections, and the skill-building possibilities, every person can have an impact. Most importantly, Lewis presented the initiative as a tool for Georgetown students to make a difference in the world.
The Latin America Initiative symbolizes another step in the most profound experiment of the century—democratization. By channeling the landscape of the developing world and broader global trends, Georgetown hopes to strengthen connections and contribute to forward thinking dialogue with powerful impacts on the global stage.