Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas
Biography provided by participant
Eric Farnsworth has been Vice President of the Council of the Americas since early 2003, in that time significantly building the profile and impact of the organization in Washington through intensive policy development and targeted advocacy, timely and frequent programming, and effective public affairs. He is a recognized expert on hemispheric affairs and U.S. foreign and trade policy, having given congressional testimony on a number of occasions, and is a frequent commentator in the media. He has authored or co-authored articles in American Interest, Americas Quarterly, Current History, and the Journal of Democracy, and is a monthly columnist for PODER magazine. His opinion pieces have appeared in newspapers such as Barron’s, the Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, and other U.S. and hemispheric newspapers. Prior to joining the Council, Mr. Farnsworth was Managing Director of Manatt Jones Global Strategies LLC, a Washington and Los Angeles-based strategic advisory and business facilitation firm.
From 1995-98, he oversaw policy and message development for the White House Office of the Special Envoy for the Americas. He served at the U.S. Department of State beginning in 1990 and was awarded the Superior Honor Award three times and the Meritorious Honor Award once. Mr. Farnsworth holds an MPA in International Relations from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. He is a Harry Truman Scholar, and an alumnus of Leadership America, Young Leaders of the (NATO) Alliance, and the U.S.-Spain Young Leaders programs.
It may not be where the US asserts its interests that most disappoints people; rather, it's possible that a failure to meet expectations for specific policy actions that have been previously telegraphed--if not explicitly promised--is what occurs instead. Sins of omission rather than commission within an environment of raised expectations. Specifically, much of Latin America assumes that US policy toward the region will now be predicated on the basis of "what's good for Latin America is good for the United States," in part because that's how we ourselves have defined the policy. The region is looking for steps to reduce… Read more
When it comes to this issue, as the famous saying goes, all that can be said has been said, but not everyone has said it. So, here's my view. As an American, I'm proud our president has received the award, mindful that it raises expectations still further, and hopeful that it proves to be an asset rather than a liability for the President in the promotion of US national interests in the conduct of global affairs. Having said that, it certainly has been a political distraction, which can't have been the intended effect of the Nobel Committee. One hopes that all… Read more
I've just re-read the Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Ok, I know it's not "lite" summer reading but I do think that even as we turn ourselves into pretzels politically in this country over healthcare and CIA investigations, and words like "Nazi" and "anti-American" are thrown around with casual ease at town meetings and the like, it's good to remind ourselves from time to time what true totalitarianism looks like, and that we need to do whatever we can to prevent it. … Read more
The crux of the matter is not whether a government is left or right, but whether the government is abiding by democratic principles and maintaining the norms of responsible engagement in the hemispheric community. The mere act of winning elections is insufficient, particularly when one controls the levels of government and electoral results can be manipulated. Nuance is required. The governments of Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and others—leftists all—lead strong, vibrant democracies and have proven to be robust partners for the United States across a range of issues. Others, such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Venezuela, have defined themselves in opposition… Read more
Biography provided by participant
