Study Group with Amb. Mari Carmen Aponte: U.S. Strategy in a Rising Global South

Study Group with Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte: Power, Presence, and Pushback: U.S. Strategy in a Rising Global South

GUEST: The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, 78th Secretary of the United States Navy

This study group will explore how the rise of the Global South is transforming the international order – and what this means for U.S. strategy. A central focus will be the role of the U.S. military in shaping global norms, projecting power, and responding to new challenges. While U.S. presence has been considered a stabilizing force, it is increasingly questioned in regions where countries are asserting greater autonomy and demanding new forms of partnership.

We will explore how military power intersects with diplomacy, development, and governance, and how it influences key debates, such as Security guarantees and humanitarian intervention.

Our discussions will ask how U.S. strategy can adapt to a world where emerging powers are not only resisting over reach, but also refining the terms of engagement. The aim is to understand how the Global South’s rise challenges long held assumptions about U.S. presence, but at the same time, opens opportunities for new models of cooperation and alliance building.

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.