President's Peace Commission

Host Larry Hufford with guest speakers Clem Chow, President of Omega International in San Antonio, Texas, and Raul Rodriguez, Managing Director and CEO of North American Development Bank, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Rodriguez discusses the impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the Mexican economy. Dr. Chow explains how globalization has affected China -- creating a vast difference between the "haves" and the "have nots." A brief question and answer session follows. (51 minutes)

Ben Domingue hosts a discussion with Dr. Kent Wilkinson, of the Communications Department of University of Texas-San Antonio; Chuchun Yu, a St. Mary's University student from Taiwan; and Gautam Singh, a St. Mary's University student from India. (48 minutes)

Margaret Luevano, President's Peace Commission, hosts Dr. Clement M. Henry, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. Leona Pallansch, a Political Science and International Relations professor at St. Mary's University, on a discussion of the political structures of Egypt and Saudi Arabia in regards to globalization. Dr. Pallansch begins the session by defining globalization and then explaining the interconnectedness of the economic structures, political structures, and society, especially in regards to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Henry takes the floor and compares the reaction of the United States to the attacks of September 11, 2001, to imperialistic actions. He insists that the United States must work with the Middle Eastern countries and not against them behaving like "unilateral, arrogant imperialists." A brief question and answer period follows. (48 minutes)

Yolanda Constancio, President's Peace Commission, hosts an assessment of how technology solves and creates problems by Dr. Rafael Moras, of St. Mary's University's Engineering Department and an explanation of the global digital divide, as discussed by Dr. Djaffer Ibaroudene, of St. Mary's University's Engineering Department. Through their PowerPoint presentations, both men recommend that the audience be aware and to critically think about new technologies and the potential repercussions on other societies. (45 minutes)

Dr. Elijah Akhahenda, Communications Studies at St. Mary's University, introduces Olivia Nyombayire, a student at St. Mary's University, who was born in Rwanda; Gabriela Gonzalez-Orbegoso, a student at St. Mary's University, who was born and raised in Peru; and Bogdan Dimitrescu, a student at St. Mary's University, who was born and raised in Romania. The students discussed the languages, newspapers, and television programming from their native lands. Mr. Emilio Nicolas, Vice President and General Manager of Telemundo Stations, Inc., in San Antonio, concluded this panel presentation by discussing the Hispanic media. The largest broadcasting company outside of the United States is based in Mexico City and the first radio station in Mexico started at the same time as the first radio station in New York City. Mr. Nicolas' father and grandfather were both integral parts of the first radio stations in Mexico. A lengthy question and answer session follows. (91 minutes)

Dr. Jose Medina, visiting assistant professor in the International Business Department at St. Mary's University, is host and guest speaker with Mr. Isidoro Korngold, CEO of Intercontinental Companies. Dr. Medina defines globalization, explains that with globalization there are winners and losers, and concludes by discussing the challenges and consequences of globalization. Mr. Korngold explains globalization from his perspective. A heated question and answer period follows between the speakers and a woman in the audience who had recently re-visited Costa Rica and found the farmers out of work. Other questions are also discussed during the open question and answer period. (70 minutes)

Dr. Antonia Castaneda, St. Mary's University's History Department, serves as hostess of this panel discussion. She redefines globalization and emphasizes that they will be examining the impact on gender, not just women. The first speaker is Dr. Kamala Platt, University of Texas at San Antonio's English Department, discusses the impact of globalization on communities in India; she provides several anecdotes and quotations from women in India and southern Asia. Viola Casares, co-cordinator and founder of Fuerza Unida, who also recently traveled to Durban, South Africa as a representative of the Women of Color Resource Center for the UN summit against racism, is the second speaker. She discusses her experience at Levi Strauss in San Antonio in 1990, when the plant was unexpectedly closed and production moved to Mexico for cheaper labor; part of her presentation is in Spanish. Petra Mata, co-coordinator and founder of Fuerza Unida, who speaks about her experience at Levi Strauss and why she is trying to unite against the corporations abruptly leaving and providing little or no support to their former employers. She explains that she and the Levi Strauss workers feel that they were the first to feel the repercussions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A lengthy question and answer session follows. (73 minutes)

Dr. Janet Oglethorpe, of St. Mary's University's Marketing Department, introduces the panel discussion on health care and how globalization has affected health care. Dr. Gale L. Haradon, Chair of the Occupational Therapy Department at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Dr. Albana Dassori, MD, of the Psychiatry Department of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio present their experiences in health care. Dr. Haradon begins by listing the top ten global causes of disabilities from 1990 through projections to 2025; included are major depression (#2) and tuberculosis (#10); she also provides numerous statistics indicating the changes in health care, including the aging of the population. Dr. Dassori discusses potential causes of major depression resulting from globalization, which range from a spouse leaving Mexico, for example, and working in the United States until he can afford to bring the family to the U.S.; living as a refugee during times of transition, can also cause depression. A question and answer session follows. (75 minutes)