Keynote and Session Presenters | |
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Dr. Marcelo Alonso Dr.
Marcelo Alonso is Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board for the World
University Federation, as well as a trustee of the University of Bridgeport.
He served as the Honorary Chairman of the Second World Conference on Preservation
and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Alonso’s distinguished
career Dr. Noel Brown Dr.
Noel Brown is the former Director of the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP), North American regional office. He served as Chairman of
the Second World Conference on Preservation and Sustainable Development
in the Pantanal. Among the prominent positions currently held by
Dr. Brown are: President of the Friends of the United Nations, Chairman
of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, and Chairman Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak Rev.
Chung Hwan Kwak holds and has held a number of prominent positions in the
worlds of academia and media, as well as in non-profit and religious organizations.
In academia, Rev. Kwak serves as Chairman of the Board for the World University
Federation, and for Sun Moon University in South Korea, as well as Chairman
of the Professors World Peace Academy, an international association of
university and college scholars. Previous to these positions, he served
as Secretary-General of the Professors World Peace Academy. In addition,
Rev. Kwak is the former Publisher and President of the daily newspaper
Segye
Times of Seoul, Korea. He is also former Chairman of the Segye Times
daily of New York City, and former Publisher of The New York City Tribune.
More recently, he became Chairman of The Washington Times Foundation. His
current responsibilities include holding the positions of Chairman of the
Citizen’s Federation for the Unification of North and South Korea, President
of the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace, and Chairman of the
Board for both the International Cultural Foundation and for the International
Religious Foundation. Since 1978,he has served as President of the Holy
Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. Rev. Kwak
completed his B.S. in Law from Kyungbuk University and Sangui University
in Korea, and his M.A. in Western Philosophy at Kungook University in Korea.
He has been widely recognized for his distinguished career and charitable
work, receiving a number of Honorary Doctorates from universities in the
United States and Asia.
U. S. Senator Richard Green Lugar Senator
Richard G. Lugar is one of the more respected, influential and well-known
leaders in the United States Congress. First elected to the United States
Senate in 1976, he has now served 24 years and is the longest serving Senator
in Indiana history. Senator Lugar currently holds the post of Chairman
of the Senate Committee Dr. Wally N’Dow Dr.
Wally N’Dow is one of the most prominent and respected leaders in the United
Nations System. He currently holds the post of Special Advisor to the Administrator
of the United Nations Development Program. Dr. N’Dow also served as U.N.
Assistant Secretary General and Director of the U.N. Center for Human Dr. Frederick A. Swarts Dr.
Frederick Swarts served as Secretary-General of the World Conference on
Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Swarts is
Senior Research Scientist for Aquatic Ecology with the Waterland Research
Institute; in this capacity he is responsible for the Institute’s water
resources projects in the Pantanal Douglas B. Trent (Slide presentation on the Pantanal) Mr.
Douglas Trent is a respected conservationist, tropical ecologist, tour
guide, author, photographer, environmental consultant, speaker and teacher.
In 1980, Douglas Trent visited Brazil, and was so moved by the natural
beauty and richness of her vast tropical habitats that he decided to move
there. Soon after his arrival, he saw the other side of the coin:
vast areas of deforestation and habitat destruction. In response to what
he
Session
Presenters
Session
I:
Bernhard Griesinger Bernhard Griesinger serves as Senior Water Resources Specialist with the Organization of American States (OAS). He is also Coordinator of the Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN)which is situated within the same unit of the OAS, the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment. Previous to these positions, Mr. Griesinger served with the Ministry of the Environment of Brazil as Technical Adviser to the Secretary for Water Resources, Principal Assistant to the Deputy Ministry of the Environment, and Coordinator of Project BRA/90/005 UNDP/MMA, which dealt with strengthening national environmental management. Mr. Griesinger has served also with Brazil’s Ministry of External Relations as Manager for Cooperation with Latin American countries, and as Manager for Technical Cooperation with Germany. He has held positions as well with the Brazilian Institute of the Environment (IBAMA), serving as Chief of Staff to the President and Coordinator for International Cooperation Dr. Juan Maria Carron is Director of the Center for Conservation and Environmental Education in Asunción, Paraguay. He has also served as a Senator for the Republic of Paraguay, as well as Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Population and Ecology. Dr. Carron holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, with special emphasis on issues of population and sustainable development. He has served as a technical advisor and consultant for a number of years for UNESCO and CEPAL. Dr. Carron is also the former director of the Paraguayan team that studied the social and environmental impact of proposed damming projects. Paper:
"The Pantanal of Paraguay"
Ms.
Maria Montaño Cuchallo is Chief of the Area of Zoology for the Regional
Collection of Wildlife for the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History
(Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado,
Dr. Thomas J. Ward (moderator) Dr. Thomas Ward is Visiting Professor of International Studies at the University of Bridgeport, and Special Assistant to the Provost. Dr. Ward has formulated and conducted symposia on comparative political economy for legislators in all six of the member and associate member states of MERCOSUR and he writes for and serves in the editorial board of Universario, a new Latin American journal of social thought. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Ward earned his Master degree in the Humanities at the California State University, and did his doctoral studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris and De La Salle University in the Philippines. He has worked as an economic and political analyst for several public and private institutions, and has been a guest lecturer at a number of institutions of higher learning in Latin America and Asia. He currently serves on the board of several non-profit organizations. Dr. Ward also served as Conference Rapporteur. Session
II:
Dr. Hans Gottgens is Assistant Professor of Aquatic
Ecology with the University of Toledo (Toledo, Ohio). The Paper: "The
Paraguay-Parana Hidrovia"
Dr. José Pedro Taques Dr. José Pedro Taques is a Federal Attorney
of the Republic of Brazil (“Procurador da República”), officiating
in the State of Mato Grosso. In this highly select position, under the
Federal Ministry of Justice, Dr. Taques oversees environmental and criminal
law. Dr. Taques, together with other Federal Attorneys of the Republic,
is the author of key legal actions in defense of the environment in the
states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará and Rondônio,
with particular respect to Mega-Projects in these states, such as the Paraguay-Paraná
Hidrovia, Araguaia-Tocantins and Tapajos-Teles Pires, as well as other
projects of potential minor or major environmental impact, such as the
Gasbol (Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline). Previously, Dr. Taques served as
an Attorney for the State of São Paulo. He is also a university
professor and the author of numerous scholarly journal articles.
Dr. James E. Perry (moderator) Dr. Jim Perry is Director of the Coastal Ecosystems
and Remote Sensing Program of the School of Marine Science/Virginia Institute
of Marine Science (SMS/VIMS) of the College of William and Mary. He has
served Session
III:
Dr. José Augusto Ferraz de Lima Dr.
José Ferraz de Lima serves as Scientific Coordinator of Environmental
Science with IBAMA in Mato Grosso, Brazil. IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro
do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis) is the Brazilian
Institute of the Environment formed by the federal government in 1989 through
the fusion of four
Dr. Orlamar Teixeira Gregório Dr.
Orlamar Teixeira Gregório is Attorney of Justice within the Tribunal
of Justice of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. He serves also as Coordinator
of the Public Ministry’s Office of Environment Prosecutors Support Center
(Centro de Apoio das Promotorias de Justiça do Meio Ambiente do
Ministério Público), having 45 prosecutors under his direction
distributed throughout the state to deal with environmental laws and regulations.
Dr. Gregório was part of the Working Group involved with the State
Secretary of the Environment of the State of Mato Grosso in modifying and
amending the state law that instituted the Fund of Defense and Reparations
of Diffuse Interests and Good “Lesados.”
Mr. Jorge Luiz Bezerra da Silva Mr.
Jorge Bezerra da Silva is Regional Delegate of the Federal Police for the
state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. His extensive training in law enforcement
include studies in Orlando and New York City in the United States. Mr.
Bezerra da Silva has written extensively on law enforcement issues, including
articles on drugs, civil disobedience, and organized crime. Situated in
Mato Grosso, the Brazilian state where about one-third of the Pantanal
is located, Mr. Bezerra da Silva has first-hand experience with the legal
and enforcement situation with respect to the northern Pantanal. He has
received numerous awards and commendations for his work in law enforcement.
Mr. Reinaldo Francisco Ferreira Lourival (moderator) Mr.
Reinaldo Lourival is the Pantanal Coordinator for Conservation International
of Brazil. He is also coordinator of Projeto OCE (Oficinas de Capacitacão
em Ecoturismo), developed by the Conservation International Institute,
and is a consultant for the Organization of American States with respect
to Ecotourism in
Session
IV:
Dr. Wolfgang J. Junk Dr.
Wolfgang Junk is internationally known for his intensive and extensive
research in the Amazon floodplains for 25 years and for his River Flood-Pulse
theory to explain the structure and functioning of river-floodplain systems.
He has authored over 130 publications, largely on the ecology and management
of floodplain wetlands, Dr.
Thomas Crisman is Director of the Center for Wetlands at the University
of Florida, and a Professor with the University’s Department of Environmental
Engineering Sciences. Previously, he held the position of Associate Director
for Environmental Programs with the Center for African Studies of the University
of Florida.
Dr. James Fleming Dr.
James Fleming is Associate Professor of Science, Technology and Society
at Colby College (Maine), and a member of the Advisory Committee for the
College’s Environmental Studies Program. Dr. Fleming currently is also
serving as a Visiting Scholar in History of Science with Harvard University.
He likewise has held fellowships or served as visiting scholar at Yale
University, the Smithsonian Institution, M.I.T., and other prominent institutions.
Dr. Fleming’s research focus involves the history of science and the geophysical
sciences. Among the several books he has authored are Science, Technology
and the Environment: Multidisciplinary Perspectives; Meteorology in America,
1800-1870; and Historical Perspectives on Climate Change. Dr. Fleming also
holds the post of Chair of the History of Atmospheric Science Committee
of the American Meteorological Society. He is a member of the editorial
advisory board of the Joseph Henry Papers (Smithsonian Institution), a
member of the steering committee of the Forum for the History of Science
in America; and served for five years as the history editor of EOS: Transactions
of the American Geophysical Union. Dr. Fleming received a B.S. from Penn
State University, an M.S. from Colorado State University, and a M.A. and
Ph.D. from Princeton University.
Session
V:
Dr. Mário Dantas Dr.
Mário Dantas is Director (Chefe Geral) of the Center for Agricultural
Research on the Pantanal (CPAP), the research unit of EMBRAPA in the Pantanal
(Corumbá, MS). EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Dr.
Ronald Fortney is Professor of Environmental Science at Salem-Teikyo University
(Salem, WV). At Salem-Teikyo University, Dr. Fortney is a research faculty,
with research interests centering on plant community
Dr. Arnildo Pott Dr.
Arnildo Pott serves as a researcher (Pesquisador III) with the Center for
Agricultural Research on the Ms. Vali Joana Pott Ms.
Vali Joana Pott is a researcher with CPAP-EMBRAPA (Center for Agricultural
Research on the Pantanal-EMBRAPA). She serves also as a member of the Conselho
Superior (Upper Council) of the Brazilian Botanical Society, a member of
the Conselho Técnico Interno (Internal Technical Council) of the
Committee of Publications of CPAP, and as a member of the examiners of
doctoral and Master dissertations and theses in the areas of Botany and
Ecology for various universities. Ms. Pott is an authority on terrestrial
and aquatic plants of the Pantanal and has published widely in the fields
of botany, natural resources and ecology. She is co-author with Dr. Arnildo
Pott of the books, Plantas do Pantanal (1994), Plants of the Pantanal (1997)
and Plantas aquáticas do Pantanal (1999).
Professor Carlos B. Aguirre (Moderator) Professor
Carlos Aguirre is President of the National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia.
He is also Vice President of the League for the Defense of the Environment.
Dr. Aguirre serves as a Member of the Board of the Bolivian Ecology Foundation
and as a member of the National Council for Science and Technology. Trained
as a
Session
VI:
Mr. Douglas Trent is a respected conservationist, tropical ecologist, tour guide, author, photographer, environmental consultant, speaker and teacher. In 1980, Mr. Trent visited Brazil, and was so moved by the natural beauty and richness of its vast tropical habitats that he decided to move there. Soon after his arrival, he saw the other side of the coin: expansive deforestation and habitat destruction. In response to what he witnessed, he set up Focus Tours, a nature tour company with the goal of using tourism for environmental education and for raising funds for conservation work in the tropics. His conservation work was quickly endorsed by the National Audubon Society’s International Program, Friends of the Earth, the noted authors Dr. Norman Myers and Catherine Caufield, and the Director of Kew Gardens in London, Dr. Ghiliean Prance. His efforts have supplied binoculars to guards in the Pantanal wetlands, helped support the Caratinga Biological Station, provided data on wildlife populations to the Brazilian national parks department, and helped other significant projects. Mr. Trent is a founding member of the Rainforest Action Network, and he is recognized as one of the pioneers in the field of ecotourism. He has authored chapters in The Mother Earth Handbook and The Piracy in America, and delivered presentations to conservation organizations and universities in Brazil and the United States. Mr. Trent holds an Honors Degree in Environmental Sciences and Interpersonal Communications from the University of Kansas. Paper:
"Ecotourism in the Pantanal"
Hon. Paulo José Araújo Corrêa The
Honorable Paulo Corrêa is a state legislator (Deputado Estadual)
in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and Chairman of the legislature’s Committee
on the Environment. Previous to these positions, he served as Secretary
of State for Housing and Urban Development, Technical Director of the Financial
Property Corporation, and Technical Director of the Directrix Engineering
Corporation. Deputy Corrêa has written extensively on ecotourism
as it relates to Mato Grosso do Sul, the Brazilian state where about two-thirds
of the Brazilian Pantanal is located.
Dr. Ginger Smith (moderator) Dr. Ginger Smith is Visiting Associate Professor for Tourism Studies in the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at George Washington University, where she teaches courses on ecotourism, sustainable tourism development and tourism policy and planning. She also serves as Senior Policy and Sustainable Tourism Advisor at Hagler Bailly Services, an international energy management consulting firm. Dr. Smith has held the posts of founding Dean of the International School of Tourism and Hotel Management for Colegio Universitario del Este in Puerto Rico, and Senior International Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Planning with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Administration. Her distinguished professional and academic career includes extensive experience in natural resource protection and sustainable tourism development in natural areas. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in International Relations and International Communication from American University. She holds degrees from the University of Delaware and Cornell University, and has studied at Stanford University, Georgetown University and the Catholic University of Milan, Italy. Dr. Smith has published numerous scholarly articles in areas related to tourism, and received a number of awards for her accomplishments. Dr. Smith also has received widespread recognition as an outstanding track and field star, won election to the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and received the “Outstanding Athlete Award” from Cornell University Women’s Athletic Association, and served as President of Stanford University Women’s Athletic Association.
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