By: Suyapa Ajuria.
For Vallarta Today,

Sticky Fingers and all the people who accompanied us to the dump, it gave us great pleasure to share with more than 350 children and most of all to see their happy faces when we played the games and gave the toys and gifts to the winners of the very difficult contests ļ The children' s day event was also supported by companies such as Alaska Airlines and Starbucks to name a few.

Vallarta Today wants to give thanks to each one of you who came to the event or who in some way or another

supported us, without you this event would not have enjoyed the success that we had, We would also like to give a special thank you to Mr. Scott Breitag and Jose Omar Sanchez for their big contribution that took us over the top to be sure to have enough toys for all the children! Thanks again and we will keep you informed of any upcoming event

By: Suyapa Ajuria. On April 21 a charity event was held for the purpose of collecting toys and donations for the children of the dump (as this April 30th, Mexico celebrates the day of the child). This event was held at Sticky Fingers, when we proposed our project to Luis Homero Rodriguez Avalos, owner of Sticky Fingers. He did not hesitate to accept to offer his restaurant for the event, he believes that children are the future of our country and it is our obligation to help for this to happen

At the same time I will like to take this opportunity to thanks Mr. Tom Egan, publisher of Vallarta Today for sponsoring this event. Mr. Egan is known to all of us for his noble heart, especially when it comes to help our children. Without these two gentlemen the event would not have had the success we had and allowed us to achieve our purpose. We also like to highlight for you that in this event we had the presence of people from different countries like: Chile, USA, Italy, Honduras and Canada.

We want to tank all of you for coming and I hope that you all will continue accompanying us on our upcoming events. Through this newspaper we like to do an extensive invitation to join us this Saturday April 28 to deliver all the toys collected. We plan to meet at Sticky Fingers at 9:00 AM we all leaving from Sticker Finger in caravan

We can make the difference! For our children's future

By:Philip Humbert.

As I get older, I'm struck by our fascination with the new,
the complex, the difficult and the unlikely. It seems the
more complicated we make our lives, the more excited we
become, as if keeping a complex life from flying apart is
proof of our ability to juggle.

I've been reading lots of history, and I'm struck by how
simple life was before we had so many labor-saving devices
to help us!

Now, to be clear, I'm not suggesting we go back to life
before cable news or microwaves! Heaven forbid! Would life
be worth living without an iPod, a cell phone or Facebook?!
Get real, people!

But somehow people did live well, find happiness, make love,
raise children, build successful enterprises and laugh, even
in "the old days." Even before computers, some people knew
things, did things, built things and lived long, happy
lives. Imagine!

Every time I mention these things before a live audience,
someone immediately objects that "they didn't have the level
of competition we face." And someone else chimes in that
"you have to keep up" and the resident humorist always has a
crack that, "if it wasn't for Facebook my kids wouldn't even
know me!"

The distinction I try to make is the key difference between
the tools we use because they serve us, and the things we
are persuaded we "must" do. We are blessed with access to a
great many wonderful tools, and when we use them well and
skillfully, they make our lives so much better! They make us
more productive. They open doors. They let us compete on a
global scale and achieve success unimagined in earlier
times.

But when these gadgets and services, these machines and
devices begin to take over our lives, they can crowd out joy
and make life a living hell.

I was once in a crucial meeting with a client. I flew across
country to meet with his team and considerable time, money
and effort was at stake. But during the meeting, his
"smartphone" rang and buzzed and chimed continuously. He
was distracted, and so was his staff. While he may have been
impressed with his own importance, a key reason for the
under-performance of his business was obvious! Nothing got
done! Everyone was constantly "multi-tasking" and everything
was half-done, incomplete and scattered. That's no way to
run a business!

I keep coming back to the basics.

We do our best, and achieve peak performance when things are
clear, simple, and straight-forward.

What are the basics in your life?

While everyone's life is different, in most cases there
really are a handful of "the usual suspects." Life is about
solid, loving relationships. It's about a job well-done.
It's about good food, a little exercise, good health, and
lots of fun. The basics usually include managing our
finances well. And having time to rest. The good life
includes time for spirituality and clarity about who we
are, where we're going and what we value in life.

The basics don't really change very much. Yes, the tools
change and the "means" of production and the skills we need
change over time and we need to keep up. But the purpose and
priorities of life don't change.

This week, take an hour to sit quietly and list your basics.

Get a pad of paper and list them. Who are the key people in
your life? Do they know you love them? Have you told them
and shown them recently? What are your two or three key
goals or priorities? Do these things get the bulk of your
time? What are the key results you absolutely must achieve
at work, at home, and in your personal life? Do these key
results get your time and attention, every single day?

I'm reminded of the old Bible story about Jesus' visit to
the home of Mary and Martha. One of them was busy and
scattered, hustling to get dinner and make the party a
success. The other sat quietly with her visitor, getting to
know him. And I note that Jesus observed that the quiet
conversation had more meaning and more significance than all
the clatter of pots and pans and fancy foods.

Being busy is not the same as being productive.

Latin American countries have to resist protectionism and look forward to piecemeal progress in global trade talks as the Doha Round has been stalled for years, policy-makers, academics and business executives said on the eve of a meeting of G20 trade ministers in Puerto Vallarta.

"We hope to confront the protectionist threat in the continent," said Pablo Longueira Montes, Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism of Chile. Countries that have recently adopted protectionist measures are also the ones that are less integrated in the global supply chain, he said.

The single undertaking is now blocking progress in global trade talks, according to Bernard Hoekman, Director, International Trade Department, World Bank, Washington DC. "No one wants to speak about Doha now, but things are moving. Now we are playing different formulas," said Beatriz Leycegui Gardoqui, Senior Fellow, Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM), Mexico. Among them, she mentioned trade facilitation. "Trade is being liberalized on a piecemeal basis. There has been a proliferation of agreements in recent years," said Leycegui Gardoqui, who was previously Mexican Undersecretary for Foreign Commerce. Mexico and some Andean countries (Chili, Colombia, Peru) are now forming a new Pacific Alliance, and 11 countries have joined a new Pacific Arc initiative, which may not lead to a single trade agreement but to a set of trade preferences among countries.

Longueira Montes said the Chile's economy has reaped the benefits of its policies. "We have opened our economy to the world in the past 30 years with a unilateral shift to cut tariffs and we have never had a more important period of growth in the past." Eighty per cent of products made in Chile are linked to foreign trade, he said. Chile's income per capita stood at US$ 17,000 last year, and the government aims to increase this to US$ 22,000-24,000 in the medium term thanks to liberalizing policies.

Asked what advice he would give to G20 trade ministers who are going to meet tomorrow in Puerto Vallarta, Michael R. McAdoo, Vice-President, International Trade, Bombardier Aerospace, Canada, said: "They should work with the guys that study glaciers, because they seem to be working at the same speed." But he said there are specific areas of trade that are less controversial and that he would "support any effort to pick these off."

"It is important to change speed, but things are working in the right direction," said Leycegui Gardoqui

The seaside city of Puerto Vallarta is currently hosting the 2012 World Economic Forum on Latin America until the 18th of April. The meeting, held under the theme "Regional Transformation in a New Global Context", has registered a record number of participants for this gathering, with close to 900 top regional and global leaders from 70 nations visitng the desitnation.

"Puerto Vallarta is pleased to welcome so many prominent leaders to its shores," said Guillermo Ohem, General Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. "Our city is well-prepared to host an event of this magnitude, and we offer the infrastructure necessary to ensure its success."

An "extreme makeover" has occurred in Puerto Vallarta; the historic downtown has just completed a six-year urban renewal program along the waterfront. Continued improvements include a second tunnel on the Libramiento slated for completion in 2012; the construction of the third bridge over the Ameca River, which connects Vallarta to Banderas Bay, the new Los Muertos pier which is currently in process and the upgrade of Highway 200 to make Puerto Vallarta more easily accessible is also in the works.

The recently expanded and renovated "Gustavo Díaz Ordaz" International Airport (PVR) offers excellent connectivity on commercial carriers from Guadalajara, Monterrey, Toluca, Mexico City and major U.S airports. Charters arrive daily from Canada, the U.S and Europe as well as South America.

The new International Convention center was recently noted as meeting the highest requirements of the World Tourism Organization to hold international meetings in accordance with the guidelines set by the United Nations conventions system. The success of the convention center is a reflection of Puerto Vallarta's tourism infrastructure in general; high-quality hotels, professional golf courses, international restaurants, full-service marinas and outdoor activity areas, with everything backed by a high level of service.

Nearly 50% of the workforce is employed in tourist related industries: hotels, restaurants, personal services, and transportation. The municipality does however continue to have strong agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors. While the U.S. economy has created a downturn in overall tourism business, the other markets including Canada and Europe are still quite strong. The city's population has grown steadily, showing a growth of 3% in the ten years from 2000 to 2012, according to the Cuaderno Estadístico Municipal, making it the second-largest city in the state of Jalisco.

Puerto Vallarta garners ongoing acclaim for its varied attractions to travelers. It is a favorite destination for romance, proven by the thousands of weddings performed in the destination each year, and the recent awarding of "Most Romantic Place in Mexico 2012" as well as "Favorite Beach Destination 2012" by users of the site About.com. In 2011, Puerto Vallarta won the title of "Friendliest City in the World", as chosen by readers of the prestigious magazine Condé Nast Traveler. In 2010, Puerto Vallarta was named "Best Place to Retire in the World" by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). That same year, the city was named "Best Holiday

Destination in Mexico" by USNews.com.

Latin America needs to address challenges to its education system while embracing new challenges offered by technology if Latin American schools are to become a guarantee for a better future. Partnerships with private companies and public institutions may help address some of these challenges agreed at panel today at the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

"It's important not to let the government alone deal with the problem. The focus should be the society," said Felipe Vergara, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lumni, Colombia, a Social Entrepreneur who helps set up funds to finance education for low-income students in Latin American countries. "It is important to understand education as a national passion. We need to change the status of our teachers," he said, emphasizing the need for proper training of professionals in the education system.

Yet the gap between the quality of public and private education was criticized. "Public schools have to stop being the schools for the poor," said Esteban Bullrich, Minister of Education for the Federal Capital, Argentina, a Young Global Leader. He added that prejudice against state-run schools persists.

"In Chile, public schools disappeared. You need to place public education on the agenda ... the goal is to recover public education," Kenneth Giorgio Jackson Drago, Student Activist, Federación de Estudiantes Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile, a Global Shaper. "Talent is evenly and broadly distributed in society. But the [education] system is prejudicial to society," he said. The financing system for higher education sometimes means former students have to work in an area they did not choose just to repay their debts, he said.

The use of technology, computers and smart phones may also help break down the walls of traditional classrooms as teachers may be accessed by students outside the classroom, said Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice-President and President, Global Market Development, Qualcomm, USA. "Investments need to be redirected towards technology investment," she said. Nevertheless, Bullrich said: "The school will change its function in the future. But the teacher will never disappear."

Examples across Latin America have shown that there is little use in disseminating technology if teachers themselves are not properly trained, the panel agreed.

By: Philip Humbert.

In over fifteen years of TIPS, I think this is the first
time I've mailed one out on the dreaded "April 15th Tax
Day!" Fortunately, the Government has given us an extra
couple of days this year or I'd be concerned that people
would be so stressed about their tax returns that few would
take time to read this.

But of course, that would just be silly! TIPS subscribers
are, in measurable fact, so disciplined, so pro-active and
so organized that I'm sure all of you sent your taxes in
weeks ago and have already received and invested your
refunds! I'm really proud of you guys! So relax, pat
yourself on the back and enjoy this issue of TIPS!

In all seriousness, as a group, TIPS subscribers really
are different than the average newsletter subscriber,
and I truly am proud of you!

It fascinates me that whenever I compare notes with my
colleagues in the "newsletter business," my colleagues are
amazed at you guys! I've written about that before, but I
don't think I've ever explained exactly what I mean.

When my colleagues and I compare "open rates"--the number of
subscribers who actually read the letters--TIPS is always
far higher than others. Industry-wide, open rates seem to
hover around 8-15% of subscribers, but TIPS subscribers
consistently run above 25%, and sometimes over 40%!

Similarly, when we talk about how long the average
subscriber stays on the list, or when we talk about
"response rates"--how many people respond to offers or click
on links--TIPS subscribers are far more active than others.
And when we talk about the feedback we receive from
subscribers, and the sense of community that builds, my
colleagues are amazed (and, I suspect, intensely jealous)!

Which leads me to an ancient Japanese proverb that says,
"the way you pour a cup of tea is the way you do
everything."

The proverb says that it's very hard for an individual to be
responsible in some areas of life, but irresponsible in
others. People who are careful and thoughtful, professional
and ethical in some areas of life, are probably consistent
in other areas as well.

I've heard many employers say they can tell more about a
potential employee after one round of golf (their honesty,
integrity, consistency, courage, etc) than they can learn
through any interview or personality test. How they play
golf says a lot about a person! And I suspect that is true
of any activity that requires skill, honesty, integrity and
patience.

Which brings me back to TIPS subscribers.

We live in a culture that tends to emphasize all sorts of
comparisons. We compare ourselves with those who are "more
successful" than we are. We compare ourselves to people who
are thinner, who look younger, who have more money or whose
kids do better in school, and we judge ourselves harshly.
And sadly, the conceited or insecure among us sometimes
compare themselves to "losers" in an attempt to build
themselves up.

Either way, we "discover" our level of success by comparing
ourselves with others, and it doesn't always work out well.
Too often, in my opinion, we end up feeling we "should" have
more, do better, or be different than we are.

So, for this week, I'm here to tell you that if you
subscribe to TIPS, there is reason to suspect that you are,
in actual measurable fact, more successful, more responsible
and have more integrity than you give yourself credit for.
And, that is very good news!

In measuring your success, it is very important to be
accurate! If we misjudge too harshly, we undermine our
confidence and lose momentum. We may fail to give ourselves
adequate credit and become unnecessarily discouraged. We may
not aim high enough or reach far enough. We may limit
ourselves and that's not good.

And, of course, the opposite is also true. When we misjudge
ourselves to be more successful than the facts will support,
we can become complacent, over-confident or arrogant. And
that's a sure path to ultimate failure.

So, judge your success accurately and give yourself credit
wherever and whenever credit is justified! Most TIPS
subscribers are very smart. We are extremely well educated.
We are ambitious, talented, assertive and pro-active. These
are good things! And they predict very good things for the
future!

By:Patrizia Ryan

In 2006, the mission discovered that whole families were living and working in the city dump overlooking the resort of Puerto Vallarta, in Mexico. They knew of no other way of life as some families had been living there for many generations. Their children were not registered and were not able to obtain birth certificates as they had no official address, so the children could not go to school. Their futures were bleak.

The mission named the road at the base of the dump "Hope Road" and numbered each shanty to create an address for each of the children so they could register for their birth certificates. The mission then introduced the school sponsorship program in August of 2007, thirty children were sponsored into the public school system and started school, many for the first time.

The mission deliver 175-200 grocery bags that consist of much needed food items every Friday. This Food Bag consists of beans, rice, potatoes, tuna, and a variety of other items which are changed regularly for variety. The mission also deliver sandwiches, fruit and water to all recyclers and their families on Wednesday mornings. The mission also distribute bottled water to all recyclers 5 days a week.

The mission project distribute donated clothing, shoes, and school supplies to the registered recyclers' families and families from the surrounding communities.

The mission works directly with 225 registered recyclers and their families who live at the base of the city dump and in the village of Majesterio. The mission developed strong personal relationships with the registered recyclers and their families as well as with the committee governing the registered recyclers. This committee was also instrumental in helping the mission provide programs and services. Their input was essential so that we respected the traditional and cultural differences of their people.These relationships provided the mission with an intimate and unique insight to assist the families and recyclers at the city dump. Home visits and family assessments were an integral part of this program.

The mission also established a communications system with the regional hospital together with the community health programming to arrange for vaccinations for all children and also tetanus shots for all the recyclers. This working relationship with the local health program has been very beneficial for the families as we have seen by the changes in the children's health.
A co-op store has been introduced here the mission buys articles to resell to the families at cost to teach them to manage their own money. Our Food Bank dispenses basic nutritious necessities for sustenance, whereas most of the articles in the store are non-essentials, such as cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, sweet treats which encourages them to make their own money in order to afford these extras.

The mission has also introduced incentives for the children and parents that excellent attendance and performance in the public school system. A scholarship fun has been established for secondary school and university students. This allows the mission to move the families towards total self-sufficiency and independence in the future and also to prepare them to move into the new housing development that is currently in the final planning stages. The families are now living at the base of the dump along Hope Road, no longer in the dump itself, but we still have more work to do so that they have clean, modern, sanitary homes to live in.

Our mission is funded solely by the generous donations of individuals and businesses. Without your support the mission would be unable to fund these programs. Without our help, the children and young adults would never have the opportunity to pursue their education and their dreams.

Please consider donating today. You can designate your donation amount to a specific program, for a scholarship, school sponsorship, or the mission will designate donated funds to where the greatest need is currently.

More than 250 leaders from business, government and civil society are meeting in Mexico for the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders Annual Summit.

The participants, all of whom are under the age of 40 when selected and successful in their own fields, represent the future of leadership. They come from 59 countries worldwide and include business leaders, policy-makers, social entrepreneurs, artists and journalists. They share a commitment to work as a community to shape a more positive, peaceful and prosperous society.

The programme of the Annual Summit includes sessions aimed at producing global public policy recommendations. Participants are encouraged to examine complex systems with the aim of identifying where they can intervene with solutions to global challenges.

Young Global Leaders are actively engaged in launching and leading initiatives that enable them to learn from and with each other; build knowledge and engender a better understanding of global challenges and trends, risks and opportunities; and further enhance their role as leaders within their own organizations.

"One of the unique aspects of the Young Global Leaders Community is that it is the first generation of leaders who are truly global citizens; they have all lived, studied and worked in different countries throughout their careers," said David Aikman, Head of The Forum of Young Global Leaders.

"They see themselves as being fundamentally interconnected and have the cross-cultural leadership skills to be successful in a globalized world. Thanks to the incredible diversity of the group, they are able to collaborate across complex systems and build informal coalitions to facilitate action on the biggest challenges facing the world today. This entrepreneurial approach to public good is the best way to move the world forward," he added.

The Young Global Leaders Annual Summit is being held in conjunction with the World Economic Forum on Latin America.

Advance preparations for logistics and security at the International Convention Centre in Puerto Vallarta are underway for the World Economic Forum for the Americas which will be held from the16th to the 18th of this month. Director Patricia Farias said that the infrastructure is designed to receive large events continuously such as the Tourism Tianguis and upcoming Forum.
She said advance parties of organizers are already here who are coordinating logistics, preparations, control and security scenarios needed for the political leaders, businessmen and personalities participating in the World Economic Forum.

On the event's website it was announced that the opening meeting Monday, April 16, will be chaired by Daniel Servitje, Bimbo director, Juan Jose Suarez, Coppel, Pemex, Martin Senn, Zurich Financial Services, Sally Blount, dean of the business school at Northwestern University, Prince Haakon of Norway, and Jeffrey Joerres, the CEO of Manpower.

President Felipe Calderon will offer a cultural dinner for the leaders present with music performed by the National Symphony Orchestra. The meeting will be accompanied by a Sustainability Summit and a meeting of Ministers of Economy and Trade.
The website notes that this year it is particularly important that Mexico is host to the World Economic Forum because we have the presidency of the G20. The 2012 edition is titled "The Regional Transformation in a New Global Context."

To prepare for the discussions in Mexico and the relevance of this event, the forum will launch a campaign called "Ask a Leader" where people can upload to YouTube a question to be answered by the forum. Anyone can post a question on the channel,

wef.ch/askaleader on YouTube. The forum will devote resources and leaders who will go to Puerto Vallarta to answer the questions.
It was also announced that the World Economic Forum has announced its Young Global Leaders (YGLs) for 2012, recognizing the speaker including Venezuelan Maickel Melamed.

The international organization recognizes up to 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to help shape the future of the world. This appointment is awarded annually to leaders around the world who are under 40 years old.

visitpuertovallarta.com

By Arlene Pervin.

It was a night of great sax, saxophone sounds, that is, along with a fusion of sound from the Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars, who recently performed at the Paradise Community Centre, in Puerto Vallarta.

An enthusiastic and appreciative audience recently listened to some outstanding jazz. The exquisite riffs of saxophone player Bryan Savage was worth the price of admission. With renditions of "Georgia", "What's Going On" and "Moonlight" the band featured Tom Lilienthal on bass guitar, Charles "Chas" Eller on keyboards, Bryan Savage on alto sax and flute and Lazalo Poey on drums.
Each of the band members displayed their individual musicianship in extensive solos throughout the evening.
Cuban drummer Lazalo Poey, rocked the drums and flutist and sax player Bryan Savage brought the audience to standing O's with his improvisational flute piece and his superb sax notes. Keyboardist, Charles Eller and bass guitarist Tom Lilienthal melded in melodic tones and "Europa", the final number showed their consummate musicianship. These musicians have played on the international scene and have cut their musical chops with greats like Santana and others.

Although, usually booked at other venues in Nuevo Vallarta, Sayulita and San Pancho, the band had wanted to play in Vallarta for some time. The Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars were well received by music and jazz lovers. Due to the enthusiasm of the crowd that evening, another engagement might be in the works for this band at the Paradise Community Centre.

Don't miss a night of great sax!

The seventh World Economic Forum on Latin America will take place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on 16-18 April 2012. The meeting, held under the theme "Regional Transformation in a New Global Context", will convene a record number of participants for this regional gathering, with close to 900 top regional and global leaders from 70 nations.

With the full support of the Government of Mexico and the Forum's key Strategic Partners, the World Economic Forum on Latin America will convene key decision-makers from government, industry, civil society and academia. Leaders will shape a strategic vision for the region's growth, gain understanding of its global potential and align stakeholders around that vision to inspire its realization.

Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico, will open this year's World Economic Forum on Latin America. The programme is designed to develop insights on the priorities of the region's agenda and is built on three thematic pillars: Rebalancing Global Economic Recovery; Rising Capabilities towards Regional Transformation; and Creating Innovative Models for a Sustainable Future.

"We need to shape a vision and encourage a strong commitment and collaborative action across generations to transform the region and achieve its full global potential." said Marisol Argueta de Barillas, Senior Director, Head of Latin America, World Economic Forum; "We would like to align different stakeholders in recognizing the region's powerful potential, understanding its risks and finding innovative ways to respond adequately to Latin America's current and future challenges."

The Co-Chairs of the meeting reflect the international character of the participants: Sally Blount, Dean, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA; H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Prince of Norway; Jeffrey Joerres, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ManpowerGroup, USA; Martin Senn, Group Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Insurance Group, Switzerland; Daniel Servitje, Chief Executive Officer, Grupo Bimbo, Mexico; and Juan Jose Suarez Coppel, Chief Executive Officer, Pemex - Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico.

Public figures participating in this year's meeting include five heads of state or government: Désiré Bouterse, President of the Republic of Suriname, Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico, Ricardo Martinelli, President of Panama, Otto Perez Molina, President of Guatemala and Mariano Rajoy Brey, Prime Minister of Spain.

Additional public figures participating in this year's meeting include Bruno Ferrari Garcia de Alba, Secretary of the Economy of Mexico; Pablo Longueira Montes, Minister of Economic, Development and Tourism of Chile; Karel De Gucht, Commissioner for Trade, European Commission; Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); José Miguel Insulza, Secretary-General, Organization of American States (OAS); Alicia Barcena Ibarra, Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Luis A. Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank; Marlene Malahoo Forte, Senator, Jamaica; Alejandro Poiré Romero, Secretary of the Interior of Mexico; Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico; and Arthur G. Mutambara, Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

Latin America is notable for its stability and innovative social, agriculture and renewable energy achievements. As such, the region is providing new models to address the future course of world affairs.

With projected 3.5% economic growth for 2012 and a population of 110 million – with 50% under 27 years of age – Mexico has outstanding potential and attracts impressive levels of investment. In 2012, the country will hold presidential elections and chair the G20. Development and financial resilience, food security, employment and green growth are at the top of the agenda.

In Brazil, the Rio+20 Summit will address sustainable development at the global level; and in Colombia, the sixth Summit of the Americas will focus on the connectivity and regional cooperation as a means to overcome the hemisphere's challenges.

For the first time, the Young Global Leaders (YGLs) Annual Meeting and YGL Alumni Summit will be hosted in Latin America. The Summit will bring more than 300 YGLs and alumni from more than 69 countries. The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a multistakeholder community of exceptional young leaders between the ages of 30 and 40 who share a commitment to address challenges of public interest with the objective of shaping a better future.

With the participation of the energy ministers of Latin America, the second Sustainable Growth Summit will also take place, and will be structured on three pillars: mobility, resources and energy. A meeting between the ministers of economy and anti-corruption officials from the G20 will take place immediately following the World Economic Forum on Latin America.