Food insecurity is an urgent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and the LAC region’s susceptibility to food insecurity is poised to worsen with the accelerating effects of climate change. Food insecurity is not in itself a phenomenon that necessitates a military response. Indeed, food insecurity is “not” a traditional security threat to territorial borders and national sovereignty. Rather, it should be seen as an amplifier of political, economic, social, and ecological strain and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malign actors and, thus, contributing to heightened security concerns. In this view, investments in food security should be considered as necessary, proactive, and preventative security measures, in support of civilian government agencies and the private and nonprofit sectors. Through a limited role focused on humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and interagency and international collaboration, the United States can leverage the capacities and resources of the DOD to support its regional partners in combating food insecurity. Anything less would risk losing a strategic, humanitarian, and moral imperative.
A review of Yale University professor Yanilda Maria Garcia’s book Authoritarian Police in Democracy, Contested Security in Latin America. Focuses on obstacles and enablers of police reform through field research in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.
This chapter explores how a commitment to experiential learning, especially via study abroad and academic field studies, can unlock new forms of knowledge and help to expand learning and research opportunities for faculty and students alike. Authors engage the relevant literature and share insights gleaned from their own experiences in diverse teaching contexts, which include extended semester- and year-long study abroad programs, shorter-term academic field studies, and emergency adaptations amid a global pandemic environment. In each case, they highlight how respectful teacher-student interplay and shared critical reflection on the desired outcomes serve to enrich mutual learning and scholarship in areas linked to international relations.
Hamilton, M., Almeida, K. "Living Our Learning: Transformative Impacts of Study Abroad and Field Studies for Students and Faculty." In The Palgrave Handbook of Teaching and Research in Political Science, by Butcher, C., Bhasin, T., Gordon, E., Hallward, M.C. (eds.), 245-257. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2023.
Only Available Commercially
The William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies and the George Washington University Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute hosted a joint online event honoring Richard Cavazos, the first four-star Army General of Hispanic heritage, for whom the third largest US military base was recently renamed. Perry Center Professor Dr. Arturo Sotomayor moderated a conversation with US Navy Admiral (ret.) Michelle Howard, chairwoman of the Renaming Commission and the first African-American woman to command a US Navy ship.
Authors William Godnick and Iñaki Aguerreche assembled a thorough investigation and analysis on the occurrence of military interventions in the prison system in Latin America and the Caribbean. This insightful portrayal of the reality of prisons in many countries is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding this problem in the region.
This Occasional Paper is an english-language translation of Godnick’s and Aguerreche’s research which originally appeared in Fuerza pública en América Latina: Sus retos y buenas prácticas a la luz de la democracia y los derechos humanos (Public Forces in Latin America: Challenges and Good Practices in the Light of Democracy and Human Rights), published by the University of Guadalajara Press in 2022.
Perry Center Research Associate Chase Boone worked on the English translation.
