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Georgetown University Latin American Board Newsletter
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GCL Program Update
The 2011 GCL program is in full swing and this year's group of young leaders have enjoyed a wide range of activities thus far. Here are some highlights:
ACADEMICS: Our Program began with courses in Political Theory, Freedom and Democracy juxtaposed with lessons from Chilean Senator, Patricio Walker Prieto, about the realities of doing politics in Latin America.
Participants then had a "Project Development Workshop" in partnership with Ashoka, where they learned about social enterprise and obtained the tools they need to develop their own projects to be carried out in their home countries.
Our leaders participated in a Debate Tournament where they had to prepare for BOTH sides of the argument as their position was determined before the debate. The Introduction to Oratory and debate logistics were developed and taught by a former GCL participant, Ana Collado (Spain, 2010). The topic: "Should public security take precedence over individual liberties?" Teams gave great arguments and everyone enjoyed an intense rhetoric exercise.
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Santiago, from Ecuador, makes his case to the opposing team
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Other courses have included topics such as: "Civil Society and Democracy", "Competitiveness in Latin America", Business Strategy", "Corporate Social Responsibility", "Globalization and Emerging Economies", and "Communications Skills" among others.
VISITS: We have visited Capitol Hill, had a special pass into the House of Representatives and a conversation with a representative from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Mr. Carl Meacham.
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GCL Leaders pose on the Capitol steps
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GCL Participants also visited Gallup Headquarters where they learned about a new methodology for measuring social well-being in societies. They have participated in a forum at the Brookings Institution hosted by Ms. Diana Negroponte, Nonresident Senior Fellow, in which experts gave their insights on issues ranging from Afghanistan to Iran to Immigration in the United States.
The GCL Leaders were received by the Secretary General of the OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza and discussed relevant issues regarding democracies in our hemisphere.
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GCL Leaders listen to Secretary Insulza's briefing
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SPEAKERS: Part of the GCL experience is to hear from diverse leaders who share their experiences and challenges while providing their point of view on important issues on our region. Some of the guest speakers have included Jose Maria Aznar, former president of Spain.
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President Aznar speaks to GCL Leaders in the classroom
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Ruben from Mexico, Felipe A. from Uruguay and Felipe D. from Brazil (L to R) get a chance to talk to Pres. Aznar after the class session
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GCL leaders have also participated in a public forum featuring the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, heard a motivational talk from Pedro Burelli, financial consultant and former member of PDVSA Board of Directors, and received saavy business and life tips from Lorenzo Mendoza, CEO of Empresas Polar (Venezuela).
VOLUNTEERING: While in DC, the GCL leaders have also given back to the community. Some participated in a joint event with Georgetown undergraduate students as volunteers at a local youth center.
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Yelitza from Panama, Karla from Mexico and Giovanna from Peru (L to R) make crafts at the Youth Center
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As a group, the GCL leaders watched the documentary, "Waiting for Superman" which discusses some of the challenges facing the American educational system, and then visited Conerstone School, located in an underprivileged neighborhood.
GCL leaders made presentations about their countries to students ranging from Kindergarten to 9th grade.
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Felipe, Marina, Caue, and Rodrigo talk about Brazil's geography
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Madelaine, Camila and Enibel (L to R) explain how the Panama Canal works
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Karisol from Puerto rico (far right) explains the sound a "coqui" frog makes
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Where are they now?
The GCL Alumni are having an impact in their home countries. We recently launched the ICLASS website (in Spanish) where you can see what our leaders are up to. We are working to update it with more information from different countries, so check back often to see our Multiplier Effect in action!
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Be Part of the Experience
Georgetown University's GCL Program seeks to fortify young leaders in the social, economic and political sectors and build a netowkr of empowereed leaders throughout the Ibero-american region.
If you or your organization would like to donate toward a scholarship or find out more about how to get involved with this program, please email us by clicking here.
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