Third Dialogue Session in Washington, D.C.

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The dialogue forum between the Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela), and the United States held its third meeting in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2010. The three-day meeting was structured in the following way:

Sept. 30, 2010: Separate meetings of the Andean-U.S. Dialogue Forum's thematic working groups were held with U.S.-based actors from think tanks and U.S. Congress to exchange views and information on inclusive development, climate change, drugs and organized crime, and  role of the media in inter-country relations.

All photos: The Carter Center (Click to enlarge)

The Andean-U.S. Dialogue Forum meets with President Carter for the third dialogue session in Washington D.C.

Sept. 31, 2010:  Dialogue sessions were held with the Andean and U.S. members to analyze the draft report Toward a Common Agenda (PDF) and prepare messages for Washington audiences and the Andean governments. This report is a result of elite interviews carried out with representatives from all sectors of society as well as public opinion surveys administered in all six countries, a political analysis of each country, and thematic briefs of key transnational issues that have been identified by the forum members. The report is a tool for the forum to help prevent a simplistic "us verses them" perspective, persuade opinion-makers about why the United States should care about the Andean region and vice-versa, to demonstrate why the Andean countries should care about each other, and to describe how it is possible to improve relations and cooperation by identifying common ground among them and showing progress within the six countries. During the meeting, the report was analyzed by all members and consensus was built around the recommendations for the governments and key sectors in the six countries. Some initial recommendations included:

• A diversified agenda beyond drugs and security is needed, with a focus on social issues.
• The United States needs to recognize efforts in the Andes to protect the well-being of all citizens without exclusion. The United States should acknowledge the efforts toward social progress and reducing inequities being carried out in the Andes, and the commitment to democracy outlined in the Democratic Charter of the OAS signed by all countries. All countries should work through multilateral institutions to defend and promote democracy.
• Andeans should better understand U.S. political processes, and recognize significant changes and challenges in the United States (election of biracial president, but also growing polarization) and diversity in U.S. society, and the current efforts to transcend the mistakes of the past.

Forum members analyzed how to use lobbying and advocacy to strategically promote proposals that are developed by the forum. This analysis was further nurtured by an exposition on lobbying and advocacy by a Washington expert. Forum member Congressman Kolbe gave an exposition on the structure and role of the U.S. Congress. The members met with the ambassadors from each Andean country, representatives from the U.S. State Department, representatives from USAID, and Congressional aides during lunch and dinner.

(Click to enlarge)

Dr. Jennifer McCoy, director of The Carter Center's Americas Program congratulates the members of the Forum on their persistent dedication to the project: in engaging in dialogue sessions and in taking the forum's work back to their own countries.

Oct. 1, 2010:  President Carter joined the dialogue and presided over meetings with Patrick M. Ward, deputy director of the Office for National Drug Control Policy, and Maria Otero, the under-secretary for democracy and global affairs of the U.S. Department of State. President Carter and the forum members presented their recommendations. Upon President Carter's departure, the next steps for the Report on a Common Agenda were planned.