The Americas Project

James A. Baker, III

The Americas Project is a collaborative venture uniting the resources and expertise of Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and the Organization of American States. This undertaking is designed to create a leadership forum where emerging economic, political and cultural pacesetters throughout the Western Hemisphere can engage in dialogue on important topics of hemispheric consequences. The Americas Project brings together approximately 15 fellows selected competitively from the various countries of the Western Hemisphere. They represent some of the region’s brightest and most promising young leaders.

The Americas Project Fellows meet at the Baker Institute over a four-day period. This period of critical involvement for the fellows includes significant discussion, lectures from prominent voices in the international arena, interactions with senior scholars from Rice and other academic institutions, and extensive networking and dialogue.

Round Table

2009 Colloquium
October 8-10

Fellows preparing for the discussions.

Fifteen young leaders --2009 Fellows-- representing North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean gathered at the Baker Institute in Rice University from October 8-11, 2009 to discuss peace and stability in the XXI Century. The objective of the America’s Project is to shape future leaders and establish a network of individuals who have the potential to be influential in the future of the region. At the meetings, the fellows attend speeches by hemispheric leaders, lead group discussions, interact with senior scholars and officials from Rice University, the OAS, and other institutions, and draft a policy report which is then presented to policymakers throughout the hemisphere.
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Beyond the Absence of War: Peace and Stability in the Americas of the XXI Century

The Western Hemisphere is a hemisphere of peace. Nevertheless, we cannot claim to be enjoying total peace and security when we have violent death rate statistics that are appalling compared to those in other parts of the world. The homicide rate in this Hemisphere is one of the highest in the world. More kidnappings take place in our region than in any other region of the world and the human and material damage wrought by crime is seriously undermining our development. What the people of this Hemisphere fear most today is organized crime, terrorism, gangs, and trafficking in human beings that exact a terrible, routine toll. We are being increasingly battered by natural disasters, which devastate our countries year after year. Furthermore, a more silent yet critically important threat to peace in the region is the 200 million people living in poverty, which have become even more vulnerable as a result of the global financial crisis. This year the Americas Project will examine the issue of peace and stability in the Americas in the XXI Century by focusing on the new menaces to hemispheric security that threaten peaceful coexistence both within and among the countries of this Hemisphere and by identifying actions and policies that governments, civil society and international organizations can adopt to overcome the new regional multidimensional security challenges.

1. The Government’s Role in Promoting and Preserving Peace: In order to address the new peace and security challenges of the 21st Century, it is necessary to consolidate democratization processes; rethink the role of the security forces; strengthen the responsibilities of local governments; and emphasize the importance of the decentralization of authority. Moreover, the socio-economic realities of the countries of the Hemisphere highlight the need to address government spending, as well as the cost of armed conflict and social vs. military investment.

2. The Role of Civil Society: Peace as a common goal Civil society must be given a space to contribute with information, ideas and best practices on how to strengthen national policies aimed at enhancing citizen security and maintaining peaceful and democratic societies. Given the vast and diverse number of new threats to peace and stability, governments must work and coordinate with non-governmental institutions, the private sector and other civil society organizations so that all sectors of society are involved in confronting these threats in a coordinated and integrated manner.

3. The Role of the International Community: Supporting and safeguarding peace in the hemisphere: Most of the countries of the Hemisphere share the same threats to their peace and stability, thus common problems require concerted action. As the Americas move toward an integrated future, the countries of the Hemisphere will increasingly turn to regional and international organizations to find common solutions to their problems. Organizations such as the OAS; the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank; the Pan American Health Organization, among others, must work together to support the countries of the Hemisphere as they develop new policies and design innovated strategies to combat the emerging political, social, economic and health threats that are currently undermining hemispheric peace.

The Americas Project 2009
Beyond the Absence of War: Peace and Stability in the Americas of the XXI Century
October 8-10, 2009
Houston, Texas

Past Colloquiums
Reports
Alumni
Picture Gallery

The Americas Project official website:
http://www.bakerinstitute.org/programs/the-americas-project/thisyear.cfm