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Missouri State University’s 6th annual Public Affairs Conference kicked off Tuesday morning. “The New Economy: Peril and Promise” is this year’s theme. After the world watched the United States economy and world markets take the plunge in 2008, the university decided to make that the main focus of this year’s event. KSMU’s Chasity Mayes has more.
Although there are new signs that economic stability is on its way, the United States is continuing to suffer from an economic meltdown not seen since the Great Depression. MSU’s Public Affairs Conference will spend time discussing and debating on a local and international level.
The 2010 Conference promises to provide the MSU campus and the Springfield community with an opportunity to discuss and debate pressing issues of our time with leaders and experts in a variety of fields.
Dr. Mahua Barari Mitra is the conference chairperson.
“Well, I’m pleased to report that we have built a great program consisting of six plenary speakers and 25 panelists. Our plenary speakers are well known experts in their respective fields. In order to promote a balanced viewpoint we have carefully chosen a nice mix of plenary speakers representing various fields,” said Mitra.
One of those panelists is Ambassador George Moose, an adjunct professor in international practice at George Washington University. As a former ambassador to the Republic of Senegal and Benin, he will discuss the ways that groups like Transparency International are trying to stop the corruption which plays a significant role in the world’s economic development.
“In Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone is a country that has recently come out of a terrible civil war. It’s also a country that has artesanal diamonds that get sold illegally on the international market. Well, one of the things that Transparency International has done in conjunction with, frankly, with the diamond mining industry is to set up a system where by diamonds that are mined are registered for international sale,” said Moose.
Moose will be participating in panel discussions on April 14th and 15th. Those panels, which will take place on campus in the Plaster Student Union Ballroom include “Wither Capitalism” and “Growth vs. the Environment: A False Question.”
Other speakers include Bob McTeer, Winona LaDuke, and well known environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will end the conference by speaking Friday morning at JQH Arena.
All events are free and open to the public. However, for seating purposes, a free ticket is required to attend Friday’s event.
For more information you can visit our website at ksmu.org. For KSMU News, I’m Chasity Mayes.