[1750] in peace2
*** MIT Forum on Argentina Crisis (this Wednesday) ***
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Martin Hunter)
Mon May 13 15:31:05 2002
Message-Id: <4.0.2.20020513145230.00995160@hesiod>
Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 15:32:49 -0400
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From: Martin Hunter <mhunter@MIT.EDU>
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THE ARGENTINA CRISIS:
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Panel Discussion
Wednesday 15th May, 7pm
MIT Room 54-100
77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
(tallest building on campus, 1st floor lecture hall)
Prof. Rita Arditti (Union Institute & University)
Prof. Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir (Tufts University)
Dr. Martin Hunter (MIT)
Sponsored by MIT Club Argentino, Social Justrice Cooperative and MIT Greens
****************************************************************************
*****************
Argentina is in the midst of a severe socio-economic crisis. Burdened with a
150 billion dollar foreign debt, which saps 30% of the federal budget in
interest payments alone, the unemployment rate has soared over 20% and the
economy’s growth rate has plummeted from 8% to less than 1% in the last five
years. Austerity measures a prerequisite for IMF and World Bank foreign debt
repayment loans have been felt heavily by the population, which has seen its
purchasing power halved since 1997. 50% of the population of this once
prosperous country now lives below the poverty line (earnings less than
$2/day), and recent monetary devaluations have decimated private savings
accounts. In this atmosphere, popular unrest has erupted with unprecedented
force, primarily in the form of peaceful demonstrations demanding sweeping
changes within the country's discredited political leadership. Two presidents
have been ousted by popular demand since December 2001, and public
demonstrations continue to pressure for dismissal of the entire Supreme Court,
and a call for national elections for a new president and Legislative
Assembly.
How is Argentina coping with this crisis? Why is the country in such dire
economic straits, despite having followed the IMF and World Bank prescriptions
for structural adjustment to the tee, throughout the 1990s? What is the
historical background, socially and politically, behind the country's revolt
against its current political leadership? What are the alternatives for the
future?
Please join us for a panel discussion on these issues, featuring several Latin
American academics currently residing in the Boston area.
For directions, see:
http://whereis.mit.edu/bin/map?state=0&pri.x=334&pri.y=136
PANELISTS:
Rita Arditti (Graduate Faculty, The Union Institute & University)
Co-founder of New Words, a women's bookstore, and of the Women's Community
Cancer Project. She is currently working with faculty and students at the
University of Massachusetts in Boston to create a Human Rights Center and
academic program. Rita was born and grew up in Argentina, and has written a
book documenting the search of Argentina's Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo for
children who "disappeared" during the military regime of 1976-83 (Searching
for
Life: The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of
Argentina, 1999).
Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir (Professor of Latin American Literature and Latin
American
Studies,Tufts University)
A native Argentinean, currently teaching Latin American literature at Tufts
University. She has recently returned from a visit to Argentina and will
discuss the political and socio-economic setting of the current crisis.
Martin Hunter (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Chemistry Dept., MIT)
Born and raised in Argentina, currently conducting research on biomedical
optics at MIT. Martin will summarize material from Indymedia Argentina
discussing the recent social unrest and the growth of grass-roots political
organizations.
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<font size=3D5><b>THE ARGENTINA CRISIS:</font><font size=3D3> <br>
</font><font size=3D5>MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE</font></b><font size=3D3>=20
<br>
<br>
<i>Panel Discussion</i> <br>
<br>
<b>Wednesday 15</font><font size=3D1><sup>th</font></sup><font size=3D3> May=
,
7pm <br>
MIT Room 54-100<br>
</b>77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge <br>
<i>(tallest building on campus,
1</font><font size=3D1><sup>st</font></sup><font size=3D3> floor lecture
hall)</i> <br>
<br>
Prof. Rita Arditti (Union Institute & University) <br>
Prof. Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir (Tufts University) <br>
Dr. Martin Hunter (MIT) <br>
<br>
<i>Sponsored by MIT Club Argentino, Social Justrice Cooperative</i>
<i>and MIT Greens</i> <br>
<br>
****************************************************************************=
*****************<br>
<br>
Argentina is in the midst of a severe socio-economic crisis. Burdened with a=
150 billion dollar foreign debt, which saps 30% of the federal budget in=
interest payments alone, the unemployment rate has soared over 20% and the=
economy=92s growth rate has plummeted from 8% to less than 1% in the last=
five years. Austerity measures a prerequisite for IMF and World Bank=
foreign debt repayment loans have been felt heavily by the population,=
which has seen its purchasing power halved since 1997. 50% of the=
population of this once prosperous country now lives below the poverty line=
(earnings less than $2/day), and recent monetary devaluations have=
decimated private savings accounts. In this atmosphere, popular unrest has=
erupted with unprecedented force, primarily in the form of peaceful=
demonstrations demanding sweeping changes within the country's discredited=
political leadership. Two presidents have been ousted by popular demand=
since December 2001, and public demonstrations continue to pressure for=
dismissal of the entire Supreme Court, and a call for national elections=
for a new president and Legislative Assembly.<br>
<br>
How is Argentina coping with this crisis? Why is the country in such dire=
economic straits, despite having followed the IMF and World Bank=
prescriptions for structural adjustment to the tee, throughout the 1990s?=
What is the historical background, socially and politically, behind the=
country's revolt against its current political leadership? What are the=
alternatives for the future?<br>
<br>
Please join us for a panel discussion on these issues, featuring several=
Latin American academics currently residing in the Boston area. <br>
<br>
For directions, see: </font><a=
href=3D"http://whereis.mit.edu/bin/map?state=3D0&pri.x=3D334&pri.y=3D136"=
eudora=3D"autourl"><font=
color=3D"#0000FF"><u>http://whereis.mit.edu/bin/map?state=3D0&pri.x=3D3=
34&pri.y=3D136<br>
<br>
<br>
</a></font></u><font color=3D"#000000">PANELISTS:<br>
<br>
<b>Rita Arditti</b> (Graduate Faculty, The Union Institute &=
University)<br>
Co-founder of New Words, a women's bookstore, and of the Women's Community=
Cancer Project. She is currently working with faculty and students at the=
University of Massachusetts in Boston to create a Human Rights Center and=
academic program. Rita was born and grew up in Argentina, and has written a=
book documenting the search of Argentina's Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo=
for children who "disappeared" during the military regime of=
1976-83 (Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and the=
Disappeared Children of Argentina, 1999).<br>
<br>
<b>Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir</b> (Professor of Latin American Literature and=
Latin American Studies,Tufts University)<br>
A native Argentinean, currently teaching Latin American literature at Tufts=
University. She has recently returned from a visit to Argentina and will=
discuss the political and socio-economic setting of the current crisis.<br>
<br>
<b>Martin Hunter</b> (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Chemistry Dept.,=
MIT)<br>
Born and raised in Argentina, currently conducting research on biomedical=
optics at MIT. Martin will summarize material from Indymedia Argentina=
discussing the recent social unrest and the growth of grass-roots political=
organizations.<br>
</font><br>
</html>
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