On August 27 and 28, the CHDS Peruvian Alumni Association held their third annual conference on hemispheric defense and security. Major General (ret.) Jorge Chavez, president of the association, delivered the opening address, inviting the participants to put into practice the ideas and proposals generated throughout the conference. General Chavez, who recently took over the presidency, celebrated the fact that the association is fulfilling its mission to foster further learning and professional enhancement based on what is covered in CHDS courses. More than 200 individuals from both the private and public sectors participated in the conference, representing the armed forces and many different universities and think tanks.

At the request of the association, CHDS professors Manuel Lora, Alejandro Arbeláez and Operations Chief Michael Borders participated in the conference and gave presentations. There were also presentations given by conference attendants from Colombia, México, Israel, and Perú. The speakers discussed a broad range of topics related to security and defense in the hemisphere, which generated an intense discussion with audience members. Chavez promised to continue efforts to explore topics of security and defense following the success of the conference. Representing CHDS Director Dr. Richard Downie, Professor Manuel Lora closed the conference by congratulating the association, which in little more than four years has organized three interesting and widely attended conferences.