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PROJECT UPDATES
Monitoring MACCIH Project Third Bimonthly Report Now Available
The third bimonthly report from the Center's project on Monitoring MACCIH and Anti-Impunity Efforts in Honduras is available now for download in English and Spanish. This report is one of numerous products of an Open Society Foundations-supported initiative led by School of International Service Professor Charles Call in collaboration with faculty and fellows at the Center.
This second report covers January 1- February 28, 2018. This period was marked by the most significant turbulence yet to confront MACCIH, as Juan Jiménez Mayor, MACCIH’s spokesperson and special representative of the Secretary General of the OAS, resigned. Click on the links below for the report in English and Spanish:
Associate Professor, Department of Management, Kogod School of Business
Professor Brett Anitra Gilbert holds a Ph.D. in Entrepreneuership and Strategy from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Her areas of research include entrepreneurship, specifically new venture performance, and emerging technologies, especially in Brazil and Colombia. She has published widely in leading journals, including Strategic Management Journal, Research Policy, and Journal of Management.
Prior to joining the Kogod School of Business, Professor Gilbert was an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. She has also taught at the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M and the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. In addition to her research accomplishments, Professor Gilbert also serves as an editor of Small Business Economics and as an editorial review board member of Journal of Business Venturing and Journal of International Business Studies.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Religion and Climate Change Adaptation: Resilience or Resistance?
Thursday, April 19, 2018 | University of Leeds (UK)
The role of religions in shaping public understanding and action in response to climate change today should be taken seriously by civil society and policymakers. CLALS Affiliate and AU Professor Evan Berry will report from a two-year project on religion and climate change developed by American University’s Center for Latin American & Latino Studies, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, at this event at the University of
Leeds. The presentation will draw on diverse case studies to highlight how religious commitments can run at cross purposes to ecological sustainability.
Dos Años de la MACCIH: Event and Report Launch in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 8:30-11:00 a.m. | Clarion Hotel Real Tegucigalpa
As a part of the Center's project on Monitoring MACCIH and Anti-Impunity Efforts in Honduras, CLALS and the Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana (UNITEC) will host a public event to present a two-year report, authored by SIS Professor and project lead Charles Call, on the the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH)'s progress and challenges that it faces in an increasingly
polarizing atmosphere in Honduras. The event will feature experts from Honduras and Central America, as well as AU faculty.
EVENT RECAPS
Inside MS13: Separating Fact from Fiction
February 16, 2018
The Center and InSight Crime presented findings from the comprehensive report "MS13 in the Americas" at the Inter-American Dialogue. Panelists for the event included the report's authors, Steven Dudley and Héctor Silva Ávalos, and commentary by Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Insitution. With an audience of over 100 people, panelists summarized key findings from the report.
MS13 Symposium at California State University, Fullerton
February 22, 2018
As part of a Center-sponsored initiative on the transnational capacity of MS13 in the U.S. and El Salvador, funded by the National Institute of Justice, this symposium brought together researchers from Arizona State University, California State University, and American University's Center for Latin American & Latino Studies to discuss the history and current state of MS13 in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and El Salvador.
La lucha por el pasado: A Conversation with Elizabeth Jelin
February 26, 2018
CLALS welcomed Elizabeth Jelin, renowned Argentine sociologist for a conversation on her newest book,La lucha por el pasado: cómo construimos la memoria social. Jelin engaged with an audience of students and faculty, highlighting key insights from her book, including the tensions in articulating different—and often conflicting—memories of political and state oppression.
Symposium: Assessing the Contemporary Social and Political Landscape in Bolivia
March 5, 2018
CLALS, the Bolivia section of the Latin American Studies Association, and AU's Department of World Languages and Cultures hosted a one-day public symposium on the contemporary social and political landscape in Bolivia. AU faculty and distinguished experts on Bolivia reflected on ongoing efforts to enfranchise Bolivia’s majority indigenous population; the Morales administration’s social redistributive policies and their impacts; the prospects for the Bolivian model going forward; as well as trends in U.S.-Bolivian relations in the context of changing hemispheric
dynamics.
ALPAF 2018: Health Services and Latino Youth: Challenges, Collaborations, and the Social Safety Net
March 19, 2018
This fourth annual forum convened American University faculty and distinguished national experts from the legal and medical fields, together with local government and community representatives, to address access to health services for at-risk Latino youth. American University President Sylvia Burwell gave opening remarks, and Leonardo Cuello of the National Health Law Program gave a keynote address on Medicaid's role for Latino youth. Later, moderated panels addressed the federal landscape; ongoing challenges and solutions for local jurisdictions; the emerging
inter-professional and community collaborations working to provide these services; and some of the most innovative school-based models for service delivery.
The Department of World Languages & Cultures will host the Seventh Annual Jack Child Distinguished Memorial Lecture featuring Professor Esther Allen of Baruch College. Professor Allen will present on Cuban author José Martí, highlighting his time spent living in the United States, as well as his contributions to "American" literature.
Understanding and Fighting Inequality
Thursday, April 5, 2018 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. | University Library Training and Events Room 150
Why are some individuals successful and others not? What produces inequality? In this presentation, Ernesto Castañeda, Assistant Professor of Sociology and CLALS Affiliate, will share findings from his continued research, moving from the common discussion about individual virtue and merit to discuss group dynamics. Different types of inequality across time and space will be compared focusing on the experiences of immigrants and minorities. Lastly, Castañeda will describe how social movements in democratic regimes have traditionally fought to integrate excluded groups.
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 5:00 p.m. | McKinley Media Innovation Laboratory 100
AU's Latinx & American Student Organization and the School of Communication are hosting an evening with local Latinx professionals who are making a difference within the media field. This event will feature a panel discussion and the opportunity to engage, question, and network with real-industry professionals. Light refreshments follows program. More information can be found here.
Francisco Toledo: Toledo Múltiple Exhibit at American University Museum
April 3- May 27, 2018 | American University Musuem
As Mexico's most prolific and influential graphic artist, Francisco Toledo has been exploring the fantastical and expanding the expressive range of his printmaking over more than 50 years. This exhibition encompasses a wide range of Toledo's work, revealing the progression and creative process evidenced in his printmaking. The exhibition also includes 21 works by both Mexican and foreign printmakers as part of Toledo's collection for the Instituto de Artes Graficas de Oaxaca (IAGO). These works have been influential in developing Toledo's creative vision and serve to contextualize the medium in a global art history. Find out more information about this exhibit here.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
CLALS Hiring Student Assistants for Summer 2018
Title: Undergraduate/Graduate Assistant Semester: Summer 2018, with openings available immediately Hourly Rate: $12-15 Work Hours per Week: 10-20, depending on availability
Job Description: The Undergraduate/Graduate Assistant will be dedicated primarily to providing research, administrative, and logistical support for the Center’s Director, Faculty, Staff, and Fellows. Assistants are called upon to conduct literature reviews, gather and interpret data, transcribe interviews, and other tasks as needed. The positions will also include handling various administrative and event logistics.
Candidates must be a student in good standing in one of American University’s programs. Preference will be given to candidates who are studying fields related to Latin America and/or Latino communities in the U.S., and have strong Spanish-language skills. Applicants must show attention to detail, the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and have the ability to set priorities and meet deadlines. Excellent research, writing, and editing ability are essential along with good computer and IT skills.
Send resume and cover letter to Dennis Stinchcomb (denniss@american.edu). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.