Great Decisions Lecture Series: U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle

Event Date:
January 29, 2020 – 6:30 PM to January 30, 2020 – 7:59 PM

Location:
UNC Charlotte Center City Building, 320 E. 9th Street.

U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle
Dr. Margaret Commins, Associate Professor,
Political Science and Sociology Department, Queens University

The Office of International Programs at UNC Charlotte, in collaboration with Charlotte Country Day School, International House of Charlotte, and the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, annually coordinate the Great Decisions Lecture Series. The lecture series is an opportunity for citizens to meet, discuss and learn about some of the issues facing our world. Each week a local expert from nearby colleges and universities provide additional perspective on the topic of interest and answers questions regarding the information presented in the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions Briefing Book and through the lecture.

Dr. Margaret Commins, Associate Professor in the Political Science and Sociology Department at Queens University will discuss both her research and speak towards Michael Shifter and Bruno Binetti’s article “U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle” on how “combating illegal immigration has become a priority of the Trump administration. The Northern Triangle of Central America, made up of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, is a special target of the administration, which hold the nations responsible for the large flow of migrants from Latin America to the U.S. With funds from the U.S. cut, how can the Northern Triangle countries curtail migration?”

As the saying goes, “geography is destiny.” Located beneath the “Colossus of the North”, Central America’s Northern Triangle countries are deeply tied to the United states – historically, economically, politically, and through immigration. When tens of thousands of Central American children and families arrive at the U.S. Southern border we are shocked, some fearing an “invasion.” We do not think about the deep ties – positive and negative – between our regions. Understanding these ties, historically and in the current period, helps us to understand developments on the U.S. border, and to respond to them effectively, humanely, and in the U.S. national interest.

For more information on the series, including online registration, parking, and venue information, please visit the Great Decisions webpage and or contact the Office of Global Education and Engagement at globaleducation@uncc.edu or 704-687-7755.