Carlos Alvarado Quesada, former President of Costa Rica and current Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy joined UConn Law for a discussion on Democracy, Human Rights, and Multilateralism in a Changing World. Quesada’s 2018-2022 term was a time of political polarization in Costa Rica, and he focused on issues such as moving away from the use of fossil fuels and establishing the right to same-sex marriage.
Quesada said he often hears young people expressing feelings of uncertainty and anxiety about our ever-changing world
and shared three main elements that he finds important to making change. The first is attitude and being prepared to confront challenges. The second is character and the ability to confront your own fear – Quesada shared the quote, “a calm sea will not make a good sailor.” The last is leadership. Quesada explained that we need leadership most when we do not know exactly what to do.
Quesada shared that Despite concerns shared across the globe, Quesada is hopeful for the future. That hope comes from the fact that when he was elected to the presidency, Costa Rica was highly polarized, yet since 2018 much progressive change has been made.
In 2019, Carlos Alvarado Quesada was named one of Times Magazine’s 100 Next Emerging Leaders. In 2020, he was given the Champion of the Earth Award, for individuals whose actions have had a transformative impact on the environment. Currently, he is a professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he teaches courses on diplomacy.