M A M A    C O C A

On behalf of the George Washington University (GWU) Seminar on Andean Culture and Politics and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), we invite you to join us for a seminar, “The Impact of Fumigation and Alternative Development Policies in Southern Colombia,” to be held on Friday, March 22 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. The seminar will feature three speakers from Colombia:  Dr. Fabio Trujillo, Secretary for Agriculture and Environment of Nariño Province; Eder Sanchez of the National Association of Small Farmers of Putumayo Province; and Dr. Dyva Revelo of the Putumayo Government Health Agency.  Our discussant will be Lisa Haugaard, Legislative Coordinator for the Latin America Working Group (LAWG).

The speakers will provide an on-the-ground assessment of the impact of U.S. counternarcotics policy in the southern region of Colombia.  This discussion is particularly important as the Bush administration has stated its intention to increase aerial fumigation of illicit crops in Colombia from some 94,000 hectares in 2001 to 150,000 in 2002 and 200,000 in 2003, in the midst of an escalating war and humanitarian crisis.  The speakers will focus on the health and environmental impacts of fumigation, and advancements and challenges in carrying out crop substitution projects.  They will also analyze the prospects for alternative development in the context of the ongoing civil war and the need of local peasant communities for widely available, participatory development projects.  The seminar’s discussant, Lisa Haugaard, has recently returned from a two-week trip to Colombia and will comment on the presentations in light of present U.S. policy toward Colombia.

The seminar will take place in Room 308 of GWU's Marvin Center, located at 800 21st Street, NW.  Most presentations will be in Spanish with professional interpretation provided.  We will supply beverages and cookies; please feel free to bring your own lunch.  Visitor parking is available in the University Garage on 22nd Street, NW, between H and Eye Streets. Please bring your parking ticket with you to the seminar for validation. For additional information, please contact Jamie Foster at jfoster@gwu.edu or Tina Hodges at (202) 797- 2171 or thodges@wola.org. We look forward to seeing you on March 22nd.

Sincerely yours,
 
 

Jason Hagen                       Cynthia McClintock               Marie Price
Associate                             Co-Convener                       Co-Convener
WOLA                                    GWU                                 GWU
 
 
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