EMBASSY GEORGETOWN NOMINATION FOR FY-06 ECA/A/E/USS

1. Embassy Georgetown nominates Ms. Geetangeli Geer to the
U.S. Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy. Ms. Geer is the
Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and a
lecturer at the University of Guyana. Ms. Geer lecturers on
a international relations, conflict resolution. Her classes
include components on trafficking of arms and drugs as well
as the need for the Caribbean to form stronger linkages with
the U.S.




2. PERSONAL INFORMATION



A. NOMINEE'S FULL NAME: GEER, GEETANGELI



B. DATE OF BIRTH [MONTH/DAY/YEAR]: FEB/11/1975



C. CITY OF BIRTH: GEORGETOWN



D. COUNTRY OF BIRTH: GUYANA



E. COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE: GUYANA



F. COUNTRY OF CITIZENSHIP: GUYANA



G. HOME ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND E-MAIL: 8 Second Cross
Street, Bel Air Village, Greater Georgetown, Guyana, South
America; Telephone: +592-626-5794; E-mail:
Angeli112@hotmail.com



H. GENDER: FEMALE



I. MEDICAL, PHYSICAL, DIETARY OR OTHER PERSONAL
CONSIDERATIONS [PLEASE NOTE: NO PHYSICAL EXAMINATION IS
REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM]: NONE



J. CURRENT POSITION AND TITLE: Assistant Dean and Lecturer,
Faculty of Social Science



K. CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION AND COMPLETE
ADDRESS: University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus



L. WORK EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING PREVIOUS POSITIONS AND
TITLES:

Assistant Dean and Lecturer, Faculty of Social Science,
University of Guyana, August 2005 - present

Lecturer I, University of Guyana, September 2002 - August
2005




M. EDUCATION, ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
INCLUDING DEGREES EARNED AND FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION:
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, January 2004
Multi-Track Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation, one-month
course

UNIVERSITY OF PUNE, INDIA, graduated June 2002
Awarded a government of India Scholarship in 2000
Masters in Communication Studies - (M. Cm.S). First class

UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA, Georgetown, Guyana, graduated June
2000
Post Graduate Diploma - International Studies
UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA, Georgetown, Guyana, June 1999
Bachelor of Social Science (B.Soc.Sc), Distinction
Major in Communication.



N. ACTIVE PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: UNKNOWN



O. SHORT REPEAT SHORT LIST OF RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS [NO
MORE THAN FIVE-TEN CITATIONS]: NONE



P. PREVIOUS TRAVEL AND STUDY OR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN
THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING DATES AND AN INDICATION AS TO
WHETHER SUCH TRAVEL WAS SUPPORTED BY U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS:

July 1998 - Visited media houses as part of an undergraduate
project. No funding from the USG.

January 2004 - University of Maryland, Multi-Track Diplomacy
and Conflict Transformation. No funding from the USG.




Q. EVIDENCE OF FLUENCY IN WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH [E.G.,
TEST SCORE, PERSONAL INTERVIEW, ETC.]: Guyana is an English
speaking country.



3. STATEMENT BY COMMISSION/POST JUSTIFYING PARTICIPATION
OF THE CANDIDATE IN SUBJECT INSTITUTE [PER PARA 7-B
ABOVE]:

Embassy Georgetown supports Ms. Geer's nomination to the
U.S. Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy. After only three
years in the University system, Ms. Geer has been made
Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. She has
input into the curricula developed in her school. In
addition, Ms. Geer is a lecturer on foreign policy and
regularly updates her course material. Ms. Geer's
participation would advance U.S. interests by creating a
more informed student population.
(1) CURRENT OR PROJECTED EXTENT OF THE U.S. STUDIES
CONTENT OF THE COURSE[S] AND MATERIALS BEING TAUGHT OR
DEVELOPED BY THE CANDIDATE: Ms. Geer is the assistant dean
of the faculty of Social Sciences in Guyana's main tertiary
education institute. In addition to her duties as assistant
dean, Ms. Geer is also a lecturer. Ms. Geer is responsible
for course content the courses that she teaches including
the following:

Issues in International Relations (POL 326). A brief
introduction to the post cold war discourse followed by a
critical understanding of some of the theories of
international relations such as realism and liberalism.
Possible shifts in strategic interests in the post
September 11 world were studied. International
organizations, which are considered to be major players
in the field of international relations, such as the
United Nations and the European Union, also receive
attention.

Issues in Caribbean Government and Politics - (POL 320).
This course starts by examining the implications of the
Munroe Doctrine for the region then moves onto the need
for Caribbean governments to establish even stronger
links with the United States to curb drug trafficking and
arms smuggling within and outside the region. The need
for good governance in the Caribbean and the role of the
Diaspora also receive due attention. Integration efforts
such as the Caricom Single Market and Economy and its
implications for the movement of labor and skills within
the region receive critical examination. Caricom's
relationship with Haiti was also studied in some detail.

Introduction to Latin American Politics - (IRL 414). This
course introduces students to some of the major issues in
Latin American government and politics. As such, the
role of the military and the role of the Roman Catholic
Church in Latin America are examined. Integration
efforts in Latin America such as MERCOSUR and the Treaty
for Amazonian Cooperation are discussed. Brazil and
Venezuela are studied in some detail since they are
thought to be two of the stronger "players" in Latin
America.


Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Conflict Resolution
- (POL 327). This course emphasizes the importance of
conflict management in several areas including groups,
organizations and the international arena. Emphasis is
placed on the origins of conflict, the different
approaches to conflict resolution and the importance of
communication in conflict management with special
emphasis on intercultural communication.

Issues in Latin American Politics - (IRL 422). This
course focuses on several areas including studying
political change in Venezuela and Ecuador. Emphasis is
placed on some integration efforts in the region
including the Organization of American States and the
South America Community of Nations. Attention is also
given to security issues within region and the impact of
narco trafficking. Latin America's relations with the
Caribbean as well as with the European Union were also
studied.

Introduction to International Relations - (POL 315). The
objective is to provide Public Management students with a
brief overview of International Relations. The course
introduces students to the emergence of the interstate
system in Europe followed by the significance of the
Treaty of Westphalia. Theories of war, diplomacy,
sources and types of international conflict are also
discussed. Students are encouraged to think critically
about the ethical dimensions of foreign policy
formulation and execution.


(2) LIKELY RELEVANCE OF THE PROGRAM TO THE
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CANDIDATE;

This institute is extremely relevant to Ms. Geer's
professional responsibilities. Ms. Geer lectures on foreign
policy. As the assistant dean, she is responsible for
making sure that what curricula is up-to-date.

(3) THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE CANDIDATE'S
PARTICIPATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDY OF THE U.S.
AT HIS/HER HOME INSTITUTION [IN TERMS OF ENHANCED TEACHING
AND CURRICUA, ETC.]:

Ms. Geer has input into the curricula of Guyana's major
university. Participation in this program will provide her
with a better understanding of how U.S. foreign policy is
implemented. Using this information, she will be able to
provide a more accurate picture of U.S. foreign policy to
her students.

(4) IF APPLICABLE, THE RELEVANCE OF THE CANDIDATE'S
PARTICIPATION IN THE INSTITUTE TO POST'S/COMMISSION'S
LONG-TERM U.S. STUDIES GOALS AND/OR THE MPP:

Ms. Geer's participation would help fulfill Post's goal of
stable conditions in fragile/failing states by providing the
leaders of tomorrow with accurate information about U.S.
foreign policy.



S. SHORT PERSONAL STATEMENT [NO MORE THAN 3 DOUBLE-SPACED
PAGES] BY CANDIDATE INDICATING WHY HE OR SHE IS INTERESTED
IN PARTICIPATING AND WHAT HE/SHE EXPECTS TO GET OUT OF THE
PROGRAM:

The foreign policy of a state is the general set of
principles that its decision makers adopt towards the
outside world. US foreign policy is of interest the world
over but since I live in the Caribbean it holds special
interest to me because the view has been advanced those
smaller, less powerful countries might not always be in a
position to articulate their needs as effectively as the
larger, more developed, powerful countries such as the
United States.

Many people hold the view that in the post 9/11 world US
strategic interests have shifted away from the Latin
American/Caribbean region to the Middle East. This view is
partially correct when one examines the current war in Iraq
with the objective of restoring democracy to that country.

However, even though US strategic interests have shifted, it
should be emphasized that within the Latin
American/Caribbean region Venezuela, Cuba and to a lesser
extent Haiti are the exceptions. Additionally, the US has
maintained a high level of interest in the region when it
comes to a few select areas:
(1) Drug trafficking (with special interest in Jamaica,
Guyana, Columbia, [the use of Plan Colombia] Peru, Bolivia,
[especially now with the election of Evo Morales who is
slated to commence his presidential term on January 22,
2005], Trinidad and Tobago). Additionally the signing of
the Shiprider Agreement by the US with Guyana and Jamaica is
also a clear indication of the level of interest the US has
maintained in this area.
(2) Trafficking in Persons with specific attention to
Guyana, Brazil and Suriname.
(3) The potential for a terrorist breeding ground in some
parts of the region such as Trinidad and Tobago
(4) Funding of HIV/AIDS programs with specific reference to
Guyana. According to Adolfo A. Franco, Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean,
United States Agency for International Development, Haiti
and Guyana are two of the 15 focus countries worldwide
included in the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief, a five-year, $15 billion initiative to combat the
HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Clearly, when it comes to the region, US foreign policy is
diverse. Thus, it would be important to understand what
factors drive US foreign policy in these specific areas and
why are they important to the execution of US foreign policy
in the region as a whole.

The US has also maintained its interest in the Latin
American region in the hope of crafting various free trade
agreements specifically within the CAFTA (Central American
Free Trade Agreement) Framework.
In a statement issued by USTR Spokesman Stephen Norton on
December 30, 2005 the countries which are signatories to
CAFTA-DR were identified as the United States, Costa Rica,
the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
and Nicaragua. Mr. S. Norton continued that all of the
CAFTA-DR signatories have ratified the Agreement except
Costa Rica. El Salvador was the first to ratify in December


2004. Nicaragua was the most recent, in September 2005.
He stated that CAFTA-DR is the second largest U.S. export
market in Latin America, behind only Mexico, buying more
than $16 billion in U.S. exports. Successful CAFTA-DR
implementation is critical to the broader U.S. policy goals
for the Americas of strengthening democratic governance,
expanding economic opportunity, and investing in people.

On April 11, 2005 US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns was
quoted as saying, "Under CAFTA with those markets opened on
a fair and an equitable basis, we could well double U.S.
export sales to these countries. CAFTA-DR nations have a
total population of 44 million. It is a great market for our
products. He continued by saying, ". . . CAFTA is good for
America's farmers, it is good for America's ranchers, and
it's good for the entire American economy -- and we are
going to fight to get it approved".

Therefore, a trade agreement with this part of the region is
very important to the United States and thus is crucial to
the foreign policy agenda for this part of the region.

US foreign policy is also of interest to me because there is
the perception that China and the European Union will slowly
overtake the US in terms of economic growth and world
dominance. A country that is perceived to be the sole
superpower would certainly have an interest in retaining
this position and its foreign policy will certainly be
crafted to reflect same. Clearly then foreign policy
strategies must be pursued now with the ultimate goal of
maintaining superpower status.

I am genuinely interested in participating in this program
because of the scenarios I have outlined above. What
factors drive US foreign policy? How much of an impact does
the external environment have on shaping US foreign policy?
How much of an impact does the domestic environment have on
shaping US Foreign Policy?

I also plan to commence studies leading to a PhD. in
international relations sometime within the next three years
and therefore this will be a very useful undertaking for me.

Finally it is always useful to understand how countries
perceive themselves and the way they identify and utilize
available strategies to shape their foreign policies.
Therefore, it might be a rewarding experience to study US
foreign policy from a US perspective taught by US
professors. As an academic I am open to any learning
experience which can support or complement the knowledge
which I have gained in this area.




T. NAME, TELEPHONE, FAX NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS OF
POST/COMMISSION ACTION OFFICER:

CHRISTINE E. MEYER
PHONE: +592-225-4900 ext 255
FAX: +592-225-8497
E-MAIL: MEYERCE@STATE.GOV

BULLEN