|  Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC)
 |
| (l-r)
Ayesha Ahmad, Steven Buckingham, and Shunta Harmon were the
first students to attend an APEC meeting |
APEC
2002
Los
Cabos, Mexico
October 22 - 27, 2002
Three Furman
students, accompanied by Dr. Cleve Fraser, Coordinator of the APEC/Virtual
Trade Mission Project and Professor of Political Science at Furman
University, traveled to Los Cabos, Mexico located on the tip of
Baja California. The students, Ayesha Ahmad (’03), Steven
Buckingham (’03), and Shunta Harmon (’05), were selected
from Furman’s Political Science Department to participate
in the Virtual Trade Mission’s “Voices of the Future
for APEC” program.
Harmon, Buckingham,
and Ahmad experienced a busy, full week. The Voices program affords
its participants the opportunity to interview leaders of ABAC (APEC
Business Advisory Council), CEO Summit leaders, and Heads of State
and their spouses. The Furman students were able to interview a
number of leaders including Secretary of State Colin Powell, Foreign
Secretary of Mexico Jorge Castaneda, and first lady of Mexico Martha
Fox.
The students
also had the opportunity to produce an I-Movie, depicting several
aspects of their weeklong stay in Mexico; to view the I-Movies,
click
here. Through these I-Movies, the Furman students interacted
with other students, overcame language and cultural barriers, and
produced movies that reflect how they worked and learned from one
another throughout the week. In addition to learning from one another,
in-depth policy discussions naturally ensued among these young people
from vastly different cultures. According to Shunta Harmon, “we
were all young, enthusiastic leaders in our schools, who yearned
to learn more about other countries and ultimately shared the goal
of wanting to change the world.” In addition to learning and
sharing, the Furman students were able to explore Los Cabos with
other students from economies such as Thailand, Brunei Darussalam,
Singapore and Chile.
Steven Buckingham
commented that “of all the life-long memories made during
my time at Furman, my experience at the 2002 APEC Summit ranks among
the best. We were offered an unparalleled educational opportunity:
to not only have nearly-unrestricted access to, but also to actively
participate in, a major international trade conference.” Buckingham
goes on to say, “APEC 2002 was an intellectually-challenging,
conscience-awakening experience that will live in my memory for
the balance of my life. The lessons learned during that week in
mid-October have undeniably endowed me with more perceptive political
senses and greater awareness of my status as a global citizen. It
was genuinely the opportunity of a lifetime.”
For
photos, click
here.
For more information
on APEC Mexico 2002, click
here; the Virtual Trade Mission, click
here.
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