The road to reform

My journey to the World Economic Forum on Latin America involved being re-routed through Guadalajara, from where I took a four-hour car ride through the mountains to Puerto Vallarta. The extended trip through the region of Jalisco gave me the opportunity to witness some of Mexico’s most beautiful terrain. As the ride reminded me, and numerous panellists have noted here, Latin America has so much to offer the world, from fertile land to a wealth of commodities and a young, energetic populace.

Educating a two-pronged workforce – In my last blog entry, I wrote about how a strong educational system is integral to the prosperous, sustainable consumption of these resources. In one of the opening sessions of the World Economic Forum on Latin America, Univision anchor Enrique Acevedo and I discussed these issues in some depth. We talked about how important it will be to pursue a two-pronged approach – educating workers and leaders for the region’s resource-based industrial sectors, while simultaneously preparing young people to compete effectively in the services and global knowledge-based sectors.

Charting the paths to reform – I later had the privilege of watching from the front row as Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón and Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey debated the most pressing economic issues facing Latin America and the European Union. I was impressed by the vigour with which both men argued for the bold reforms that they have undertaken. I was also taken by Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina’s impassioned plea for new solutions to the growing power and widening activities of the drug cartels.

If there is a theme that has resonated most with me throughout the meeting, it is that of creating inclusive processes for pursuing reform. I have heard both government and corporate leaders discuss the importance of strong communication platforms and participative dialogues in pursuing positive change. I have been struck once again by the convening power that the World Economic Forum has earned on the global stage as a key architect of these conversations.

Author: Sally Blount was named dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2010, where she is also the Michael L. Nemmers Professor of Management and Organizations. She was selected as one of the co-chairs of the World Economic Forum on Latin America 2012.

Pictured: Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (L) shakes hands with Mexican President Felipe Calderon during the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Puerto Vallarta April 17, 2012. Rajoy said on Tuesday he felt “profound unease” at Argentina’s decision to seize control of leading energy company YPF, a unit of Spanish oil major Repsol, “I must express my profound unease. It’s a negative decision for everyone,” Rajoy said at the World Economic Forum in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, noting that the Spanish firm was being expropriated “without any justification.” REUTERS