INLS 204
International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives

               Spring 2001

Getting Ready for Class of April 23, 2000

EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA -- NAFTA trade talks
Presentations: For Europe: Christine on Poland, Chad on Russia, Cynthia on Health situation in Russia, Emily on Spain, Holland & Canada
For Latin America -- Nicole on Peru, DeeDee on Argentina & Chile, Sean on Cuba

The main agenda item for today's class is the set of presentations planned for today. We are to hear four reports about countries in Europe and two from Latin America. See the list below:

Person Presenting	Country	Silent Partner
Christine Stachowicz	Europe - Poland	Karen McPhaul
Chad McGougan	Europe - Russia	Emily Stambaugh
Cynthia Merrill	Europe - Russia (Health)	Jessica Kilfoil
Emily Stambaugh	Europe - Spain, Holland & Canada	Nicole Urquhart
Nicole Urquhart	Latin America - Peru	Sean Knowlton
DeeDee Dockendorf	Latin American -- Argentina vs Chile	Leslie Sult
Sean Knowlton	Latin America -- Cuba	Chad McGougan

Perhaps the silent partner for each of these reports would be prepared to be less silent and to make some preliminary comments after the presentation to lead off a discussion.

Some weeks ago Karen McPhaul provided a good overview of the conflict in Seattle over the trade talks that were held there. This week we are having a similar summit meeting in Quebec and some of the same arguments. It might be useful to do a little homework on this issue. Nicole in an earlier reading reflection called attention to two non-US news sources. One is the OneWorld online, sponsored by a not-for-profit foundation. Check out its coverage of the Third Summit of the Americas being held in Quebec April 20-22 and then compare it to what Nicole's choice of a second news source, the BBC, has to say about it. The BBC has a section on World Trade Blocs dividing the world into four main trade blocs, in part through the formation of free trade zones (such a free trade zone is being proposed for the Americas). The fours blocs they describe are EU, APEC, NAFTA and the Cairns Group (agricultural exporting nations -- includes Canada, Brazil, Argentina, among others). There's also a pretty site on the Summit of the Americas that's worth looking at from the viewpoint of web design alone. Make sure you link to the AmericasCanada site, subtitled "the Cyber Hemisphere." In case you're interested, there's an odd parallel group called Conference of Spouses of Heads of State and Government of the Americas. (There are also "Sherpas", someone delegated to act as the personal representative of each nation's prime minister or president).

The remaining reports are scheduled for next Monday, the 30th.

Revised 4/21/2001.