The William J. Perry Center

The William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC) (Perry Center) is a product of the Defense Ministerial of the Americas (DMA) process that began in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1995. Latin American civilian and military defense officials expressed deep concerns over the relative lack of civilians prepared to deal knowledgeably with defense and military issues in their countries. In response, U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry proposed creating a regional center to address this problem during the second Defense Ministerial held at Bariloche, Argentina, in 1996. Secretary Perry envisioned an educational center tailored to the unique requirements of the Western Hemisphere where many countries wished to strengthen civilian defense and security leadership in revitalized democracies.