Audio: Santiago's Children Book Launch

May 13, 2008

On May 13, AS/COA hosted the book launch of Santiago's Children written by Steven Reifenberg. In this memoir, Reifenberg found himself in the early 1980s working at a small orphanage in a poor neighborhood in Santiago, Chile, where a determined woman was trying to create a stable home for a dozen or so children who had been abandoned or abused. He became a foster father to kids who stretched his capacities for compassion and understanding in ways he never could have imagined back in the United States. The book interweaves the story of the orphanage with the broader national and international forces that dramatically impact the lives of the kids.

Download an mp3 of the discussion.

In a panel discussion, speakers commented on Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship and how Chile moved forward amid political and economic turmoil. Panelists included:

Steve Reifenberg, Author and Director, Harvard University David Rockefeller for Latin American Studies Regional Office, Santiago

Pablo Bachelet, Latin American Correspondent, The Miami Herald and author of the Santiago's Children book review in the Americas Quarterly Spring 2008 issue.

Patricio Navia, Master Teacher and Adjunct Assistant Professor, New York University and Professor, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile

Christopher Sabatini, Senior Director of Policy, AS/COA and Editor-in Chief, Americas Quarterly (Moderator)

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