The University of Notre Dame will host an event Jan. 12 (Thursday) in Chicago that will bring together the presidents of Mexico鈥檚 seven major political parties to share their visions for that country鈥檚 future in dialogue with leading experts from area universities. Topics on the agenda will include the economy, security, education and democracy.
Sponsored by Mexico鈥檚 (IFE)鈥攖he autonomous public organization that runs Mexico鈥檚 federal elections鈥攑articipants will speak on the challenges that face Mexico on the eve of the 2012 elections. The first-ever event of its kind will take place at the University鈥檚 satellite campus in Chicago (Santa Fe Building, Notre Dame Executive MBA Offices, 224 South Michigan Ave., Chicago).
The event, titled 鈥淐onstructing Mexican Democracy,鈥� was organized by Notre Dame鈥檚 and (ILS). Known for its expertise on democratization in Latin America, the Kellogg Institute has a long-standing interest in the evolution of Mexican democracy. The ILS specializes in immigration issues.
鈥淒iscussions of this type lead to the transparency that is so essential to democracy,鈥� says Kellogg Institute director and political scientist .
IFE council member , who chairs the effort to engage Mexican citizens living abroad and is a former Kellogg visiting fellow, agrees.
鈥淭he fact that representatives of political parties will take part in this forum is evidence of an underlying shift in Mexican politics, whereby important actors no longer shy away from international scrutiny and exposure,鈥� he says.
鈥淭his is only the second election in which Mexicans living abroad have been able to cast absentee votes. IFE is sponsoring this event in part to promote participation in elections in Mexico and abroad,鈥� points out Kellogg Institute Faculty Fellow , one of the event鈥檚 organizers. The associate director of the Institute for Latino 91视频, Brown-Gort studies the political views of fellow Mexican nationals living in the United States.
鈥淭his is an unmatched opportunity for those of us who are interested in modern Mexico to capture the full range of political opinion,鈥� says Notre Dame historian , who co-chairs the . The group took the lead in bringing the IFE to Chicago.
The Kellogg Institute plays a vital role in Notre Dame鈥檚 efforts to increase its international profile through research, collaborative projects and strategic relationships with global partners. The ILS, which maintains a Center for Metropolitan Chicago Initiatives, recently released 鈥�,鈥� based on the latest census data.
Collaborating on the event are the Katz Center for Mexican 91视频 at the University of Chicago, the Center for Latino Research at DePaul University, the Latino/a 91视频 Program at Northwestern University, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago.
Click for event schedule.
Contact: Allert Brown-Gort, 574-631-3787, abrowngo@nd.edu