2025 MALAS CONFERENCE 

THEME

Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) politics and society are becoming more divisive, confrontational, and polarized, with levels not seen since the Cold War era.  Polarization has weakened the ability of democratic institutions to manage and resolve social and political conflicts from above, while most members of society from a diversity of economic and social backgrounds are looking impatiently for solutions to these problems.

Although recent scholarship suggests that growing polarization is a global trend integral to contemporary patterns of democratic “backsliding,” according to United Nations Development Program (UNDP) “LAC is the region in which polarization has increased the most in the last 20 years.”  Indeed, in 2023, LAC was reported as one of the most polarized regions in the world, second only to Eastern Europe and Central Asia (UNDP 2023).  Some of the root causes of regional polarization include economic inequality, social discrimination, and political extremism. 

In our rapidly evolving and interconnected world, LAC struggles to achieve consensus in the region and take the reins of its own geopolitical destiny. New US tariffs and policy changes are shuffling allegiances and rewriting trade contracts around the world, impacting governments, private companies, individuals, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) doing business in LAC. As global friendships change, who will be the beneficiaries and who will pay the price for new cooperative arrangements? Will LAC populations living in extreme poverty increase, while wealthy oligarchs enhance their wealth at the expense of the Latin American middle class? Or can new cooperative arrangements benefit the Latin American middle class and reduce poverty? What will be the impact on urban and rural housing and architecture? Will these changes be reflected in new literature and films? And what will be the positive or negative impacts of these new arrangements on population density, displacement and migration flows?

Building sustainable social protection systems in LAC, such as adopting broad-based social security mechanisms and introducing policies to reduce economic informality, international organized crime and political corruption, would help deal with socioeconomic vulnerabilities across the region. Institutional strength and inter-American cooperation can be enhanced through international organizations and NGOs. However, the role of grassroot movements, indigenous groups, feminist collectives, and youth activism cannot be overlooked. These actors play a crucial role in resisting authoritarian tendencies, advocating for inclusive policies, and fostering civic engagement beyond traditional power structures. Their mobilization efforts, whether through protest, digital activism, or community-led initiatives, highlight alternative pathways to democratic governance and transnational cooperation in the region.  

The 75th MALAS conference aims to promote collaboration among academics, students, and practitioners.  We hope to exchange ideas intended to strengthen democratic institutions, improve intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation, enhance cultural understanding and build social tolerance throughout the Americas and beyond. We are planning a Celebration of Life for our esteemed longtime former leader, Dr. Richard Millett, Friday evening followed by live music. We welcome contributions from all disciplines related to LAC. This is a conference not to be missed!