Description:

In this webinar, Mauricio Ramirez Parra will discuss the political and economic conditions affecting the COVID-19 pandemic in South America, with an emphasis on Bolivia and Argentina. Specifically, the session will explore how governments addressed the pandemic and implemented efforts to support local communities, initial economic impacts of COVID-19 in the region, the people’s responses to the pandemic (e.g., use of traditional medicine, indiscriminate and controlled use of medicine), and instances of corruption during the pandemic. Mauricio will also discuss the political impacts of COVID-19, especially in Bolivia, which has been experiencing an ongoing presidential election full of corruption and fraud scandals since 2019. Finally, the webinar will focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-governmental organizations, using examples from specific organizations to explore NGO responses to the pandemic, effects on community members, and what is being done to mitigate complications that have occurred during these times.

Wednesday, July 1
12:00 PM CDT
RSVP for Zoom Link: https://northwestern.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9z7a8ADf3lKrjkp

Speaker Bio: 

Mauricio Ramirez Parra is the director and founder of FSD Bolivia (www.fsdbolivia.org), which for the past 20 years has supported nonprofit organizations in Cochabamba, Bolivia and this year also expanded to Salta, Argentina. In this role, Mauricio coordinates the execution of more than 200 small projects in local communities with the support of students and professors from universities around the world. Previously, Mauricio was president of the Cochabamba chapter for Partners of the Americas. In this capacity, he had the opportunity to lead an agriculture program called “farmer to farmer,” which facilitated the exchange of technical knowledge of farmers, extension agents and universities in the United States with farmers, producers and universities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mauricio has also served on the boards of various non-governmental organizations, supporting them in preparing their annual budgets and plans. Mauricio is a native of Cochabamba, studied at the San Simon State University, and is in the process of reorganizing FSD Bolivia to increase its reach to other countries in the region.

About #GLOVicariously Webinar Series: 

Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing anti-racism protests, global engagement across difference and development of intercultural skills are critically needed to build a more just and peaceful world. As the Global Learning Office, we know that travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines have halted student mobility and study abroad programming, but want to continue fostering global learning opportunities for students throughout this summer 2020 through our virtual webinar series, #GLOVicariously. #GLOVicariously webinars will feature speakers involved in GLO programs who have expertise on a variety of critical global issues. Students will gain a greater understanding of these topics and more while learning more about the cultural contexts and systems in which they unfold. This webinar series is intended primarily for students, but is open to anyone who wishes to attend.