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Event Highlights: 2011-10
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Mobilizing Unpaid Village Volunteers to Fix Primary Education in India – Experiences from Pratham
When: Monday, May 2, 12:30-2:00pm
Where: 1302 IAB
Pratham works in 258 out of the 626 districts in India, primarily using unpaid volunteers from local communities but also Government teachers in bringing about a large scale improvement in learning levels of primary school going children in India. How does Pratham manage to run a program at such a large scale but at a low cost? How does it ensure quality of delivery at such as large scale? How has Pratham succeeded in generating 62,000 volunteers in a country in which many believe the so-called “spirit of volunteerism” does not exist. And how does Pratham attempt to get communities, many of whose members are illiterate or barely literate, involved in education? Mr. Banergee will discuss Pratham’s approach and model and attempt to answer some of the questions posed above, drawing from my experiences of having observed and reviewed Pratham programs across India.
About Pratham - The annual nationwide ASER Survey (Annual Status of Education Report) on learning levels in India states that only 53.4% of children in Grade V in India can read a Grade II level text. Through its flagship Read India program, Pratham attempts to address this problem by mobilizing communities and the Government to get involved in the process of primary education. Pratham currently reaches 2.2 million children in more than 25,000 villages through Read India. More than 62,000 unpaid volunteers, mostly young men and women, provide in-school or after-school support to children who are struggling in school, which Pratham hopes will lead to the fulfillment of its mission - “Every child in school and learning well.” Pratham is a widely felicitated organization, having received awards such as the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Public Service. (www.pratham.org)
About the Speaker - Shayak Banerjee is the Head of the Program Review & Management unit at Pratham, which is responsible for oversight of Pratham’s programs and for donor management. He has traveled widely across rural India to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Pratham’s volunteer led education delivery, with a focus on the eastern states of Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam. Shayak’s team has tried to identify, understand and suggest solutions to the key bottlenecks in maintaining quality while delivering a large-scale, low-cost primary education program to 2.2 million children across 20 states in India. Shayak’s academic background is in Electrical Engineering; he completed his Bachelors from Stanford University in June, 2007. Before joining Pratham in February, 2010, Shayak was responsible for testing a key component of Chelsio Communications’ 10Gb Ethernet card as a Member of its Technical Staff. Chelsio Communications is a semiconductor startup in the Silicon Valley.
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Workshop in Development Practice – Final Presentations
When: April 28 and 29
9:00 am – 6:30 pm (reception to follow on April 29)
Where: Room 1512, International Affairs Building
The student teams in SIPA’s Workshop in Development Practice have been working this year with clients in over twenty countries on innovative projects involving food security, clean technologies, health and education, governance, humanitarian response, peacebuilding, gender mainstreaming, social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility and private sector development. The teams will be presenting their findings and recommendations in a conference at SIPA on April 28 and 29. Workshop clients, members of the Columbia/SIPA community and the general public are invited to attend any sessions of interest.
The Workshop in Development Practice is co-sponsored by the Economic and Political Development and Human Rights Concentrations, the International Conflict Resolution Specialization and the Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Studies Programs. This year’s Workshop clients include Afroreggae (Brazil), Atina (Brazil), the Dominican-Haitian Chamber of Commerce (Dominican Republic & Haiti), FHI (Ethiopia), Foundation Escalera (Mexico), the Institute for Research and Debate on Governance (Egypt), Jitegemee (Kenya), the Kingston Restoration Company (Jamaica), Kopernik (Indonesia), the National Innovation Fund (Kazakhstan), Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust (Sri Lanka), PepsiCo (Chile), PODER (Mexico), TechnoServe (Ethiopia), The Hunger Project (Uganda), Tostan and Yarum Jen (Senegal), UNDP (NYC and Sierra Leone), UNFPA (Colombia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan & Mozambique), UN Women and UN DESA (NYC), Women’s Political Resource Center (Georgia), Women’s Refugee Commission (Ethiopia & Kenya), Women’s World Banking (Vietnam), World Bank (Washington D.C.) and World Food Programme (Central African Republic). The complete schedule of presentations may be found in the link below.
Workshop Final Presentation Schedule
For more information, please contact Jenny McGill (em419@columbia.edu) or Melissa Giblock (mg2944@columbia.edu).
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Negotiating the Line: Managing Challenges in a Multicultural Workplace
Date: April 21, 2011 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm EDT
Location: Room 411
This interactive workshop will provide SIPA students with strategies and resources to deal with difficult situations they could encounter in summer internships or job placements after graduation. An expert facilitator will guide the discussion based on real situations that SIPA students have faced in the past. Co-sponsored by the Office of Career Services, Economic and Political Development Concentration, Gender Policy Working Group and Women in Leadership. Refreshments will be served.
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Development Policy in the Wake of the Global Crisis: The Challenge of Financial Inclusion
When: Tuesday, April 19, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Where: 1512 IAB
"Financial inclusion" has become a priority issue for the Group of 20. This reflects a growing awareness of the failure to provide access to finance for the vast majority of individuals and enterprises in developing countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises are part of the "missing middle" between some poor household enterprises served by microfinance institutions, and elites and large businesses served by commercial banks. Greater access by SMEs to finance is a key catalyst for development and poverty reduction, but this requires a much more proactive role for national development banks and government policies in general.
Roy Culpeper was President of The North-South Institute, a development policy think-tank in Ottawa, between 1995 and 2010. He is the author of numerous publications on international finance and the reform of global economic governance. Before joining the Institute, his work experience included positions in the Canadian Department of Finance, the Department of External Affairs and International Trade and the World Bank. He is currently Fulbright Canada Visiting Research Chair at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, Senior Fellow at the University of Ottawa, and Distinguished Research Fellow at The North-South Institute. Dr. Culpeper is a graduate of the University of Toronto where he received his PhD in Economics.
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Approaches to Professionalism in the Face of Mismanagement or Corruption in Developing Countries
When: Wednesday, April 13, 12:30-2:00pm
Where: 409 IAB
Refreshments will be provided.
Efforts to help developing countries move forward frequently fail because they inadequately respond to the prevalence of mismanagement or corruption. International agencies tend to emphasize staffing with technically proficient personnel who deal with their developing country clients primarily in a language of economic rationality. Despite the existence of anticorruption units, far more needs to be done to both require and assist with governance reforms that are preconditions to development in countries troubled by corruption. This talk will review attempts by the author to plan for major transportation improvements together with governance reforms in Mauritius and Bangladesh while working for those countries' national governments as a World Bank funded transport adviser. It will discuss the problems encountered and propose new approaches to professionalism in development that promise greater effectiveness in assisting countries with governance problems and promoting their successful development.
Jonathan Richmond completed his Phd in Transportation Planning at MIT, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He served as adviser to the Chair of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and held a number of academic positions during which he produced two books, one on the role of myth in planning transportation in Los Angeles, the other on the privatization of US public transportation services. He has worked in a number of international environments as an adviser to governments in Bangladesh, Mauritius, Singapore, and the UAE. Most recently, he has focused on both the planning and development of improved public transportation services and the implementation of reforms to improve governance in challenging developing country situations.
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The Quality of Latin American Democracy: A Citizen’s Agenda
The EPD concentration and ILAS are pleased to present Gabriel Murillo-Castaño for a talk entitled "The Quality of Latin American Democracy: A Citizen's Agenda"
When: Wednesday, April 6, 12:00-1:45pm
Where: 802 IAB
Refreshments will be provided
Gabriel Murillo-Castaño is a Colombian Political Scientist from the University of Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. He has an MA degree in Political Science from the University of New York at Buffalo and is also a SPURS-Fellow from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, in Cambridge. He is a retired Professor from the Department of Political Science at the University of Los Andes, where he was chairman for 13 years. His research interests and publications focus on political parties, elections, democratic theory and governance, citizenship, political participation, civil society and public deliberation. He has been a visiting professor and lecturer in universities around the world, including the United States, Spain, Italy, Mexico and many other countries in Latin America. Professor Murillo-Castaño has served as an advisor and consultant at several multilateral organizations and international foundations including the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, the United Nations Development Program, the Ford Foundation, the Kettering Foundation, and the International Foundation for Election Systems, among others. He is a founding member of the Inter-American Network for Democracy and coordinates projects on Colombia for the Active Democracy Network project; he also consults on issues of democratic strengthening for various international entities. He is a member of the Colombian task force working toward the creation of the first Statutory Law on citizen participation.
Professor Murillo has been actively involved in the planning process of the Project on Democratic Strengthening in Colombia. This endeavor is coordinated by UNDP-Colombia, in partnership with the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy. The project will work in collaboration with Colombian official entities, political parties, Congress, public corporations, civil society organizations, and citizens at the local and national levels. To achieve its main objectives, the project will emphasize four main axes of work; representativeness, quality of democracy, transparency, and citizenship.
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Social Enterprise Lecture Series: Poor as Customer, Donor as Investor, the State as "Gardener"
When: Tuesday, April 5, 6:00-8:00pm
Where: 1501 IAB
The speaker series was organized in order to explore cross-disciplinary perspectives and strategies on how to harness market forces for social impact, and improve existing aid distribution systems to promote more efficient and sustainable economic, social and political outcomes for the world’s poor.
This panel, entitled "Poor as Customer, Donor as Investor, the State as Gardener" will feature Paul Light, Professor, Paulette Goddard Professor of Public Service, NYU Wagner School of Public Service; Paul Bloom, Adjunct Professor of Social Entrepreneurship and Marketing and Faculty Director, Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship; and Brett Smith, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Founding Director, Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Miami University. The discussion will be moderated by Jose Antonio Ocampo, Professor and Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA and Casey Gheen, Co-founder/CEO Avana Microinsurance, Consulting Director, Advisory Services at Mission Markets and SIPA Alum.
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Work after Globalization: Building Occupational Citizenship
When: Monday, April 4, 12:30-2:00pm
Where: 1512 IAB
Refreshments will be provided.
In this ground-breaking book, Guy Standing offers a new perspective on work and citizenship, rejecting the labourist orientation of the 20th century.
Karl Polanyi’s The Great Transformation marked the rise of industrial citizenship, which hinged on fictitious labour commodification. Since the 1970s, this has collapsed and a global transformation is underway, leading to the emergence of a global ‘precariat’ amid unsustainable inequalities and insecurities. Guy Standing argues against paternalistic policy responses to the problems caused by globalization and in favour of an egalitarian strategy to build occupational citizenship. This would be based on a universal right to basic income security and institutions enabling all forms of work, including care work, to flourish. The book also explores a phasing out of labour law and a re-orientation of collective bargaining towards ‘collaborative bargaining’, recognising the importance of relationships between groups of workers and citizens as well as between workers and capital.
Guy Standing is Professor of Economic Security at the University of Bath and a founder member and co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), a non-governmental organization that promotes a citizenship income for all. He was formerly director of the ILO's Socio-Economic Security Programme.
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23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism
Where: 1512 IAB
When: Tuesday, March 22, 12:00-2:00pm
The Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA is pleased to present a brown bag lecture with Ha-Joon Chang to discuss his book "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism."
We may like or dislike capitalism, but surely we all know how it works. Right? Wrong. Today, most arguments about capitalism are dominated by free-market ideology and unfounded assumptions that parade as ‘facts’. With the help of the ‘Dead Presidents’ on the dollar bills, Walt Disney’s Rescuers, an Indian bus driver named Ram, and sheep-burning French farmers, Ha-Joon Chang’s new book, 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism (Bloomsbury USA, January 2011), tell the story of capitalism as it is and shows how capitalism as we know it can be, and should be, made better.
Born in South Korea, Ha-Joon Chang is a specialist in development economics and Reader in the Political Economy of Development at the University of Cambridge. In 2005, Chang was awarded the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. He is author of Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective (2002), which won the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize, and Bad Samaritans: Rich Nations, Poor Policies and the Threat to the Developing World (2007).
Refreshments will be provided.
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Social Enterprise Lecture Series: Sustainable Social Enterprises & Pro-poor Growth
Where: 1512 IAB
When: Thursday, March 10, 6:00-8:00pm
Please join the Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA, Columbia University's Earth Institute, and the Committee on Global Thought as we present the second event in our Spring Speaker Series on Social Enterprise and Development entitled "Social Enterprise and the Relationship Between Markets, State, and Society: Are There Limits to Market-based Approaches to Development?"
The speaker series was organized in order to explore cross-disciplinary perspectives and strategies on how to harness market forces for social impact, and improve existing aid distribution systems to promote more efficient and sustainable economic, social and political outcomes for the world’s poor.
This panel, entitled "Sustainable Social Enterprises & Pro-poor Growth" will feature Jeffrey Robinson, Professor, Rutgers University and Zachary Kaufman, Attorney and Professor at George Washington University; Moderated by Akbar Noman, Professor and Visiting Fellow with the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University and David Lavin, Master of International Affairs Candidate, Economic and Political Development Concentration, SIPA.
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Gender Mainstreaming at the Asian Development Bank: An Insider's Perspective
Where: 1512 IAB
When: Monday, February 28, 1:00-2:30pm
The Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA is pleased to present Shireen Lateef, Senior Gender Advisor, Asian Development Bank, and the main driver of ADB's work on gender and development for over 15 years for a talk entitled "Gender Mainstreaming at the Asian Development Bank: An Insider's Perspective"
Refreshments will be served.
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Gender Equality and Women's Rights in Georgia: Opportunities and Challenges
Where: 1219 IAB
When: Thursday, February 24, 12:30-2:00pm
The Economic and Political Development Concentration and the Harriman Institute are pleased to present Rusudan Kervalishvili, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia and Chair of the Gender Advisory Council for a talk entitled "Gender Equality and Women's Rights in Georgia: Opportunities and Challenges."
The discussant will be Lika Nadaraia, founder of the Women's Political Resource Center, a leading women's rights organization in Georgia, and a member of the Gender Advisory Council of Georgia.
Refreshments will be provided.
Rusudan Kervalishvili has been deputy chair of the Georgian parliament and head of Georgia's Gender Advisory Council since 2008. Previously, she practiced medicine with a specialization in reproductive health, and worked with a number of private sector and non-government organizations.
_______________________________________________________________________________Social Enterprise and Development Lecture Series "Social Enterprise and the Relationship Between Markets, State, and Society: Are There Limits to Market-based Approaches to Development?," with Dr. Alex Nicholls and Tony Barclay.
Moderated by Jose Antonio Ocampo and Karina Nagin
Where: 1501 IAB
When: Thursday, February 17th, 6:00-8:00pm
A reception will immediately follow the event.
Please join the Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA, Columbia University's Earth Institute, and the Committee on Global Thought as we present the first event in our Spring Speaker Series on Social Enterprise and Development entitled "Social Enterprise and the Relationship Between Markets, State, and Society: Are There Limits to Market-based Approaches to Development?"
The speaker series was organized in order to explore cross-disciplinary perspectives and strategies on how to harness market forces for social impact, and improve existing aid distribution systems to promote more efficient and sustainable economic, social and political outcomes for the world’s poor.
The first panel, entitled “Locating Social Enterprise in Development”, will feature Dr. Alex Nicholls, Professor, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Said Business School, University of Oxford; Tony Barclay, Professor, Earth Institute, Columbia University and Former CEO of DAI. The event will be co-moderated by Jose Antonio Ocampo, Director, Economic and Political Development Concentration, SIPA, Columbia University and Karina Nagin, Master of International Affairs Candidate, Economic and Political Development Concentration, SIPA.
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"IMF Reform: How much was achieved and how much remains?," with Mr. Amar Bhattacharya. Discussant, Jose Antonio Ocampo.
Where: 411 IAB
When: Thursday, February 10, 6:00-8:00pm
The Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA is pleased to present Mr. Amar Bhattacharya, Director of the Secretariat of the Group of 24, for a lecture entitled "IMF Reform: How much was achieved and how much remains?" Discussant, Jose Antonio Ocampo, Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA.
Mr. Amar Bhattacharya is Director of the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four on International Monetary Affairs and Development. The G24 Secretariat serves the G24 Finance Ministers and their officials in the deliberations and work program of the Group and interface with other bodies including the G20. Prior to taking up his current position, Mr. Bhattacharya had a long-standing career in the World Bank. In his last position, he was advisor to the President and Senior Management on the Bank's engagement with key international groupings and institutions including the IMF, G7, G20, OECD and Financial Stability Forum. He has had a long standing engagement with issues of global governance and reform of the international financial as well as aid architecture. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Delhi and Brandeis University and his graduate education at Princeton University.
José Antonio Ocampo is a Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and director, Economic and Political Development Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. He will teach courses in the PhD program in Sustainable Development and is a member of Columbia's Committee on Global Thought.
Prior to his appointment, Professor Ocampo served in a number of positions in the United Nations and the Government of Colombia, most notably as United Nations Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs; Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Chairman of the Board of Banco del República (Central Bank of Colombia); Director, National Planning Department (Minister of Planning); Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Board of Banco Cafetero (Coffee Bank) and Caja de Crèdito Agraria, Industrial y Minera (Agrarian Bank) and Executive Director, FEDESARROLLO. Dr. Ocampo received his BA in Economics and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and his PhD in Economics from Yale University, 1976. He was a Professor in the Advanced Programme on Rethinking Development Economics at Cambridge University, a Professor of Economics at Universidad de los Andes, a Professor of Economic History at the National University of Colombia, as well as a Visiting Fellow at Yale and Oxford.
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"The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development" Featuring Francisco Rodriguez, Head of the Research Team, UNDP Human Development Report. Moderated by Jose Antonio Ocampo. Discussants include Jenny McGill and Eric Verhoogen.
When: Thursday, February 4, 6:00-8:00pm
Where: 1501 IAB
The Economic and Political Development Concentration is excited to present the UNDP Human Development Report 2010 - 20th Anniversary Edition, "The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development". Please join us for a conversation with Francisco Rodriguez, Head of the Research Team, UNDP Human Development Report. Moderated by Jose Antonio Ocampo. Discussants include Jenny McGill and Eric Verhoogen. A reception will immediately follow the event.
Francisco Rodriguez, the Head of the Research Team for the Human Development Report, has extensive academic and teaching experience in the field of political economy and economic growth. Prior to joining UNDP, he held teaching positions at Wesleyan University, Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración, University of Maryland, and Harvard University. He has also served as Chief Economist for the Economic and Financial Advisory Office to the National Assembly of Venezuela and as Economic Affairs Officer for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations. Mr. Rodriguez holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University and is a Permanent Faculty Participant at the Growth Lab of the Center for International Development at Harvard University.
José Antonio Ocampo is a Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and director, Economic and Political Development Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. He will teach courses in the PhD program in Sustainable Development and is a member of Columbia's Committee on Global Thought.
Prior to his appointment, Professor Ocampo served in a number of positions in the United Nations and the Government of Colombia, most notably as United Nations Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs; Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Chairman of the Board of Banco del República (Central Bank of Colombia); Director, National Planning Department (Minister of Planning); Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Board of Banco Cafetero (Coffee Bank) and Caja de Crèdito Agraria, Industrial y Minera (Agrarian Bank) and Executive Director, FEDESARROLLO.
Eugenia McGill is a Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs at SIPA, where she directs the Workshop in Applied Development, teaches the fall semester course on Methods for Development Practice, and co-teaches the spring semester course on Gender, Politics and Development. A lawyer and development specialist, she also consults with development agencies, governments and nongovernmental organizations on social policy, law and development issues. Some of her recent work has included a review of gender-related progress toward the Millennium Development Goals in Asia (part of a larger regional study), a gender analysis of trade laws and policies in Bangladesh (for the US Agency for International Development), and development of a gender, law and policy toolkit (for the Asian Development Bank).
Eric Verhoogen is an Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs and Economics. His main research area is industrial development – applied microeconomic research on firms in developing countries. This area overlaps with the fields of development economics, international trade, labor economics, and industrial organization. A recurrent theme in his work is the process of quality upgrading in the manufacturing sectors of developing countries – its causes, consequences, and broader implications. Verhoogen holds a BA from Harvard College (1991), an MA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2001), and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (2004).
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The UNDP and the Organization for American States Report "Democracy in Latin America." Presented by Dante Caputo and Jose Antonio Ocampo. Moderated by Dean John Coatsworth. Discussant: Victoria Murillo.
Where: 1501 IAB
When: Thursday, January 27, 6:00-8:00pm
The Economic and Political Development Concentration and the Institute of Latin American Studies are excited to present the UNDP and the Organization for American States Report "Democracy in Latin America." Presented by Dante Caputo, Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs for the Organization for American States and Jose Antonio Ocampo, Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at Columbia University. Discussant,Victoria Murillo, Associate Professor at Columbia University. Moderated by Dean John Coatsworth, Dean of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Refreshments will be provided.
Dante Caputo is currently the Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs for the Organization for the American States. He has been a major presence in international politics since he began working as a consultant for the Organization of American States in 1968. In 1973 he was appointed Director of the Contra for Social Investigations on States and Administration in Argentina. From 1983 until 1989, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina under President Raúl Alfonsín. During this term, Mr. Caputo negotiated the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984, a settlement ending the Beagle Channel conflict between Argentina and Chile. In 1988 he presided over the 43rd session of the UN General Assembly. Mr. Caputo currently is a member of the Council of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights of Argentina and continues his work at the Organization of American States as a sub-secretary. Mr. Caputo has also taught at numerous universities, including University del Salvador, University of Paris, University of Quilmes and University of La Plata.
José Antonio Ocampo is a Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and director, Economic and Political Development Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. Prior to his appointment, Professor Ocampo served in a number of positions in the United Nations and the Government of Colombia, most notably as United Nations Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs; Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Chairman of the Board of Banco del República (Central Bank of Colombia); Director, National Planning Department (Minister of Planning); Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Board of Banco Cafetero (Coffee Bank) and Caja de Crèdito Agraria, Industrial y Minera (Agrarian Bank) and Executive Director, FEDESARROLLO.
Dean John Coatsworth has served as Dean of the Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs since 2008. Prior to his appointment as Dean, Coatsworth served as Interim Dean (2007–2008) and as visiting professor (2006–2007).
Dean Coatsworth previously served as the Monroe Gutman Professor of Latin American Affairs at Harvard University (1992–2007), and was founding director of Harvard's David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. He also chaired the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies. Prior to his work at Harvard, Coatsworth was a member of the faculty at the University of Chicago (1969–1992). Other academic posts have included visiting professorships at El Colegio de México, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the National University of Buenos Aires, the Instituto Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, and the Instituto Ortega y Gassett in Madrid. Dean Coatsworth is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of Directors of the Tinker Foundation, and numerous professional associations. He is president of the Latin American Studies Association and former president of the American Historical Association. Coatsworth has served on the editorial boards of numerous scholarly journals including the American Historical Review, the Journal of Economic History, the Hispanic American Historical Review, and other social science and history journals published in Great Britain, Germany, Mexico, Peru, and Spain. In 1986, Dean Coatsworth was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. He has served as Senior Fulbright Lecturer three times (for appointments in Argentina and Mexico), and has received numerous research and institutional grants from public agencies and private foundations. He has also acted as consultant for program design or review to numerous U.S. universities and private foundations. Dean Coatsworth received his BA in History from Wesleyan University, and his MA and PhD in Economic History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
María Victoria Murillo is an Associate Professor at Columbia University where she has a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and the School of International and Public Affairs. Murillo's research on distributive politics in Latin America has covered labor politics and labor regulations, public utility reform, education reform, and economic policy more generally. Her work on political parties analyzes both their coalitional and policy implications as well as their linkages with voters in new democracies. Her empirical work is based on a variety of methods ranging from quantitative analysis of datasets built for all Latin American countries to qualitative field work in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela and survey and experiments in Argentina and Chile.
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FALL 2010
WIDER Annual Lecture 14: "Reforming the International Monetary and Financial Architecture," with José Antonio Ocampo
Where: UN Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB), New York, N.Y., USA (enter at the visitors' entrance at 1st Av. and 46th St.)
Date: 9 December 2010 10:00 - 12:30
Pre-registration is required.
In order to register and secure access to the venue of the meeting, please complete the process by filling the form on website, http://rimfa1.eventbrite.com , provided by UNU Office, New York.
Background: Amidst still unsettled financial times, international monetary and financial system reforms are at the center of global debates. Professor Ocampo looks at the reform agenda from developing countries’ perspective in the UNU-WIDER 14th Annual Lecture. He elaborates that global governance must design a system that not only provides the global public goods necessary to guarantee global macroeconomic financial stability and balanced growth, but also corrects asymmetries that developing countries face under the current architecture.
José Antonio Ocampo is professor and director at the Economic and Political Development Program at the School of International and Public Affairs, and Fellow of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University. He has occupied numerous positions within the UN, including co-director of the UNDP-OAS Project, ‘Agenda for a Citizens' Democracy in Latin America’, Member of the Commission of Experts of the UN General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System, and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. He has received numerous distinctions, including the 2008 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought, and the 1988 Alejandro Angel Escobar National Science Award of Colombia. Published extensively, his latest books are Growth and Policy in Developing Countries: A Structuralist Approach, with Lance Taylor and Codrina Rada (2009); and Time for a Visible Hand: Lessons from the 2008 World Financial Crisis, edited with Stephany Griffith-Jones and Joseph E. Stiglitz (2010). Professor Ocampo is from Colombia, and holds a PhD in Economics from Yale University.
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EPD Fall Festival
When: Mon, Nov 15th at 7pm
Where: 6th Floor Lounge
Entry: 3 canned goods OR 2 articles of clothing
This year we are combining the fall festival with a food + clothing drive where you can donate canned goods and old clothes. Proceeds will go to a local charity in the New York area. Additionally, EPD would like to welcome the colorful season with pumpkin pie, cider, pizza and other goodies.
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“Implementing Social Policy in Colombia, Results and Challenges” with Diego Molano.
Date: Tuesday, November 9
Time: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Location: Room 1512 IAB
Lunch will be served
Please join the EPD concentration for a brown bag with DIEGO MOLANO, High Presidential Commissioner for Social Action and International Cooperation, Colombia.
Diego Andres Molano Aponte is the current High Presidential Commissioner for Social Action and International Cooperation. Among his duties are directing the most important social programs of the Colombian Government, coordinating the International Cooperation in Colombia and directing the Interagency Coordination regarding issues of Social Policy. His talk will focus on the evolution on the implementation of Social Policy in Colombia and the construction of a Social Protection System to protect people living in extreme poverty or in situation of vulnerability.He majored in business administration in the Rosario University in Bogotá, Colombia, where he is an Associate professor and researcher in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, has a diploma on International Integration from Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia, and a Master in Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, in New York, U.S.A. He has been distinguished by the School of International and Public Affairs with the Harvey Picker award for his commitment with public affairs as well as for his academic performance.
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Information & Communication Technology Lecture Series: Mobile Money & mHealth with Menekse Gencer and discussant Patricia Mechael
When: November 4, 6:10-7:10pm
Where: 413 IAB
The EPD concentration and the New Media Task Force present the second in our ongoing lecture series on Information and Communication Technologies and Development with a talk by Menekse Genser on "Mobile Money and mHealth". Menekse Gencer will present the results of research conducted to map out the intersection between Mobile Money and mHealth. Menekse founded mPay Connect, a consulting service for clients seeking to launch mobile payments. Her consulting service advises banks, mobile network operators, and third parties on go-to-market-strategy, product design, and business development. Her market expertise extends from North America to emerging markets such as Bangladesh and sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to founding mPay Connect, Menekse led PayPal Mobile’s Business Development efforts in North America for two years.
Dr. Patricia Mechael is the Director of Strategic Application of Mobile Technology for Public Health and Development at the Center for Global Health and Economic Development at the Earth Institute, Columbia University. She has been actively involved in the field of International Health for 15 years with field experience in over 30 countries primarily in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. She has a Masters in International Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene (1998) and a PhD in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2006), where she specifically examined the role of mobile phones in relation to health in Egypt.
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Capital Markets for Social Good
When: November 3, 6:00-7:00pm
Where: 311 Warren Hall
Join Professor Durreen Shahnaz for a talk on how she is linking social enterprises to impact investors in Asia. Professor Shahnaz is the Founder and Chairperson of Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX) in Singapore. The IIX aims to provide Social Enterprises in Asia with greater access to capital, allowing them to more rapidly expand the impact of their activities. For more information, visit www.asiaiix.com. Professor Shahnaz is also the Head of Program on Social Innovation and Change, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. She was recently nominated as a 2010 TED Fellow.
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EPD Committee Meeting
When: October 26, 1:00-2:00pm
Where: 1302
EPD Committees: We have begun forming the EPD committees and contacting people regarding projects. The committees so far are: Community Service, Education, Arts, Local Unrest, Entrepreneurship and Economics, and Communications. Those interested in becoming involved, following up on their previous ideas, or contributing new ideas.
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Launch of Information and Communication Technology Speaker Series
When: October 13, 12:30-2:00pm
Where: Room 1302 IAB
Please join the New Media Task Force, Economic and Political Development Concentration and the IMAC specialization for its latest panel on the ICTs and development. The speakers are working on some exciting projects using mobile technology to engage communities in development projects.
Panelists will include:
• Eric Cantor, Director of AppLab, an initiative of Grameen Foundation Grameen
Foundation's AppLab works to promote innovation in the provision of services and
information using mobile phones and other ICTs (Information and Communication
Technologies) to alleviate poverty in the developing world.
• Erica Kochi, UNICEF: Erica Kochi works on UNICEF's partnership with Tostan, an
organization whose mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable
development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights through
community empowerment programs.
• Yanis Ben Amor, the Earth Institute: Yanis Ben Amor works on HIV/AIDS and TB
projects with the Earth Institute
• Casey Liams-Hauser, current SIPA student: Casey worked this summer to help launch
a PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission) Child County module in Kenya. Read
one of his recent blog posts on the project: http://www.childcount.org/2010/08/17/using-childcount-to-strengthen-m...
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EPD Committee Meeting
When: September 28, 1:00-2:00pm
Where: 1302 IAB
Looking to make the most of your academic and social opportunities? Why not kill two birds with one stone and get involved in EPD. Yes, it is actually possible to have fun while still having opportunities to satiate your academic curiosity and give back to the community.
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Meet the Professors Happy Hour
When: September 26, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Where: Havana Central
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EPD Retreat
When: Saturday September, 25 to Sunday September 26
Where: Circle Lodge/Camp Kinder Ring, Hopewell Junction, NY
Spend a weekend by the lake, in the mountains with your fellow EPDers. Learn more about the EPD concentration, events, curriculum and much more. Sign up in the EPD office during office hours, Room 1305, you must pay to register ($60, linens are $5 extra). Transportation, food and lodging are included in the price.
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“Favela Rising” Success stories from Brazil
When: September 21, 1:00-3:00pm
Where: 1512 IAB
Cultural Group Afro Reggae (CGAR) is a Brazilian non-governmental organization that offers alternatives to crime and drugs to youths from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and other cities in Brazil through cultural activities. Most famous outside of Brazil through the award winning documentary “favela rising” or through the award winning touring bands in Europe. Since its founding in 1993 Afro Reggae has enjoyed great success in expanding its activities and attracting significant funding and attention from the international community. Afro Reggae currently has over 70 projects underway including ten musical bands, two circus groups, one theater troup and two dance groups. Beyond this Afro Reggae runs programs that work with large companies to find appropriate employment for former inmates and trust building exercises between young police officers and adolescents in the communities. In recent years, CGAR has focused more on Bottom of the Pyramid economic strategies, and has had great success in helping large multi-national corporations establish retail outlets in the favelas.
Luís Roberto Pires Ferreira (Beto) will give a presentation detailing the rapid growth of Afro Reggae, its successes and challenges, the unique social technology Afro Reggae has developed and its plans for the future. Food and drink will be served.
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UN Studies Program & EPD Panel: Reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015
When: September 16th, at 6:30 PM
Where:1501 IAB
Shortly before the high level Debate of the UN General Assembly, the United Nations Studies Program and Economic and Political Development Concentration invites you to a Panel on:
“Reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015”
Can we keep the promise? Can we uphold the dream?
The Panel will cover a wide range of topics, such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender, energy, etc.
Speakers:
· Kandeh K Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO
· Jomo Sundaram, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs
· Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning, Office of the Executive Office of the Secretary General
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EPD Concentration Happy Hour
When: September 1, 5:00-7:00pm
Where: Bistro Ten 18
The EPD concentration Happy Hour will allow you to meet and greet with your fellow first year students.
For a listing of all events at SIPA this semester, please visit the SIPA calendar online.