Conversations with Ambassador Creagan: Congressman Joaquin Castro and Alice Albright 访问 UIW

在周五, 5月3日, the latest installment of the Conversations with Ambassadors Creagan series, hosted by the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas in collaboration with the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, 在西澳大学塞顿演奏厅举行.

UIW had the privilege of welcoming Congressman Joaquin Castro and Alice Albright, 千年挑战公司的首席执行官, to speak on the conversation’s topic of “Strengthening Democratic Governance and Sustainable Development Across the Globe.”

Congressman Joaquin Castro has represented Texas's 20th congressional district, 其中包括圣安东尼奥一半以上的地区, 自2013年起担任美国众议院议员. 第117届国会期间, he served as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on international development, 国际组织和全球企业社会影响. He currently serves as the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee in the western hemisphere.

Alice Albright has more than 30 years of international experience in the private nonprofit and public sectors, which includes previously serving as the CEO of the Global Partnership for Education and executive vice president and chief operating officer of the United States Export Bank. 在她目前的职位上, 她领导着千禧挑战公司(MCC), an organization that helps to support nations committed to democratic governance, 经济自由和对人民的投资.

詹姆斯·克里根大使, 当了25年的美国外交官, 现任华盛顿大学政治学教授, 引导谈话.

“Today’s chosen topic reflects a deep belief in the importance of democracy here and around the world,克里根说。, 开始讨论. “We fall short at times, but we still need to foster a democratic value.”

The three spent the conversation reflecting on the quality of democracy present within the nation and around the world, considering how to better expand democratic opportunities on a global scale.

Castro shared that although there are strong democracies found in every corner of the globe, authoritarian models of governance are also found in countries such as Russia, 中国, 土耳其和匈牙利. He noted that the authoritarian model prioritizes the desires of the leader, lacking consideration of the rights and necessities of its public.

“The United States historically has said it wants to be helpful but also wants countries to adhere to certain democratic norms that include freedom for your people, 为你们的人民创造机会,卡斯特罗解释道。. “There is a real competition around the world to make sure that nations are democratic. 我仍然相信我们会赢, but we certainly have our hands full with countries that are going the other way.”

Albright added a developmental perspective as she discussed how the MCC works to promote democracy.

“The MCC was created 20 years ago by President Bush around that fundamental concept that democracies are good for economic development and for opportunity. We work with a lot of lower- or middle-income countries that demonstrate they are on a democratic pathway and are trying to create opportunity for their people. 当我们确定一个符合条件的国家, we go big and deep to provide hundreds of millions of dollars of grant financing to help invest in [solving] the main challenges that they face towards economic growth.”

Both Castro and Albright listen to the needs of citizens in various regions of the world so that they can consider how to better provide essential resources for them that will allow them to flourish. Some of these resources include education, water, trade and humanitarian aid.

随着不断取得进展, Castro noted that he is always thinking how his work is going to help the people that he represents. 对他, it is a joy to witness the direct positive impact being made as existing and young democracies receive the aid needed to help them support and represent their people.

In response to an attendee asking how the MCC helps to instill long term and systematic changes that help to relieve issues such as poverty, 基于性别的暴力和移徙, 奥尔布赖特说, “我们做的几乎每一个项目都有一个长期的系统性方面. 80% of our work is going to some primary structure like energy, 道路, 农业, 清洁用水和卫生设施. We help governments not only set in place a lot of the policy reforms that are required for the successful delivery of those services, but then we build the infrastructure necessary to deliver services.”

Dr. 拉斐尔•霍伊尔, 美洲刘易斯中心主任, 为见证这段对话感到骄傲吗, 并分享与会者积极参与活动, 专心听嘉宾演讲.

“For the Lewis Center, Congressman Castro is a particularly important member of our U.S. 众议院, 不仅因为他来自圣安东尼奥, but because of his focus on the Americas as the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on the Western Hemisphere. The fact that he was able to also bring Alice Albright of the Millennium Challenge Corporation made his visit all the more special. The turn-out for the event was the best we’ve had for the Conversations with Ambassador Creagan series. 看到屋子里挤满了人，真是太棒了，”霍伊尔分享道.

The event also marked the last conversation that Ambassador Creagan will lead at UIW. 在美国工作多年后.S. 国务院, as the President of John Cabot University in Rome and then as a faculty member at St. 圣母大学和道成肉身的大学, 克里根大使将于今年5月庆祝他的退休. The University thanks him for his immense contributions to the school’s legacy and wishes him well as he enters retirement.