Opinion: Opportunity in the midst of crisis

Miami Herald
Posted on Monday, 04.13.09

SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
BY JOSE MIGUEL INSULZA
http://www.oas.org/
The timing of the Fifth Summit of the Americas could not be more propitious. Because it is being held at a time of deep and diverse crises in the global economy and society, the meeting offers a great opportunity for leaders in our hemisphere to fashion a fresh, regional development perspective, that draws heavily on the lessons from recent global events and that ushers in a new era in hemispheric relations.

It will also be a great chance for President Barack Obama to meet all leaders of the region at once only three months after taking office. The occasion will be of historical proportions: It is the first time that all 34 member states of the Organization of American States will send democratically elected leaders to the summit. Those leaders, meeting from April 17-19 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, will have to face an intensive dialogue on the best ways of overcoming the immediate and future challenges facing the people of our hemisphere. And most of those leaders will expect a step forward in a new direction that President Obama rightly defined as a policy ''with'' and not ''for'' Latin America and the Caribbean.

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