What World Food Day Means for the Americas
Since 1979, World Food Day has been held every October 16, the day that the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was founded in 1945. Around the world, events and conferences this week will seek to draw international attention to ways that agricultural development can ease world hunger and malnutrition. Approximately 1 billion people worldwide … Read more
Justin Trudeau Announces Candidacy for Leadership of the Liberal Party
For a country that abhors political dynasties, the announcement by Justin Trudeau on October 2, 2012, that he would vie for the leadership of the Canadian Liberal Party drew a stream of comments and analysis. Surely, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (1968-1979, 1980-1984) would have been proud of his son’s decision, but he would undoubtedly … Read more
Harper Faces a Changing Québec
OTTAWA-The election landscape has changed in the predominantly-francophone province of Québec. On September 4, les Québécois elected a minority pro-independence party, le Parti québécois (PQ) with Pauline Marois at its helm. This makes life a lot simpler for Stephen Harper, Canada’s prime minister. A referendum on the separation of Québec from the rest of Canada, … Read more
The Mulroney-Reagan Free Trade Legacy
Newspapers across Canada are recalling the events and the issues related to the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) of 1987. Yes, it’s been 25 years, and the general impression in the reports seems more positive than negative. Canada’s premier newspaper, The Globe and Mail, titled it the “deal that freed Canada’’. The FTA was later … Read more
Mexico’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador Ditches the Party
Dean Martin said it often: “You’re nobody till somebody loves you.” And right about now, Mexico’s political Left is feeling the pinch after its alpha leader, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), exited the strongest of the left-of-center parties, the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (Party of the Democratic Revolution—PRD), after Mexico’s electoral tribunal declared Enrique … Read more
U.S.-Mexico Trade War Looms in Tomato Dispute
Fears of a trade war between the United States and Mexico escalated on Thursday following a preliminary decision in the politics of tomatoes. In a surprising and premature ruling, the Commerce Department sided with Florida tomato producers in terminating an agreement that has set a minimum price on Mexican tomatoes imported into the United States … Read more
U.S.-Mexico Trade War Looms in Tomato Dispute
Fears of a trade war between the United States and Mexico escalated on Thursday following a preliminary decision in the politics of tomatoes. In a surprising and premature ruling, the Commerce Department sided with Florida tomato producers in terminating an agreement that has set a minimum price on Mexican tomatoes imported into the United States … Read more
Mexico Hosts Conference for Afro-Descendants
The two-day National Forum on Afro-Descendant Populations 2012 opened in Mexico City today with the aim of opening a national dialogue on the rights, recognition and social inclusion of Black Mexicans. Participants include Afro-Mexican community groups, government officials and academics. According to Mexico’s National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED), there are about 500,000 people of … Read more
Why Canadians Admire Hillary Clinton
We may be observing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s last trimester in this pivotal and strategic post. Hillary became a household name during her husband’s presidential years. Her subsequent six year tenure as New York Senator, along with her “break the glass ceiling” campaign for the U.S. Presidency, has made her one of the … Read more
A Tale of Two Political Leaders
A few weeks ago in a previous blog, I cited the JFK quote, “civility is not a sign of weakness.” Let me tell you a story about two politicians from different ends of the political spectrum who were not in the arena at the same time, but who share one thing in common—civility. They are … Read more
