After drug traffickers murdered his son last year, Mexican poet Javier Sicilia founded the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity in Mexico. Since then, he has been traversing that country accompanied by a caravan of families also affected by Mexico"s drug violence. Together they are challenging leaders to take responsibility for the violence and human suffering caused by existing government policies. This summer, Sicilia is leading a similar caravan through two dozen U.S. cities, from San Diego to Washington, D.C, raising awareness about Mexico"s national emergency and the role the United States plays in it. Rice University"s Baker Institute, Américas Research Center and Department of Hispanic Studies will host a conversation between this important social activist and a panel of experts to discuss the current state of Mexico"s and the United States" drug policies, as well as to shed light on the human cost of these endeavors.
