Ms. Sigrid Arzt of Mexico to serve as first Pacific Leadership Fellow of the 2009-2010 academic year
Sep 14, 2009
Arzt is the former Technical Secretary of Mexico’s National Security Council under President Felipe Calderón’s administration, where she served as the chairperson of a council of the highest-ranking federal officials in the area of National Security. She has been a consultant for security issues for the World Bank and has presented numerous workshops for local governments on crime and violence prevention, focusing mainly on the development of the institutional capacity to create public policies for security and civil participation. Arzt has recently been a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. Until 2006, she also served as co-director of Mexico City’s non-profit association Democracy, Human Rights and Security, which she founded in 2003.
On Tuesday, September 29, Arzt will present a public lecture titled “Organized Crime, Militarization, and Human Rights.” In her talk, she will discuss the Mexican federal government’s recent efforts to fight drug cartels, and the challenges that resulted from trying to balance public safety with respect for human rights during President Felipe Calderón's administration. Arzt will cite specific examples from her time as chairperson of the council where Mexican governors—the top federal officials in charge of security in Mexico—develop and implement strategies for combating organized crime. The event begins at 5 p.m. in the Weaver Center at the Institute of the Americas and is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit this link.
On Friday, October 2, Arzt will contribute to a panel in a daylong research workshop hosted by the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies. Titled “Human Rights, Due Process, and Public Safety,” the invitation-only workshop will analyze the ongoing security threats and human rights violations in Mexico. Arzt will chair a panel titled “Protection Safeguards and Human Rights.”
Finally, Arzt will share lunch with graduate students at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies on Tuesday, October 6. During this intimate and informal talk, Arzt will discuss her career path, starting with her background in academia, touching on the fellowships she has held, and giving insight into her time in the administration of Mexico’s federal government.
The Pacific Leadership Fellows program is dedicated to bringing rising and established leaders from around the Pacific region to engage in talks about consequential issues facing the world, especially in Asia and Latin America. With insight into the particularly relevant topics regarding U.S.-Mexico relations, Sigrid Arzt will share her expertise in security policy through a number of events.
Arzt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the Universidad Iberoamericana and a Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Peace Studies from Notre Dame University.
For more information about Sigrid Arzt, please visit her bio page.
