Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Almost daily we read and hear about the bloodshed. But we often fail to consider the impact the violence has on the San Antonio community and on our St. Mary's students, as many have friends and family along the border. The cause is usually attributed to the drug cartels; however, this only begins to explain the problem. The Fall 2010 President's Peace Commission program will examine multiple factors that contribute to the violence, the direct and indirect consequences, and positive responses that can produce a more just and peaceful situation for the border communities and beyond.
All events are free and open to the public.
Location - University Center, Conference Room A, unless otherwise noted
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
9:45am-11:00am
Bearing Witness: Personal Accounts Expressed through the Arts
Invocation: Rev. Rudy Vela, SM, ThD, Vice President for Mission & Identity, St. Mary's University
Speakers Larice Yanar, student, St. Mary's University
Stephanie Zaragoza, student, St. Mary's University
Cyra Dumitru, English & Communication Studies, St. Mary's University
Patricia McNaught, LPC, Director, Children's Bereavement Center of South Texas
Moderator Charles Cotrell, PhD, President, St. Mary's University
11:10am-12:25pm
Doing Business at Your Own Risk: Border Economics
Speakers Juan Antonio Flores, Associate Director, Public Affairs, North American Development Bank
Rogelio Garcia, Director, Business Development and Chief of Staff, Free Trade Alliance
Steve Nivin, PhD, Economics, St. Mary's University; Director, SABER
Moderator David Zapata, graduate student, St. Mary's University; PPC
12:35pm-1:50pm
Guns for Drugs: A Recipe for Disaster
Speakers Mauricio L. Fernandez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA, San Antonio District Office
Lanny J. Hall, GS Enforcement Group D-71, DEA Laredo District Office
Meliton A. Rodr� - �guez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Laredo Region
Moderator Anne Ohlrich, JD, Graduate International Relations, St. Mary's University
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
9:20am-10:10am
Silencing the Media: The Danger of Reporting Border Violence
Speaker Robert Rivard, Editor and Executive Vice President, San Antonio Express-News
Moderator William Israel, PhD, English & Communication Studies, St. Mary's University
10:20am-11:10am
Border Security: Two Countries, One Community at War
Speaker Ray Leal, PhD, Criminology, St. Mary's University
Robert Alonzo, Graduate School, St. Mary�s University
Moderator Milo Colton, PhD, Criminology, St. Mary's University
11:20am-12:10pm
Shattered Families: The Impact of Human Trafficking
Speakers Dottie Laster, President, Laster Global Consulting & Training
Melissa Moreno, JD, Director, Anti-Trafficking Program, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio
Moderator Melissa Garci �a, student, St. Mary's University; PPC
12:20pm-1:35pm
The Effect on San Antonio: How has Border Violence Impacted Our Community?
Speaker Jose Gonzalez, Federal Field Specialist, US Department of Health and Human Services
William McManus, Chief of Police, San Antonio Police Department
Moderator Gabriel Hern� �ndez, graduate student, St. Mary's University
7:00 pm-7:30 pm
Prayer Vigil for Peace on the Border
Location: Quad
Thursday, October 28, 2010
9:45am-11:00am
Perseverance and Hope: Providing Help along the Border
Speakers Michael W. Feil, Director, International Security Initiatives, Mexicans & Americans Thinking Together (MATT)
Amanda L. Rivas, Border and Pro Bono Coordinator and Clinical Fellow, Center for Legal & Social Justice
David Robertson, Executive Director, Casas por Cristo
Moderator Jordan R. Humphrey, PhD, Career Services Center, St. Mary's University
11:10am-12:25pm
Blessed are the Peacemakers: The Church�s Response to Border Violence
Speakers Anna Alicia Chavez, Education & Formation Program Coordinator, Catholic Relief Services - Southwest Region
Rev. James Patrick Fischler, CICM, VF, Pastor, Sacred Heart Parish-Del Rio
Carlos Villareal, STL, Editor, Multicultural Specialist, RCL Benziger
Moderator Bro. Brandon Alana, SM, St. Mary's University
12:35pm-1:50pm
Compromiso Ciudadano: Lessons from Colombia
Speaker Alejandro Velez, PhD, Economics, St. Mary's University
Tatiana Sultzbach, Manager of Diversity & Inclusion, Methodist Healthcare System; St. Mary�s alumna
Moderator Marcela Camarena, student, St. Mary's University; PPC
7:00 pm-9:00 pm Lin Great Speakers Series Featuring Sonia Nazario
Sonia Nazario, a full-time author and until recently a projects reporter for The Los Angeles Times, has spent 21 years reporting and writing about social issues. In 2003, her story of a Honduran boy's struggle to find his mother in the US, titled "Enrique's Journey," won more than a dozen awards, among them the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, the George Polk Award for International Reporting, and the Grand Prize of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Nazario has written extensively from Latin America and about Latinos in the United States.
Tuesday-Thursday Art Display Outside Conference Room A