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AC STUDENTS HEAR SOME VIEWS ON GLOBALIZATION
By Joyce Godwin

HERALD DEMOCRAT

Students of the Posey Leadership Institute at Austin College spent a couple of hours with Dr. John Carrier Monday listening to his views on globalization and the study of worldwide mortality of children. Carrier is Director of Policy Studies at the American Center for International Policy Studies who sponsored the free seminar. He has a special interest in the area of developing methods and programs to alleviate world poverty and hunger.

"There are nearly 900 million people today suffering from severe malnutrition," Carrier said. "And, in the past 50 years, 400 million people have died from preventable causes. One of the problems Carrier presented was an astounding mortality rate among children under the age of 5. He said it is referred to as the silent holocaust. Every year 11 million children die from preventable diseases. It breaks down to 916,666 every month, 211,538 weekly, 30,219 every day, 1,259 every hour, 21 every minute and one every three seconds.

The search for solutions has to overcome the myths that general economic growth will resolve the problem gradually or private charities and public generosity will resolve the problems, Carrier explained. The U.S. is considered the most generous nation on earth but compared to 28 other countries, the U.S. is in last place. While this country gives the most dollars, when compared to the amount of income of the country, the rate of donations is only 0.11 percent.


A lively question and answer period followed Carrier's presentation. Students asked pointed questions about world policies compared to the international policies of the U.S. and Professor Shelly Williams also joined in the conversations.

Carrier has a broad background in business management and grant program management. He has earned a bachelor of science at the University of Houston; bachelor of divinity and masters of theology at Southwestern Theological Seminary; master of arts from the University of North Texas and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University. He has served as professor of history and vice president for Academic Affairs at Concord College; professor of history, president and CEO of West Virginia University Institute of Technology and special consultant to the president of Texas A&M University.

The American Center for International Policy Studies is interested in refugees throughout the world, hunger and poverty, ethnic conflict and issues related to the protection of women and children from violence and preventable death. AMCIPS' purpose is to heighten awareness among people who can make a difference. Carrier suggested the leadership group are doctors and lawyers and community leaders of the future and it's important to help individuals such as these understand the dilemmas around the globe.

President of AMCIPS Ted Hoeller said the company is non-profit and wants to provide valuable input and information helpful to the promotion of stable, successful economies, open democratic societies, healthful environments, humane governments and sustainable global growth. "We sponsor and encourage debates without advocacy of positional representation," Hoeller said. "We promote and disseminate factual information and establish venues for the intellectual presentation of these issues."

The Center is not attached to any other group. It relies on three specific areas for funding; grants, donations and revenues from conferences, seminars and publications.

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