Tequila Talk Series – Upcoming Events
How to Confront Citizen Insecurity in Latin America
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
6:30 p.m. — 7:45 p.m.
Institute of the Americas, Weaver Conference Center, UCSD campus
In collaboration with the Center on Pacific Economies at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS), UC San Diego
The event has no cost. PLEASE REGISTER
Guest speaker: Kevin Casas-Zamora, Former Vice President of Costa Rica and Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution
Kevin Casas-Zamora is a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. In 2006-2007, he was Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy and Second Vice-President of Costa Rica. He holds a Law degree from the University of Costa Rica, as well as Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from the universities of Essex and Oxford, respectively. He has authored several studies on political finance, elections, citizen security and civil-military relations in Latin America. He was selected as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2007.
The Border and Organized Crime in Mexico
Friday, November 12, 2010
6:30 p.m. — 7:45 p.m.
Institute of the Americas, DEUTZ Conference Room, UCSD campus
Please REGISTER
General public: $10 per person
Complimentary registrations extended to:
• IOA current contributing members
• Students, Press, UCSD faculty and staff, please indicate affiliation and bring current ID to the event.
Guest speaker: Alan Bersin, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security
President Barack Obama appointed Alan Bersin as the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on March 27, 2010. He oversees the operations of CBP’s 57,000 employees and manages a budget of more than $11 billion.
Commissioner Bersin’s past positions include: Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs in the Department of Homeland Security (April 2009 – March 2010); Chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (December 2006 – April 2009); California’s Secretary of Education (July 2005 – December 2006); Member of the State Board of Education (until 2009); Superintendent of Public Education in San Diego (1998-2005); member, later Chairman of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2000-2003); and, appointed by Bill Clinton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California (1993-1998, serving as the Attorney General’s Southwest Border Representative responsible for coordinating federal law enforcement on the border from South Texas to Southern California).
Mr. Bersin was a senior partner in the Los Angeles law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson, has been Special Counsel to the Los Angeles Police Commission, and a Visiting Professor, adjunct professor, and lecturer at several institutions of higher learning. Mr. Bersin serves as a member of the Board of Overseers for Harvard University (2004-2010) and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Pacific Council on International Policy.
This event will be in Spanish – En Español
Josefina Vázquez Mota, Coordinator of the Parliamentary Group of the National Action Party / Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) in the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
6:30 p.m. — 7:45 pm
Institute of the Americas, Weaver Conference Center, UCSD campus
Please REGISTER
General public: $10 per person
Complimentary registrations extended to:
• IOA current contributing members
• Students, Press, UCSD faculty and staff, please indicate affiliation and bring current ID to the event.
Josefina Vázquez Mota is one of the PAN’s leading politicians whose name is frequently mentioned as a possible residential candidate. She led a successful and distinguished carreer as a journalist and in public office. She served as a Federal Deputy twice and is now Coordinator of the PAN Parliamentary Group in the Chamber of Deputies.
Between 2000 and 2006, she served as President Fox’s Secretary for Social Development (SEDESOL in Spanish), resigning from this post to join Felipe Calderon’s presidential campaign team as Chief Coordinator, and later integrating the presidential transition team as Political Liaison.
In December 2006, Ms. Vázquez Mota was appointed Calderón as his Secretary for Public Education. In this capacity, she strengthened mechanisms for evaluating public education, began the largest scholarships program for baccalaureates, signed and launched The Alliance for Quality Education, and strenghthened support for universities and other institutios of higher learning throughout the country.
Ms. Vázquez Mota is a graduate of the National Polytechnic Institute and studied Economics at the Iberoamerican University. She has been a journalist, focusing on economic and social issues, a radio commentator, and the author of the best-seller book «Dear God, make me a widow please.»