Valuing Humanity in Times of Change

On Thursday, Oct. 2, the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) hosted the 34th President of Colombia Iván Duque Márquez. The Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas welcomed Duque Márquez as their latest speaker who presented on the promise of cross-border cooperation and humanistic leadership in the Americas as part of their “Leaders of the Americas Speaker Series.”

UIW students and staff from the Broadway campus gathered in the Diane Bennack Concert Hall and were joined by members of UIW’s Mexico-based campuses and Global Online via livestream.

“The Lewis Center is designed to serve as a central resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, expand business opportunities and develop policy options,” noted Dr. Richard Pineda, director of the Lewis Center. “Bringing a former head of state to campus is exactly what the Lewis Center was developed to do.”

University President Dr. Thomas M. Evans also joined the event, further emphasized the mission of the Lewis Center and the significance of hosting these unique events. “When we remain isolated, unwilling to listen, unable to reach across borders, we cannot come together and find solutions so that we may meaningfully respond to the challenges that face us today … Through transformative Catholic education, we hope to instill in our students a deep respect for humanity, the vision to see the presence of God in one another, a desire to serve the intellectual curiosity, to keep seeking truth and education and preparation to put this into action for the benefit of all.”

Duque Márquez was met with applause and cheers as he walked on stage, smiling at the many attendees who came to hear his presentation. He began his speech by encouraging the audience to reflect on present society, hoping they would simultaneously feel optimistic and cautious for the future. He emphasized that in times of great change, our shared humanity is one of our greatest strengths in shaping the future.

“Thomas Jefferson used to say that when too many people think alike, there's not too much thinking going on,” referenced Duque Márquez. “It is important to exchange ideas if we don't think the same, because that will open the opportunity for us to gather, to bridge the divide, to think thoroughly and think in a much better way towards the future.”

During his presentation, Duque Márquez addressed relevant societal topics such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI), social media, migration, poverty and more. Additionally, he spoke on his experiences of being a younger political leader during a time of rapid change in Colombia. Based on his own experiences, he shared multiple leadership points that can be applied in many circumstances that he hoped would benefit attendees.

“The only way in which we're going to … make the right decisions is by being more humanistic in the way we prepare ourselves, in the way we manage, in the way we act,” expressed Duque Márquez. “I think the best guideline is to think of stoic intelligence ... In every action I try to do my best.”