Latin American Studies Conference
Focuses on Brazil
By Ferda Mehmet, student intern of CHASS College Computing
 On
Friday, May 30th, the Latin American Studies Program
will present a conference about Brazil in Humanities
and Social Sciences 1500 from 9am-5pm. The conference
will focus on the recent election of Luis Inacio
“Lula” da Silva who became President
of Brazil on January 1st, 2003. Former factory worker
and shoeshine boy, Lula will lead a country with
one of the highest levels of inequality in the world
today. Specialists in Economics, Political Science,
History, and Sociology will come from around the
country to participate in the event.
The conference will address a variety of issues related to the current situation in Brazil. Topics include an overview of the opportunities and challenges for a Lula government, historical legacies of the Workers’ Party, legislative challenges for the reform agenda, economic policies and constraints, and social movements in Brazil. A conference like this is important to have at UCR because it provides knowledge about events taking place in Brazil, as well as relevant information for developing countries throughout the world. Steven Helfand, Chair of Latin American Studies at UCR and conference organizer, says, “The conference is part of our efforts to strengthen the Latin American Studies Program at UCR and to build bridges with other universities in Southern California.” The audience will include specialists, professors from throughout Southern California, students, and members of the community. |