CHDS Advanced Policymaking Seminar in Atlanta
Focuses on Democracy and Defense

More than 100 alumni, distinguished visitors and Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS) faculty and staff participated April 22-24 in the Center's 2008 Advanced Policy Seminar (APS) held in Atlanta, Georgia. The seminar focused on three major areas of interest to those alumni who were chosen, on the basis of the academic contributions, to participate: challenges to the defense sector, to defense cooperation, and democracy and the defense sector.

The APS forms part of a concerted effort by CHDS to nuture the links between the Center and its community of fellows, to jointly evaluate perspectives regarding current themes of common interest in the hemisphere, and to explore new venues of educational and outreach services.

Featured speakers at the event were Dr. Howard Wiarda, considered one of the foremost U.S. academic specialists on the region, and Dr. Jennie K. Lincoln, principal research associate at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, a well-known advisor on democracy and development in Latin America and a former associate director at the Latin American and Caribbean Program of Carter Center of Emory University,

Gen. (ret.) Boris Saavedra, CHDS adjunct faculty and seminar facilitator for Center courses, said the new methodology used in designing and organizing the APS was key to achieving success in the discussion of current and potential issues in the defense and security sector involving cooperation between civilians and the military and security forces, but also, among the nations of our hemisphere.

 CHDS Supports DoD Conference
on Civilian Careers in Defense

More than 40 prominent civilian and military defense officials and educators from 14 countries in the Americas and Spain recently gathered at a three-day conference in Lansdowne, Virginia to explore new ideas about “Career Development and the Role of Civilians in the Security and Defense sectors.” Conference participants also focused on the current and potential contributions of civilian experts to the defense sector and how best to prepare civilian experts.

Featured speakers included Dr. Isidro Sepulveda, director of Spain’s Instituto Universitario General Gutiérrez Mellado; Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, and Ryan Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.

A speech by Ryan Henry, U.S. Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, closed the highly successful conference convened by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Stephen C. Johnson.

The gathering, sponsored by the Office of the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Stephen C. Johnson, was supported by the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS), directed by Dr. Richard D. Downie.

Dialogue within discussion groups stressed the value of civilian as well as military participation in defense and security matters and the needs for defining the profile of a civilian expert, increasing exchanges among academic centers on how to prepare civilian experts, and to find ways of converging and exchanging civilian and military concepts regarding security and defense. Papers and presentations from the conference will soon be available on the CHDS web site.

A Colegio de Defensa Nacional (Mexican War College) delegation led by Major General Benito Medina Herrera, which included 24 flag officers and a total of 53 students, visited the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS) on April 2, in what Center Director Dr. Richard D. Downie called a "significant step towards even greater understanding and respect" between the two institutions. Dr. Craig Deare gave a presentation on the history and profile of the Center, while Professor Carlos Ospina presented the case of inter-agency cooperation in the Colombian context. A lively Q&A session followed, during which CHDS's core mission of educating civilians on defense and security, and the challenges and successes of cooperation in Colombia, were emphasized. The Mexican visitors expressed their satisfaction with both the content and quality of the presentations.