1.
The Americas in the Changing World Order
Historical interpretations of hemispheric political-economic
relations; Global Geo-Economics and its influence
on contemporary economic relations; Global Geo-Politics
and hemispheric relations in the post cold war period;
The emerging world trading order - threats and opportunities.
2.
Hemispheric Trade and Economic Relations
The changing pattern of trade and integration arrangements
in the hemisphere; FTAA: Structure, Context and
Negotiations; Lessons from NAFTA; The interaction
between the FTAA and existing regionalisation schemes:
MERCOSUR, CARICOM, OECS, Andean Pact, CACM; Treatment
of asymmetries in hemispheric trade and integration
schemes; Implications of trade liberalization for
small economies.
3.
Social, Political and Cultural Implications of Emerging
Hemispheric Relations
Migration and inter-state relations; Regional Processes:
Human Rights and Social Rights; Gender; Health;
Differential Economic and Social impacts on various
demographic groupings; Indigenous Peoples; Social
and Cultural impacts of Tourism.
4.
Governance and Multilateralism
Adjustment, Sovereignty and Autonomy; Legitimacy,
Participation and Democracy; The Politics of Trade
Agreements: Unilateralism, Bilateralism, Multilateralism;
Public policy responses to hemispheric and global
trends; Implications for Non-sovereign entities
(cities, provinces, regions, states, dependent territories);
Non-state actors’ response to hemispheric
agreements (civil society, NGOs, private sector).
5.
Trade, the Environment and Security in Hemispheric
Economic Relations
National, Cross-border and Regional Security; Human
Security; Environmental Sustainability: Global warming
- The Impact of Natural Disasters on regional development;
Implications of the Caribbean Single Market and
Economy (CSME) on regional security.
6.
Threats to Regional Security
Contemporary: Drug trafficking, trafficking
in small arms, money laundering and financial crimes,
computer and cyber crime, smuggling of people, commodity
theft, theft of intellectual property, commodity
smuggling, trans-national criminal activities. Emerging:
HIV/AIDS, Porous Borders (ports, airports etc.),
terrorism, issues impacting on US Homeland Security,
the rise of private security companies.
7.
Towards a Re-mapping of Hemispheric Relations.
Addressing tensions between localization and globalization;
Alternative models of integration in the Americas;
Developmental approaches in the emerging context;
Extra-hemispheric relations: Asia, Africa, EU.
