BASICS

Venue: AED Conference Center, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Metro Stop: Dupont Circle on the Red Line
Dress: Very casual
Meals and Refreshments: Morning coffee/tea and lunch
Gw/oB Contact: John Harvey, (617) 794-2253

PROGRAM

10:00 to 10:30 am
Arrivals and Mapping
As guests arrive, we'll map where MAGG Gathering participants are working in the region, giving us a picture of the funding landscape drawn by this group of grantmakers.

10:30 to 11:00 am
Speed Networking
In the first of several facilitated networking sessions, we'll make fast first contact with other MAGG Gathering participants. Like speed dating, only without the rejection.

11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Opening Dialogue
What's New in Meso-America: Political and Economic Trends in the Region and What it Means to Funders
Intriguing change has been taking place in Meso-America. El Salvador has seen the election of a politically progressive president for the first time in decades, while the tenor of US engagement with the region has become markedly more respectful under Obama. On the economic front, the global financial meltdown has altered facts on the ground and challenged assumptions about what works for the Central American and Mexican economies. Still, not all is in flux: Obama's trade policy is substantively unchanged from that of Bush, while in Nicaragua and elsewhere, repressive and regressive forces appear ascendant.
Geoff Thale, Program Director at the Washington Office on Latin America, will lead our conversation on these and other trends in the Meso-America region, offering important insight and context for grantmakers active in the region. Geoff Thale works as Program Director at the Washington Office on Latin American, where he consults with staff about all of WOLA's programs, from the Southern Cone to Mexico. In addition, he directly oversees the Cuba and Central America teams at WOLA, including the Central America Youth Gangs Program. Geoff has followed Central America issues since the mid-1980s, and Cuba issues since the mid-1990s. Before coming to WOLA, he was the founder and Executive Director of the El Salvador Policy Project in Washington, DC. He holds a Masters degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin.

12:00 to 1:00 pm
Lunch and Selection of Afternoon Breakout Topics
Using a process called "Open Space", participants will democratically select the topics they'd like to cover during two afternoon breakout periods.

1:00 to 2:00 pm
First Round of Breakouts

2:00 to 2:15 pm
Break

2:15 to 3:00 pm
The Reciprocity Web
In this facilitated networking exercise, each MAGG Gathering participant will be able to tap into the broad and deep expertise of others to find immediate, tangible solutions to a challenge they currently face. The Reciprocity Web is a powerful networking tool that vividly illustrates the enormous value of active and engaged networking.

3:00 to 4:00 pm
Second Round of Breakouts

4:00 to 4:45 pm
Report-back, Next Steps and Closure
MAGG Gathering participants will share what they've learned during the course of the day and explore ways to stay connectedÑand supportive of one anotherÑin the year ahead.

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