Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt and U.S. President John F. Kennedy at La Morita, Venezuela, during an official meeting for the Alliance for Progress in 1961 / WikiMedia
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend – From 1995 to 2003, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend served as Maryland’s first woman lieutenant governor. She now works in finance in Washington.
By 2060, the Americas are projected to have a larger population than China, so shouldn’t we direct more attention to our southern neighbors?
A great nation defines itself not by what it fears and opposes but by what it believes in and champions. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Alliance for Progress, President Kennedy’s visionary effort to promote social justice and economic development in Latin America. The Alliance had a short ten-year life, but its influence was real, and its vision of the Americas is still relevant today.
The Alliance was a wager on the capacity of progressive democratic governments to carry out a peaceful revolution with the help of political support and carefully designed economic assistance.
The idea for the Alliance grew from my uncle’s capacity to listen to the leaders of Latin America, and from his openness to what he heard. The leaders said, “The United States in all its power and wealth and influence should be our partner as we build a more just society for all our citizens.” They added, “This partnership must be built on respect for the values and vision of the southern hemisphere.” John Kennedy took their arguments seriously.
By 2060, the Americas are projected to have a larger population than China, so shouldn’t we direct more attention to our southern neighbors?