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The National Endowment for Democracy
cordially invites you to a panel discussion entitled
Democracy and Insecurity in Central America: The Role of the Armed Forces
Featuring
Marcela Donadio Executive Secretary of Red Seguridad de Seguridad y Defensa de América Latina (RESDAL)
Stephen Johnson Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Javier Meléndez Founder, Instituto de Estudios de Estratégicos y Políticas Públicas (IEEPP)
Juan Rial Political Analyst and Member of RESDAL
moderated by Director, Latin American and the Caribbean, NED
Thursday, June 30, 2011
If you are unable to join us, watch the event live here
Crime and insecurity represent the main challenge to democratic governance in Central America. According to the World Bank the region has homicide rates more than three times the world average and seven points higher than the rest of Latin America. Furthermore, organized crime and narcotrafficking have penetrated government institutions escalating levels of corruption and impunity. In a spiral of insecurity and rising economic costs, governments in the region have resorted to increasing the presence and reach of the armed forces through actions such as joint military-police patrols or passing legal reforms. The panel will address questions such as: What consequences do high levels of insecurity have for democratic stability? What do militarization policies mean for democracy and governance? What role does civil society play in civilian oversight of the armed forces and in policy proposal and oversight? How can governments tap into innovative policy recommendations from civil society organizations?
About the speakers:
Marcela Donadio is the Executive Secretary for the Latin American Security and Defense Network (RESDAL). She has authored several publications on security and defense, which have appeared in national and international journals. She was the coordinator for a UNDP project for the Homeland Security Council in Argentina and she currently directs RESDAL projects including "Comparative Atlas of Defense in Latin America," "Women in the Armed Forces and Police in Latin America: a Gender-based Approach to Peacekeeping Operations," "Institutional Strengthening of Public Security in Central America," and "Military Training and Education: the Future Officers and Democracy," among others.
Stephen Johnson is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC-based think tank. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Johnson served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs. He oversaw the development and execution of policies, strategies, and programs governing hemispheric defense and security ties, involving two regional combat commands and three military academic institutions. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, he served in the Office of Public Affairs of the Secretary of the Air Force and at U.S. Southern Command. Javier Meléndez founded the Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policies (Instituto de Estudios Estratégicos y Políticas Públicas, IEEPP), an independent Nicaraguan think-tank and advocacy organization dedicated to security reform and public sector transparency. As the Executive Director of IEEPP until 2009, he led investigations on security sector reform measures in Nicaragua and throughout Central America. He has also served as an advisor to the Nicaraguan Defense Ministry and helped organize the citizen consultation process for the white paper on Nicaragua's Defense and National Security. Mr. Meléndez has published widely on defense, public security, international affairs, organized crime and public sector transparency.
Juan Rial is a Uruguayan political scientist, who has worked as the co-coordinator of the Civil-Military Relations in Latin America Project involving American University and Peitho. Recently, he has worked as a consultant to international organizations such as the United Nations Development Program, the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Organization of American States and IDEA International. He has been a Professor of political science at the Universidad de la República and Universidad ORT, both in Montevideo, Uruguay. Mr. Rial has published several books and more than a hundred articles on democracy, institution building, security and defense in many specialized publications.
Moderated by: Miriam Kornblith is a Venezuelan Sociologist and Political Scientist. She developed her academic career as a professor and researcher at of the Institute of Political Studies at the Central University of Venezuela. Kornblith's study of the contemporary Venezuelan political system spans constitutional reform, political institutions and parties and electoral processes, and has published extensively on those topics. >From 1998 to 1999 she served as the Vice-President and member of the board of directors of National Electoral Council of Venezuela. Currently, she is the Director of Latin American and Caribbean Program at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC. |
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