The 2012 Global Peace Convention will host former Presidents of Latin America in a groundbreaking collaborative dialogue on regional cooperation, sustainable development, North-South relations, and transparency and democratic governance.
Pre-Convention Assembly – Carter Presidential Center
“Moral and Ethical Values to Renew Relations between the U.S. & Latin America”
Shared goals in hemispheric relations, including respect for democracy, religious freedom, economic opportunity, transparency in government, sustainable development and environmental protection, often have not been translated into concrete policy. These desirable objectives require dialogue and collaboration beyond partisan differences and among both government and/ civil society leaders. The pre-Convention convening of Latin American former heads of state, at the Carter Center, will identify and analyze common ground upon which shared hemispheric objectives can be advanced.
“Toward an Ethics of Responsibility in International Relations”
Inter-American hemispheric relations have shared goals, such as realizing the full force of a republican democracy; respecting liberty in all its forms from thought, expression, and economics; and strengthening of institutions that eradicate corruption, marginalization, extreme poverty, and organized crime. A broad, transcendent, strengthening vision is impossible without a commitment to values, virtues and ethics that foster harmonized, creative, and peaceful morals, both individually and socially. Exploring, identifying and strengthening shared values are the key tasks of American leaders, their institutions, and the general public.
“Education: The Key to Achieving General Welfare”
The USA and Latin America, with different needs but similar challenges, must provide supports for young people to acquire sufficient skills to enter a competitive workforce with high technological demands. At the same time, a good education must prepare citizens with character that enables them to reach their goals, have confidence in themselves, form moral and ethical values as a maximum priority, and develop critical thinking that encourages objectivity, rational thought, and citizen participation. In Latin America and the Caribbean, and in the USA—where declines in reading, mathematics, and science threaten future competitiveness—it is a goal that cannot be delayed.
Global Peace Business Forum “Trade and Investment: Opportunities and Shared Advantages in Latin America”
Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States have close trade relations, and recent economic performance in the region allows for cautious optimism. Challenges persist, but also investment opportunities in a region rich in commodities, energy, and industrial capacity. Latin America and the Caribbean need important investments in infrastructure, solutions to energy problems, and improvement in competitiveness. A promising association that lifts trade restrictions and protectionist measures would enhance bilateral commerce and strengthen institutional and political ties between the regions.
