
Latin America/Central America Focused Programs
- Back to Map of all Past Initiatives
- Leaders of the Present: Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement in Central America
- Politics without Violence
- The Challenge of Verification in Peace Processes
- Negotiating from Conflict to Peace: Workshop with the Colombian ELN
- La Nicaragua Posible
- Lessons Learned on Regional Peace-building in Central America
- Peruvian Intelligence Reform Initiative
- Combating Terrorism: The Challenge for Democratic Societies
- International Perspectives on Intelligence Reform and Creating Democratic Controls
- Reform of Intelligence and Security Services in Guatemala
- The Challenge of Strengthening the Peace
- Reflections on Transition
- Reconciliation in Times of Transition
- Leaders of the
Present: Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement in Central America
(Antigua, Guatemala 2008)
Conducted five day meeting with 24 young Central American leaders to facilitate development of action plans on youth civic engagement on regional issues such as youth violence and disaster risk reduction especially in relation to climate change.
Costa Rica
Manuel Dengo, Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Initiative of DARA, Costa Rica
GuatemalaCzech Republic
Jan Urban, New York University, Prague, former Czech Dissident, Co-Founder of People in Need, Czech RepublicEcuador
Pablo Boada, Director, Quito Eterno, EcuadorEl Salvador
Ana Guadalupe Martinez, Special Advisor to the Vice-President of Congress, and former Commander of the FMLN, El SalvadorGuatemala
José María Argueta, IGL Inspire Fellow, ICAS, Guatemala
Julio Balconi, CONRED; Ministry of Defense, Guatemala
Marco Antonio Castillo, General Director of the Ceiba Group, Guatemala
Claudia Flores, Regional Coordinator of CONRED,
Carlos Arguello, CA Foundation, Guatemala
Ana Carlos, Entrémosle a Guate, Guatemala
Paul Guggenheim, Country Director for Guatemala, Riecken Foundation
Marco Antonio Leonor, Caja Lúdica, Guatemala
Harris Whitbeck, CNN en Español, Entrémosle a Guate, Guatemala
Maria Marta Ramos, Executive Director of Valle del Altiplano University, Guatemala
Jason Marczak, Editor of America’s Quarterly, USAHonduras
Iris Castejón-Wollny, National Autonomous University, HondurasMexico
Araceli Ruano, Executive Director of the ALAS FoundationNicaragua
Sandra Zuñiga, DARA Delegate, Nicaragua
Arturo Wallace, Professor and Journalist, NicaraguaPanama
Gilberto Toro, Director of the Social Development Program of the Ministry of Social Development, Panama
Spain
Nicolai Nielsen, Researcher, DARA, SpainUnited States
David Cartagena, Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-Violence, RI, USA
Teny Gross, Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-Violence, RI, USA
Elena Haliczer, Games for Change, USA
Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, Project Director of Staying Safe, National Development Research Institutes, Inc.- View the full description of the program.
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- Politics without Violence
(Bogotá, Colombia, 2008)
Created several opportunities for members of the Colombian senate and civil society to discuss current obstacles to the peace process and reframe the government and ELN guerilla group dialogue.
Participants Included:
El Salvador
Ana Guadalupe Martinez, President of the Institute for a New El Salvador, one of the founders of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)Guatemala
Jose Maria Argueta, Former Ambassador to Peru and Japan, first civilian head of the National Security Council and Secretary General of the presidential office of National Strategic Studies, GuatemalaPeru
Alvaro de Soto, Peruvian diplomat, United Nations Secretary General Representative for El Salvador, Myanmar, Western Sahara, Middle East and Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots
United States
Aldo Civico, Director, Center for International Conflict Resolution at Columbia University
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- The Challenge of Verification
in Peace Processes
(Bogota and Medellin Colombia, 2007)
Conducted two workshops for representatives of the Colombian government and the ELN bringing comparative experiences on verification and ceasefire management.
Republic of Ireland
Tim Dalton, former Secretary General of the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform, Republic of Ireland. Negotiator during the Good Friday Agreement.Phillippines
Jesus Gestuveo Dureza, Secretary of the office of the Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process, Republic of Philippines,United States
Andrew Sens, US Representative to the Northern Ireland Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. Career Foreign Service officer and former Executive Secretary to the National Security Council
Aldo Civico, Director of Columbia University’s Center for International Conflict Resolution
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- Negotiating from Conflict to Peace:
Workshop with the Colombian ELN
(Medellin, Colombia, 2006)
Workshop that brought three senior leaders from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to share experiences in managing the transition from paramilitary organization to political leadership.
Colombia
Juan Carlos Cuellas, ELN Commissioner, Colombia
Francisco Galán, ELN Commissioner, Colombia
Moritz Ackerman, Guarantor, Casa la Paz, Colombia
Horacio Arango, Jesuit, Colombia
Alvaro Jimenez, former M-19 guerrilla member, Colombia
Daniel Peña, political activist, Colombia
Gustavo Ruiz, lawyer and opinion maker, Colombia
Alejo Vargas, political scientist, Colombia
General Eduardo Herrera Berbel, former Deputy Peace Commissioner, Colombia
Beatriz Maria Arango, Senior Advisor to El Colombiano newspaper, ColombiaNorthern Ireland
David Ervine, Chief Spokesman, Progressive Unionist Party, Northern Ireland
Father Alec Reid, Neutral Facilitator, Northern Ireland
Tom Roberts, Director, Ex Prisoners’ Interpretive Center, Northern Ireland
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- La Nicaragua Posible
(Managua, Nicaragua, 2006)
Brought together leading Nicaraguan politicians, intellectuals and students to discuss the challenges facing the country and strategize future solutions.
Argentina
Daniel Zovatto, Head of Program for Latin America, International IDEABolivia
Eduardo Rodriguez, former President of BoliviaCosta Rica
Alberto Trejos, former Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa RicaNicaragua
President Enrique Bolaños Geyer, President of Nicaragua
Professor Consuelo Cruz, Associate Professor of Political Science at Tufts University
Amb. Arturo Cruz, Professor of History and Political Science at INCAE
Mignone Vega, Director of Strategic Communication for the Office of the President of Nicaragua
Mario Arana, President of the Central Bank of Nicaragua
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- Lessons Learned on Regional Peace-building
in Central America
(Toledo, Spain 2006)
Brought together all major leaders involved in developing the regional peace accords in Central America to launch a Task Force that will develop new approaches to rule of law challenges faced in the region today.
Colombia
Augusto Ramírez Ocampo, former Foreign Minister of Colombia and former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to El Salvador
Costa Rica
José María Figueres, former President of Costa Rica
Rodrigo Madrigal Nieto, former Foreign Minister of Costa Rica
Ram Mankkalingam, former Senior Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka
El Salvador
Leonel Gomez, human rights activist and author, El Salvador
Pedro Nikken, Legal Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, El Salvador
Oscar Santamaría, former head negotiator for El Salvador
Victor Valle, founding member, National Commission for the Consolidation of Peace in El Salvador
Joaquín Villalobos, former FMLN leader
Great Britain
Sir Marrack Goulding, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping and Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
Guatemala
Vinicio Cerezo, former President of Guatemala
Manuel Conde-Orellana, former President of the Guatemalan Commission for Peace
General Julio Balconi, retired General, Guatemalan Army; former Guatemalan Minister of Defense
José María Argueta, former Guatemalan National Security Advisor
Hector Rosada, former President of Guatemalan Commission for Peace
Nicaragua
General Joaquín Cuadra Lacayo, former General Chief of Staff of the Popular Sandinista Army and former Commander-in-Chief of the Nicaraguan Army
Arturo Cruz, Professor, INCAE Business School, Nicaragua
Antonio Lacayo, former Nicaraguan Minister of the Presidency
Israel
Shlomo Ben Ami, former Israeli Foreign Minister
Spain
Blanca Antonini, Director of Latin American Programs, Toledo International Center for Peace
Edmundo Jarquín, Chief of Staff, Iberoamerican Secretariat
Yago Pico de Coaña, former General Director of Iberoamerican Political Affairs, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Relations
Magdy Martinez-Soliman, Head of UN Democracy Fund
United States
Richard McCall, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Bruce Cameron, human rights activist
Venezuela
Beatrice Rangel, former Presidential advisor, Venezuela- View the full description of the program.
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- Peruvian Intelligence Reform Initiative
(Cambridge, Massachusetts and Lima, Peru, 2002)
Convened international experts on internal security to draft recommendations for reforming Peru's intelligence services and presented the results to the Peruvian intelligence community in a public forum event in Lima.
Argentina
José Manuel Ugarte, Advisor to the Senate National Defense Commission, ArgentinaNetherlands
Joy Wijnen Riems, Senior Officer, Netherlands National Security ServicePeru
Luis Iberico Nunez, Fifth Vice President of the Peruvian Congress
Ciro Alegría Varona, Professor at the Pontificia Catholic University of Peru; former Advisor to the Peruvian Minister of Defense
South Africa
Siyabulela Mlombile, Deputy National Commissioner, South African Correctional Services
United States
Philip Heymann, Professor of Law, Harvard University; former U.S. Deputy Attorney General
Morris Panner, former Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section of the Criminal Division, Department of Justice, United States- View the full description of the program.
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- Combating Terrorism: The Challenge for
Democratic Societies
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2002)
Leaders from the intelligence and law enforcement communities in Mexico, Peru, and the United States discussed strategies for combating terrorism while protecting human rights and democratic freedoms.
United States
Jorge Chabat, Professor of International Relations, Center for Economic Research and Teaching
John Coatsworth, Professor of History and Latin American Affairs, Harvard University
Neil Gallagher, Assistant Director, FBI National Security and Terrorism Divisions
Philip Heymann, Professor of Law, Harvard University, former US Deputy Attorney General
Kate Martin, Director, Center for National Security Studies, United States
Robert McNamara, Jr., former General Counsel, United States Central Intelligence Agency
Bill Rooney, former Executive and Field Operations Officer, United States Central Intelligence Agency
George Vickers, Regional Director for Latin America, Open Society InstituteMexico
Raul Benitez Manaut, Professor of International Relations, National University of Mexico
Carlos Rico, Minister of Public Affairs, Mexican Embassy
Armando Salinas Torre, President, Congressional Commission on Governance and Public Security, MexicoPeru
Benedicto Jimenez Bacca, Expert Advisor to the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, Peru
Enrique Obando Arbulú, President, Political and Strategic Studies Institute, Peru
Oscar Schiappa-Pietra, former Senior Advisor to Prime Minister of Peru
Ketin Vidal, former Minister of the Interior, Peru
Juan Velit, President, Peruvian National Council of Intelligence- View the full description of the program.
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- International Perspectives on Intelligence
Reform and Creating Democratic Controls
(Guatemala City, Guatemala, 2000)
Enabled Guatemalan government officials, members of NGOs, and academics to meet with intelligence experts from around the world in order to discuss experiences of reform, outline mechanisms of oversight, and gain feedback on recommendations for a new intelligence law in Guatemala.
Argentina
José Manuel Ugarte, Advisor to the Senate National Defense Commission, ArgentinaCanada
Peter Russell, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, CanadaPoland
Andrzej Rzeplinski, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, PolandSpain
César Balguerías, Analyst of Political and Strategic Affairs for Latin America, Higher Center of Defense Information (CESID), SpainSouth Africa
Sandy Africa, General Manager of the South African Intelligence Academy, South AfricaUnited States
James Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology, United States
Philip Heymann, Professor of Law at Harvard University, former US Deputy Attorney General, United States
Kate Martin, Director of the Center for National Security Studies, United States
Oliver Revell, former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States- View the full description of the program.
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- Reform of Intelligence and Security
Services in Guatemala
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2000)
Brought together senior members of the new Guatemalan government with intelligence officials from the Americas, Africa, and Europe to discuss key issues related to reforming and restructuring the Guatemalan intelligence apparatus.
Argentina
Dario Richarte, Under Secretary of Intelligence, ArgentinaCzech Republic
Oldrich Cerny, former Director General, Czech Foreign Intelligence ServiceCanada
Vaughn Collins, Detective Chief Superintendent of the Ontario Provincial Police, CanadaGuatemala
Edgar Gutierrez, Minister of Strategic Analysis, Guatemala
Manuel de Jesus Flores Hernandez, Vice Minister of Governance, Guatemala
Ricardo Marroquin, Minister of Administrative and Security Affairs for the President of Guatemala
Alfredo Rabbé, Vice Minister of Defense, GuatemalaUnited States
Michael DeFeo, Assistant Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, US
Philip Heymann, Professor of Law, Harvard University, former US Deputy Attorney General
Kate Martin, Director, Center for National Security Studies, United States
Ernest May, Professor of History, Harvard University, United States
Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, General Counsel, University of Wisconsin System,
Anna Maria Salazar, Drug Enforcement Policy and Support, United StatesSouth Africa
Sandy Africa, General Manager, South African Intelligence Academy
Sibulela Mlombile, National Intelligence Coordinating Committee, South AfricaSpain
Cesar Balguerias, Analyst of Political and Strategic Affairs for Latin America, CESID, Spain- View the full description of the program.
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- The Challenge of Strengthening the Peace
(Guatemala City, Guatemala, 1999)
Brought together over 300 Guatemalan representatives of the government, the military, the church, political parties, the private sector, human rights organizations, and community groups to engage in dialogue on a range of critical issues relevant to peace-building in their country.
Argentina
Silvia Rueda de Uranga, President, Conciencia Association, Argentina
Colonel Mario Antonio
Luis Moreno Ocampo, former Public Prosecutor and District Attorney of Buenos Aires, ArgentinaChile
John Biehl, former Chief of Staff for the Government of Chile, former Ambassador to the United States
Croatia
Branka Kaselj, Director, Centre for Peace, Non-Violence and Human Rights, CroatiaGuatemala
President Alvaro Arzú, Guatemala
Carlos Chocoj, Rigoberta Menchú Tum
General Edgar Leonel Godoy Samayoa
Fermina Lopez
Rigoberto Quemé, Mayor of Quetzaltenango
Gustavo Porras, Private Secretary to the President of Guatemala
Eduardo Stein, Foreign Minister of Guatemala
Hector Mauricio Lopez Bonilla, columnist
Renzo Rosal, Secretary General of Rafael Landivar UniversityEl Salvador
Raquel Zelaya, Secretary of the Peace of the President of the Republic of El Salvador
Ana Guadalupe Martinez, former Vice President, former FMLN Leader,Northern Ireland
Paul Arthur, Professor of Politics, University of Ulster, Northern IrelandIsrael
Shulamit Aloni, former Member of Parliament and government Minister, founder of the Civil Rights and Peace Movement in IsraelPalestinian National Authority
Hasan Abdel Rahman, Palestinian National Authority Chief Representative in United StatesPoland
Lech Walesa, Nobel Laureate and former President of Poland
Konstanty Gebert, former dissident and editor-in-Chief of Midrasz Magazine, Poland
Jan Krysztof Bielecki, former Prime Minister of PolandSouth Africa
Robert Conway, Chair, Peace and Reconstruction Foundation, South Africa
Roelf Meyer, Member of Parliament, South AfricaUnited States
Robert Hutchings, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University
Susan Kaufman Purcell, Vice President, Americas Society
Beatriz Manz, University of California, Berkeley
Wendy Luers, President, The Foundation for a Civil Society
James LeMoyne, Chief Political Advisor, United Nations Development Program, Latin America
Timothy Phillips, Co-Founder, The Project on Justice in Times of TransitionInternational Organizations
José Roberto Lopez, World Bank
Lars Franklin, Resident Coordinator for the United Nations
Linn Hammergren, World Bank- View the full description of the program.
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- Reflections on Transition
(Managua, Nicaragua, 1994)
Brought together prominent Nicaraguan leaders with their counterparts from Europe and the Americas to discuss reconciliation, civil-military relations, private property and economic reform.
Chile
Edgardo Boeninger, Former Minister Secretary of the Presidency
Carlos Ominami, Senator
Colombia
Cesar Gaviria, President
Costa Rica
Mario Carazo, Congressman, Costa Rican Legislative Assembly; Chairman, Institute for Central American Studies
Czech Republic
Tomas Jezek, Director, National Property Fund
El Salvador
Alfredo Cristiani, President
Oscar Santamaria, Minister of the Presidency
Joaquin Villalobos, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
Germany
H. Hindrich Boie, Director, Department of Unresolved Property and Reprivatization
Guatemala
General Hector Gramajo, Former Minister of Defense
Mexico
Pedro Aspe, Minister of Finance
Nicaragua
Arnoldo Aleman, Mayor of Managua
Fernando Caldera, Chief of the National Police
Adolfo Calero, National Conservative Party
Luis Raul Cema, Secretary, Association of Bond Holders
Violeta Chamorro, President
Pablo Antonio Cuadra, Rector of UNICA
Thomas Delaney, Vice-Minister of the Presidency
Jose Espinoza, Secretary General, CUS
Azucena Ferrey, President, Commission for Women, Youth, Children and Family of the National Assembly
Mario de Franco, Professor, INCAE
Enrique Bolanos Geyer, Former President, COSEP
Ramiro Gurdian, President, COSEP
Luis Humberto Guzman, President, National Assembly
Moises Hassan, MUR Representative to the National Assembly
Lucio Jiménez, Secretary General, CST
Carlos Reynaldo Lacayo, President, AMCHAM
Alejandro Martinez, Director, FIDEG
Monsenor Abelardo Mata, Bishop of Esteli
Francisco Mayorga, Civil Movement
Daniel Nunez, Secretary General, UNAG
Orlando Nunez, Director, CIPRES
Daniel Ortega, Secretary General, FSLN
Adolfo Jarquin Ortell, Defense Committee, National Assembly
Emilio Pereira, Minister of Finance
Sergio Ramirez, FSLN
Col Antemor Rosales, Representative of the Chief of Staff of the Sandinista Popular Army
Dora Maria Tellez, President, Commission for Economic Issues of the National Assembly
Col Hugo Torres, Representative of the Chief of Staff of the Sandinista Popular Army
Poland
Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, Former President
Adam Michnik, Editor-in-Chief, Gazeta Wyborzca
Jerzy Osiatynski, Former Minister of Finance and Labor
Wiktor Osiatynski, Constitutional Advisor to the Polish Parliament
Russia
Yegor Gaidar, Former Prime Minister
Spain
Jose Pedro Perez Llorca, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sweden:
Pierre Schori, Deputy Foreign Minister
United Nations
Hubert Escaith, Director, Economic Development Section, ECLAC, Mexico
Francesco Vincenti, Resident Representative, UNDP
United States
Jimmy Carter, Former President
Angier B. Duke, President, Council of American Ambassadors
General Mark Hamilton, Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy, US CINCPAC
James LeMoyne, UN Political Advisor to Central America
Wendy W. Luers, President, Foundation for a Civil Society
Dick McCall, Chief of Staff, USAID
Richard Millett, Senior Research Associate, North-South Center
Ambler Moss, Director, The North-South Center
Terry Sanford, Former US Senator
John Strasma, Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Wisconsin- View the full description of the program.
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- Reconciliation in Times of Transition
(San Salvador, El Salvador, 1993)
Focused on consolidating peace and eradicating social division, confrontation and political violence in the aftermath of El Salvador's peace accords. Precipitated the creation of Centro Demos, the conflict resolution center established to encourage and sustain cross-sectoral dialogue.
Brazil
Benedita Souza da Silva, Federal Deputy, Workers Party
Chile
Jose Zalaquett, Member of the Chilean National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation
Colombia
Evereth Bustamante Senator, Democratic Alliance/M-19
Antonio Navarro Wolff, President,Democratic Alliance/M-19
Czechoslovakia
Jan Urban, Journalist; Co-Founder of Civic Forum Movement
El Salvador
Roberto Canas, FMLN
Fabio Castillo Rector, University of El Salvador Mauricio
Gutierrez Castro, President of the Supreme Court
Alfredo Cristiani, President of El Salvador
Cecilia Gallardo de Cano, Minister of Education
Rene Emilio Ponce, Minister of Defense
Oscar Santamaría, Minister of the Presidency
Joaquin Villalobos, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)
Guatemala
General Dector Gramajo, Former Minister of Defense
Jorge Serrano, President
Poland
Aleksander Kwasniewski, Member of Parliament; President of the Social Democratic Party
Zbigniew Bujak, Member of Parliament; Founding Member of Solidarity
Spain
Felipe Gonzalez, Prime Minister
United States
Bernard Aronson, US Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs
James LeMoyne, Journalist
Flora Lewis, Senior Columnist, New York Times
Wendy W. Luers, President, Foundation for a Civil Society
Richard McCall, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Member of President-Elect Clinton's Transition Team
Joseph Montville, Senior Consultant to the US Department of State on Conflict Resolution
Ambler H. Moss Jr, Director, North-South Center, University of Miami
Michael Olson, Attorney
Tina Rosenberg, Author and Journalist- View the full description of the program.
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