On October 29th, the Institute of the Americas (IOA) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a gala honoring its founder, Ambassador Theodore Edmonds Gildred, whose inspiration for the organization came amidst the economic challenges and human suffering brought about by the Latin America debt crisis of the 1980s.
IOA’s gala was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Americas Foundation Inc. and the Burnham Foundation. The gala featured a keynote address by Dr. Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico and current Director of Yale’s Center for Globalization Studies, on the future of democracy and economic progress in Latin America.
IOA is a non-partisan, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic development and integration, emphasizing the role of the private sector, as a means to improve the economic and social well-being of the people of the Americas. Co-located on the campus of the UC San Diego, IOA works to encourage economic and social reforms across the Americas, enhancing private sector collaboration and strengthening political and economic relations between Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
IOA is best known for its timely and relevant research and analysis on emerging issues and trends in the hemisphere as well as its high-quality programming, dialogue, and networking opportunities for key stakeholders in the areas of energy, the environment and climate change, and economic competitiveness. IOA also works to better educate and inform the business and civic leaders and the public on emerging issues, challenges, and opportunities in the Americas.
www.iamericas.org
