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Academic Forum for the New Constitution in Chile

Chile’s constitutional process is being closely watched across the world. Not only does reform offer a path out of the profound legitimacy crisis threatening Chilean democracy, but it offers Chileans an opportunity to build a more inclusive, participatory, and responsive democratic system. As such, the repercussions of Chile’s constitutional process will likely extend past its borders, to the region and beyond. Thanks to strong State institutions and an effective rule of law, any innovations produced by Chile’s Constitutional Convention will likely have an enduring influence in the country’s legal and political foundations.

Through the constitutional drafting process – and beyond – DRCLAS will provide a platform for open and high-caliber debate on critical issues facing Chileans as they rethink and redesign their constitution. This platform will develop through webinars, colloquia, substantive contributions to the constitutional discussions and, in general, a process of academic companionship to the fundamental institutions, rights and obligations debate. As the Foro strives to make a contribution to reaching consensuses, it will not shy away from hosting representatives from different points of view and political visions.

Aimed at an audience not only domestic but extending beyond Chile to include at least the rest of Latin America and the United States, the Foro will bring together scholars, practitioners, and opinion leaders from across the political spectrum — and across the world – to debate issues such as social rights and the future of Chile’s famed economic model, how to restore legitimacy to a political system that has lost public trust, the promise and limitations of a “green and sustainable” constitution, the potential role of direct and participatory democratic institutions, and how to improve democratic representation, especially of women, indigenous communities, and other historically under-represented minorities.

Webinars

Launch: Academic Forum for the New Constitution in Chile

Keynote Speaker: Steven Levitsky, Harvard University, Co-author of How Democracies Die, New York Times Best-Seller that has been published in 22 languages

Speakers: Claudia Heiss, Universidad de Chile, Author of Why do We Need a New Constitution?; Sebastián Soto, Author of National Congress and Legislative Process. Theory and Practice

Moderated by: Juan Pablo Luna, Author of Instead of Optimism. Crisis of Political Representation in Chile Today

View Event

Constituent Elections in Chile: How to Provide Representation during a Representation Crisis?

Friday, January 29th, 10:30 am ET (12:30 Chile Time)

This talk will be held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.

International Panelists:

  • Kenneth Roberts, Binenkorb Director of the Latin American Studies Program, Richard J. Schwartz Professor, Department of Government, Cornell University.
  • Jennifer Piscopo, Associate Professor of Politics, Affiliate Faculty, Latin American and Latino/a Studies, Occidental College.

National Panelists: 

  • Isabel Aninat, Dean School of Law, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez.
  • Verónica Figueroa, Professor of the Institute of Public Affairs (INAP), Universidad de Chile.
  • Manuel Antonio Garretón, Professor Sociology Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de Chile; National Award for Humanities and Social Sciences of Chile (2007). 

Moderated by: Claudio Fuentes, Professor, Universidad Diego Portales; Constitutional Laboratory Coordinator, Universidad Diego Portales.

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Constitutional Change and Social Demands: Can the Gap be Closed?

Friday, March 19th, 11:00 am ET (12:00 Chile Time)

This talk will be held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.

International Panelist: 

  • Daniel Brinks, Professor of Government and of Law and Chair of the Government Department, University of Texas-Austin.

National Panelists: 

  • Rossana Castiglioni, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and History, Universidad Diego Portales.
  • Yanira Zúñiga, Professor of the Institute of Public Law, Universidad Austral de Chile.
  • Marisol Peña, Professor of Constitutional Law, Department of Public Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica. 

Moderated by:  Sebastián Soto, Professor, Public Law Department; Director of the Public Law Department, School of Law, Universidad Católica.

Vew Event

Why should you care about the Convention's regulation?

Tuesday, May 4th, 6:30 pm ET / Chile Time

This talk will be held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.

Welcoming Remarks:

  • Steven Levistky, Director, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies; Professor of Government, Harvard University.

Keynote Speakers:

  • Rosalind Dixon, Professor of Law and Director of the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney, and co-president of the International Society of Public Law.
  • Sergio Verdugo, Researching Professor, School of Law, Universidad del Desarrollo, and Deputy Secretary-General of the International Society of Public Law (ICON-S).

Panelists:

  • Javiera Ascencio de la Fuente, Lawyer, Associate Researcher and Coordinator of the Project on Regulation for the Convention,  Rumbo Colectivo Studies Center.
  • Gabriel Osorio, Administrative Law Professor, Universidad Andrés Bello, former Member of the Constitutional Process’ Technical Commission.

Moderated by: Claudia Heiss, Professor at Institute of Public Affairs (Instituto de Asuntos Públicos, INAP) Universidad de Chile / COES.

View Event

chile webinar junio imagen

The New Constitution and the Chilean Economy: A Break with the Past?

Wednesday, June 16th, 9:30 am ET / Chile Time

This talk will be held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.

Welcoming Remarks:

  • Steven Levistky, Director, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies; Professor of Government, Harvard University.

Keynote Speakers:

  • Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School.

Panelists:

  • Rodrigo Vergara, Senior Researcher CEP, Fmr. President Central Bank, Chile and Research Fellow, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School.
  • Rodrigo Valdés, Associate Professor School of Government, Universidad Católica and Former Minister of Finance of Chile.
  • Claudia Sanhueza, Director of the Center for Economics and Social Policies, Universidad Mayor, Economist and Advisor for Frente Amplio.

Moderated by: Cristián Rodríguez-Chiffelle, DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar 2021-2022.

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Organized by

Chile Regional Office and Andes & Southern Cone Program

Chile Regional Office and Andes & Southern Cone Program

 

With the collaboration of

School of Law, Universidad Católica

School of Government, Universidad Católica

Institute of Political Science, School of History, Geography and Political Science, Universidad Católica

Institute of Public Affairs, Universidad de Chile

Instituto Milenio Fundamentos de los Datos

Constitutional Laboratory, Universidad Diego Portales

Harvard Chilean Student Association

Sponsored by

Luksic Scholars Foundation logoThe Luksic Scholars Foundation was established in Chile in 2020 with the purpose of promoting continuous education and connecting professionals, educators and students, mainly from Chile, who have benefited from educational scholarships supported by the Luksic Family over the past 20 years. Through the promotion of education, the Foundation also seeks to contribute to the creation of a committed, international community that will mutually benefit from long-term connections.

Read More About The Foundation

Consistent with these objectives, the Foundation has decided to financially support an academic activity developed by Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) in relation to Chile’s process of drafting a new constitution. The role of the Luksic Scholars Foundation in the context of this academic forum is solely to provide funding for DRCLAS to carry out this initiative.

The Luksic Scholars Foundation has no involvement in the appointment of the forum participants, and therefore, is and remains independent from the deliberations or conclusions produced by it, since none of them, nor the opinions of the participants, are necessarily shared by the Foundation itself nor its representatives.

Advisory Committee Members

View Members

Chile Advisory Committee

Organizers:

  • Steve Levitsky, Director, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS)
  • Marcela Renteria, Chile Regional Office, Executive Director, DRCLAS
  • Jimena Codina, Andes & Southern Cone Program Manager, DRCLAS

Harvard University

  • Cristián Rodríguez Chiffelle – Fmr Head of Trade and Investment Policy, World Economic Forum; Fmr Executive Director, InvestChile. DRCLAS Associate 2020-2021
  • Manuel Ossa, Harvard Business School, MBA 2021, Harvard Association of Chilean Students, HACHS

Constitutional Laboratory, Universidad Diego Portales

  • Claudio Fuentes –Professor, Universidad Diego Portales; Constitutional Laboratory Coordinator, Universidad Diego Portales; DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar, 2010-11

Institute of Public Affairs, Universidad de Chile:

  • Claudia Heiss –Professor and Head of Political Science Department of the Institute of Public Affairs (Instituto de Asuntos Públicos, INAP), Universidad de Chile
  • Verónica Figueroa – Professor of the Institute of Public Affairs (INAP), Universidad de Chile, DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar, 2019-2020

Universidad Católica:

School of Government

  • Juan Pablo Luna – Professor, School of Government and Institute of Political Science, Universidad Católica, DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar, 2012-13

School of Law

  • Sebastián Soto – Professor, Public Law Department; Director of the Public Law Department, School of Law, Universidad Católica; DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar, 2013-14

Institute of Political Science, School of History, Geography and Political Science

  • Sol Serrano – National History Award 2018; History Professor, Universidad Católica; DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar, 2008-09

Instituto Milenio Fundamentos de los Datos:

  • Juan Pablo Luna – Professor, School of Government and Institute of Political Science Universidad Católica, DRCLAS Luksic Visiting Scholar, 2012-13

News/Noticias

Publications

In recent months, there has been intense activity of public deliberation and information surrounding Chile's constituent process. Listed below are some of the publications and initiatives of think tanks, universities, civil society organizations, and social movements that are part of this discussion.
Publications  are mainly in Spanish 

 

Advisory Committee

 

Online Resources

Online Survey

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