FEBRUARY 17, 2007 – Mexico

Please join BIAHC at the Bainbridge Public Library (1270 Madison Ave. N.) on Saturday, February 17, from 9 – 10:30 a.m. for coffee, refreshments, a 30-minute video, and a Great Decisions community discussion on this timely issue.

Great Decisions is a nation-wide, non-partisan program of the Foreign Policy Association to broaden public involvement with the most important foreign policy issues facing the United States. For information, go to www.fpa.org

The February 17 topic is “Mexico." After a painful presidential election and a drawn-out dispute over the ballot count, Mexico's new president took office with a raft of tensions and hot-button issues on his plate. What does Felipe Calderón's victory mean for U.S.-Mexico relations? And how will his new Mexican administration tackle immigration, free trade, and drug trafficking with the United States?

The discussion will be moderated by Bainbridge resident Larry Kerr, who served as Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City from 1998 – 2002, and earlier as Vice Consul in Guadalajara, Mexico. Last spring, he taught American Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs at the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico. He has a MS in International Relations.

To assist with advance preparation, please review the relevant pages of the Great Decisions Briefing Book. A copy of the Briefing Book is also available at the library for photo-copying.

Great Decisions Briefing Book:
To assist with advance preparation, please review the relevant chapter in the Great Decisions Briefing Book. Copies of the Briefing Book are available at the Bainbridge Public Library, or can be purchased from BIAHC for $15.

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Recommended backround readings:

Calderon’s Big Agenda for Mexico. A three-part series from the Christian Science Monitor takes a look at Felipe Calderon's agenda for Mexico. Mexico's new president is tackling some of the country's toughest problems, but what will it take to succeed?

Part I: "With Calderón in, a new war on Mexico's mighty drug cartels."  Jan. 22, 2007. www.csmonitor.com

Part II: "Calderón's challenge: Confronting monopolies."  Jan. 23, 2007. www.csmonitor.com

Part III: "Wealth gap tests Mexico's conservative new leader." Jan. 24, 2007. www.csmonitor.com

Crime in Mexico: The tough get going. The Economist. Jan. 25, 2007. www.economist.com

County Briefing – Mexico.  Links to other recent articles and resources from The Economist magazine. www.economist.com

The remaining discussions are scheduled to take place at the library on March 17 & 31, April 14 & 28, and May 12 & 26, with each date's topic selected at the preceding discussion.

Future topics are:
The Middle East
Climate Change
South Africa
War Crimes
Central Asia
Children

For more information, or to be added to the Great Decisions Email list, contact BIAHC at 206.842.7901 or admin@artshum.org.

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