Yale spotlights Latin American Policy Leaders in speaker series

05/24/22

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Bringing together students, faculty, and political leaders, the Latin American Policy Leader Series was launched in February 2022 with the aim to inspire and spark innovative solutions to take on the world’s most significant challenges. 

The series is a collaborative initiative between the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies (CLAIS), the Fox International Fellowship Program, and the Program on Peace and Development at Yale’s MacMillan Center. The initiative is generously supported by the George Herbert Walker, Jr. Lecture Fund in International Studies at MacMillan. 

On February 25, Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, was the first speaker to be featured in the new series. ‘Strengthening Democracy in Latin America: Progress on Peace and Development’ was the topic of Almagro’s remarks, following which participants engaged in a a discussion with Almagro, moderated by Ana De La O, Associate Professor in Political Science. Visit the MacMillan Center’s CLAIS website to read a summary of the event. It was transmitted via Zoom with simultaneous translation in English and Spanish. (Click below to view the recording of the event.)


On March 11, Yolanda Kakabadse, former president of the World Wildlife International Fund and Minister of Environment for Ecuador, delivered a talk on climate change in Latin America via Zoom. The discussion with Kakabadse that followed was moderated by Jessica Faieta, Senior Fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Visit the MacMillan Center’s CLAIS website to read a summary of the event. (Click below to view the recording of the event.)


On April 19, Ricardo Pérez Manrique, President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, was hosted for a discussion about freedom of expression and human rights in contemporary Latin America. The talk was moderated by professor Claudia Flores from the Yale Law School and the University of Chicago. Visit the MacMillan Center’s CLAIS website to read a summary of the event. (Click below to view the recording of the event.)


On May 4 during a two-day visit to Yale, Maria-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director of UN Women for Latin America and the Caribbean, spoke as part of the Policy Leaders series. Moderated by Jessica Faieta, Senior Fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Vaeza’s talk focused on diversity, equality, and gender. Visit the MacMillan Center’s CLAIS website to read a summary of the event. (Click below to view the recording of the event.)

Visit the MacMillan Center website to learn more about the series.