Now in its 10th year, the U.S–Mexico Futures Forum provides an ongoing venue for high-level discussions among important players from both countries. The focus this year is on climate change, security, and the rise of China.
Crisis has become a familiar theme in United States–Mexico relations today. Whether the epicenter of the crisis is north of the border (the ongoing economic calamity), south of the border (Mexico’s drug war), or beyond (global warming), unfolding events have reinforced the shared fates of these two countries. If the participants at the U.S.–Mexico Futures Forum on April 15 and 16 — now in its 10th year — were not convinced of the urgency of these issues before coming to the event, they certainly faced a sobering series of discussions. Three topics were addressed in-depth: renewable energy and climate change; Mexico’s security crisis; and North America’s response to the emergence of China as a global economic power. Participants also took part in a discussion about Mexico’s justice system, prompted by the arresting documentary “Presumed Guilty,” and exchanged views with such luminaries as Darrell Steinberg, President Pro Tem of the California State Senate; Robert Reich, UC Berkeley Professor of Public Policy and former U.S. Secretary of Labor; Kamala Harris, California Attorney General; and State Controller John Chiang.
