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As Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning office under Bush, he helped shape US policy on the former Soviet Union, Germany, arms control and the Gulf. Under Reagan, he served on the National Security Council staff and Pentagon. He was awarded the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service by President Clinton, and Secretaries Baker and Albright presented him with the State Department’s highest award. Ambassador Ross is a prolific author and will talk about his new book Statecraft and How to Restore America’s Standing in the World. Already hailed by Madeline Albright as a “brilliant book at just the right time”, it details the art of negotiation, illustrating with case studies of foreign policy triumphs and disasters and providing detailed proposals on pressing issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and US relations with China. Other remarkable reviews include those by Walter Isaacson of the Aspen Institute, Former Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and Bill Clinton. Ambassador Ross’ first book, The Missing Peace, was deemed “a major contribution to the diplomatic history of the twentieth century” by Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Ross is a 1970 graduate of UCLA and has honorary doctorates from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Syracuse University. He is currently a Ziegler distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

 

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“Venezuela has the third largest oil reserves, including extra-heavy crude, in the world and is a major exporter to the United States,” said Hellinger.  He said the U.S. needs to reconsider views of Chavez and begin to compromise on economy integration. He said there needs to be a more open view of our “complex hemisphere.” 

Petroleum contributes to a substantial part of Venezuela’s economy. Since Chavez took political power in 1999, the economy has remained largely centered on oil production in Venezuela. Chavez has tried to diversify non-oil sectors such as manufacturing, mining and agriculture, but petroleum still dominates.

Since Chavez nationalized oil, he has redefined the role of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A’s (PDVSA) to include the government’s social priorities. The state has doubled education spending to promote literacy and has guaranteed free education up to the university level. He also tried building a school in which students can get three meals a day and has launched massive public work programs.

Hellinger said although Chavez has established many social programs for impoverished people, he criticized his “concentration of power and abuse of incumbency.”

As a leader, Chavez promotes his vision of democratic socialism, anti-imperialism (including opposition to current U.S. foreign policy) and Latin American integration.

Hellinger said Chavez’s anti-U.S. rhetoric has raised concern because he has threatened to stop exporting Venezuelan oil and refined petroleum products here.

About 100 people filled every seat to listen to Hellinger’s lecture. After his speech, one of the event organizers inquired about political connections between Iran, Venezuela and China.  The speaker explained that as Iran and Venezuela are both are oil-rich members of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) they have very similar economies. He described a recent partnership in which Venezuela has been importing tractors from Iran and in turn Venezuela is providing new technology to Iran in the oil fields. Furthermore, he noted the relationship between China and Venezuela is a good one, but it could one day pose a threat to the U.S., because of market competition for petroleum.  China is already beginning to invest in oil refineries in Venezuela.   

Hellinger volunteered to serve as a guest commentator on the CCWA blog following the symposium.  He is one of the world’s leading scholars on Venezuela and Latin America.  He has taught at Webster University for nearly 30 years, serving as professor of political science and chair of the Department of History, Politics and Law.  Hellinger has held two Fulbright positions in Chile, has been a visiting senior associate at St. Anthony’s College Oxford and a visiting professor at the Central University of Venezuela. In August 2004, he provided commentary on the Chavez recall vote for NPR and the BBC. After Chavez was retained by voters, he briefed the new ambassador as part of an expert U.S. State Department panel. He later traveled again as part of a think tank working toward bettering relationships between the U.S. and Latin America. Published works by Hellinger include many articles on Venezuela and the book “Venezuela: Tarnished Democracy.”   He is also the co-author of “Venezuelan Politics in the Chávez Era: Class, Polarization and Conflict” and a participating editor at Latin American Perspectives.  Hellinger holds a Ph.D. in political science from Rutgers University and is fluent in Spanish. He has received numerous honors, including the 2003 Senior Specialist award from the Fulbright Foundation. He serves on the board of Washington-based Center for Democracy in the Americas and is President of the Venezuelan Studies Section of the Latin American Studies Association.

 

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Dr. Douglas Southgate has worked in fifteen African, Caribbean and Latin American nations with consulting posts for organizations such as the USAID, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ford Foundation. He has been a professor at The Ohio State University since 1980, focusing on Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics; and specializes in the study of environmental problems in developing countries.

Dr. Southgate is a prolific author, having written numerous books, chapters and journal articles on public policies contributing to tropical deforestation, the economics of watershed management and related topics. His latest book entitled The World Food Economy, written in collaboration with Douglas Graham and Luther Tweeten, assesses the challenge of satisfying food demand during the twenty-first century as consumers and producers feel the effects of expanded global commodity trade, food aid and national legislation in response to globalization.

Dr. Southgate is a frequent media commentator, and a 2003 recipient of the Pomerene teaching award and the 2006 winner of the Price advising award. He has directed Ohio State's Latin American Studies Program and has served on the Tropical Ecosystems Directorate of the U.S. Man and Biosphere Program. He currently serves as the department's Undergraduate Program Leader and is also advisor to the Agribusiness NAMA (National Agricultural Marketing Association) Club. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and is competent in Portuguese.

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Ambassador Ogego has served as Kenya’s Ambassador to the United States since 2006, covering also Mexico and Colombia. Prior to this assignment, he served as High Commissioner to Canada, receiving a rare Canada Diplomatic Corps Medal Award for his exceptional service. Previous responsibilities include posts within several Kenyan government and private sector institutions.

Ambassador Ogego is a well known personality amongst the top Kenyan political circle across the board, having been part and parcel of Kenya’s comprehensive reform process. He has also been deeply involved in the national awareness campaign against HIV and AIDS, working closely with international organizations such as the World Bank and UNICEF, as well as local foundations focusing on community sensitization of the pandemic.

The Ambassador holds a First Class Honors Degree in Political Science and International Law, and a Masters Degree in Public Organization and Management, from Makerere University in Uganda. He is also a scholar in development law, human rights and social justice, with a Graduate Certificate from the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague in the Netherlands.

Presented with the support of Nationwide. Special thanks to the Kenya Association of Central Ohio and VLA Inc. www.voicelinkafrica.com.

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This symposium explored Timberland’s commitment to the environment and community with Jeffrey Swartz. Jeffrey Swartz has been President & CEO of Timberland since 1998.Under his leadership, Timberland has grown to consolidated revenues of more than $1.6 billion and is consistently ranked as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in the United States. Continuing a family tradition started in 1952, Swartz supports global sustainability in product, employee and consumer community involvement, and environmental conservation in every aspect of the business.

Swartz has been at the forefront of Timberland’s groundbreaking partnership with City Year, the national youth community service organization. In 1992 and inspired by its young participants, Swartz initiated a Social Enterprise Department through which, among others, Timberland employees receive 40 hours paid leave each year for community service.

Swartz also serves on the Board of Directors of LimitedBrands, Share Our Strength and Honest Tea, and is a member of the World Economic Forum and the Two/Ten Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s in comparative literature from Brown University and a Master's degree in business administration from Dartmouth University.

Donna James is the Managing Director of Lardon & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in corporate governance and new business development. She serves alongside Swartz on the Board of Directors of LimitedBrands, as well as on those of Coca-Cola Enterprises and Conseco. Presented in partnership with LimitedBrands and Nationwide.

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Since her pioneering work in the 1970s, Adrienne Germain has reshaped global policy on women’s health and rights. Under her leadership, the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) has built partnerships to promote and protect sexual and reproductive rights and health. For over 20 years, IWHC’s policy analysis, advocacy, and direct support to local organizations working in Africa, Asia and Latin America have improved the lives of women and girls.

A skilled strategist and negotiator on U.S. government delegations to world conferences on population, women, and development from 1993 to 2000, Ms. Germain helped revolutionize the way the world views population policy by making women’s health and rights central. She continues to advise governments on policy and program implementation, most notably on empowering women and girls against HIV through With Women Worldwide: A Compact to End HIV/AIDS, supported by more than 260 organizations.

Ms. Germain is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the editorial board of Reproductive Health Matters, BRAC-USA, two Human Rights Watch Advisory Committees, and the Programme Committee of the 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health. She served on the UN Millennium Development Goals Project Task Force on Child Mortality and Maternal Health.

Ms. Germain received an Honorary Doctorate from Bard College in 2001; and was named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Greater New York in October 2005. She speaks and publishes extensively.

 

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Moderated by Dr. Jacqueline Jones Royster, Executive Dean and Senior Vice Provost of the Colleges of the Arts & Sciences, the panel will include:
Matthew Colopy, Advisor to Governor Ted Strickland on Global Relations
Jack Pounds, CEO, Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
Leslie Ferris, Professor, Department of Theatre
Michael Jaung, International Studies and Microbiology student.

Presented with the support of Nationwide and in partnership with The Columbus Metropolitan Club.

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Ms. Jain has recently conducted a global analysis of factors associated with child marriage. She makes regular presentations on the issue to USAID, the United Nations, and the U.S. Senate. Kathleen Selvaggio, Senior Policy Advocate of the ICRW, will brief guests on U.S. legislation on child marriage that is currently awaiting Congressional approval.

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Peter Thum is the founder of Ethos™ Water and vice president of Starbucks. He also helps guide Starbucks’ overall global corporate social responsibility initiative as a member of the Board of Directors of the Starbucks Foundation.

Thum conceived of Ethos in 2001 following a six month consulting project in South Africa, where he saw water issues firsthand. Early in 2002, he left his job to pursue this vision and built Ethos through to its acquisition by Starbucks in 2005. Today, Ethos is sold in more than 7,000 Starbucks across the U.S. and Canada. Pepsi will also begin distributing Ethos this year. Ethos will grant at least $10 million by 2010 to humanitarian water programs. To date, Ethos grants exceed $6.2 million and will help more than 420,000 people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to get safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education.

Prior to founding Ethos, Thum was a consultant with McKinsey & Company in London. He held various marketing and sales roles with Gallo Winery in the US and Europe. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights at Claremont McKenna College. Thum has been profiled by various media, including NPR, CBC News, The New York Times, Business Week and The Yale Journal of Public Health. He speaks regularly about entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, ethical branding and cause-marketing and has been a guest lecturer at Harvard and Stanford Universities, among others. Thum holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in government from Claremont McKenna College.

Presented with the support of Nationwide