Great Conversations: The Global Economic Crisis

Hernando de Soto is a Peruvian economist internationally known for his work on the informal economy and the importance of property rights. Praised by President Clinton as "the world's greatest living economist" and named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Forbes magazine, de Soto is the President of Peru's Institute for Liberty and Democracy, located in Lima.

J. Brian Atwood is the dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey
Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota. Among his past
leadership posts, he served as the administrator of the U.S. Agency for
International Development during the Clinton administration; as the leader of
the transition team at the State Department and as Under Secretary of State for
Management, also during the Clinton administration; and as a member of UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan's Panel on Peace Operations.

Note: Date changed to May 18.

A dessert reception with the speakers follows the conversation.