IDRC Bulletin - February 2014, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

February 2014

ENGLISH VERSION News / Calls and Awards / Recent and Upcoming Events / Project Publications and Articles

According to report on business spirit, entrepreneurs are among the happiest Entrepreneurs are among the happiest people in the world when measuring well-being and job satisfaction according to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Global Report 2013, launched last January in Santiago, Chile at the GEM annual meeting. GEM is the most complete study of themes related to business creation and business activity, which also has the best geographic coverage.

Jamaica.

However, what happens when we examine entrepreneurs in the Caribbean? Read the latest Caribbean Regional Report (2012) and the recently published national reports for Colombia (2012), and Trinidad and Tobago (2012). Also available, is a policy document on creative industries in

Since 2011, with support from IDRC, the Entrepreneurship Development Centre at ICESI University in Colombia coordinates the GEM Caribbean project which covers Barbados, Colombia, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

Youth and employment articles available in several languages In their own words, what is the agenda of young Brazilians? How has the Latin American labour market welcomed them in recent decades? What are the results of youth training program evaluations in Brazil and Argentina? Is unemployment high among youth because they do not have employment offers or because their connections with the labour market are weak? What is the social cost of violent deaths for youth?

All of these themes were discussed in a series of documents which were presented by specialists participating in the “Youth and Risk� seminar organized by the Centre for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), and the Secretary of Strategic Issues (SAE), together with IDRC and the Centre for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS) at the Universidad de la Plata.

The documents are available in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Labour justice project in Mexico presents results th

On February 10 2013, the “Labour Justice: experiences and perspectives” seminar was held in Mexico City. The results of the “Improving Labour Justice in Mexico: the Case of Cuautitlán” project were presented at this event. This project receives the support of IDRC. Representatives of local and national government, the Canadian Embassy in Mexico, and international organizations such as the IDB and the World Bank, researchers from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, and the general public participated in the seminar organized by the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

Later, the Mexican Labour Secretary ratified a collaborative agreement with ITAM to carry out studies related to the design, implementation and monitoring of labour justice policy in the State of Mexico.

Read more

Caribbean Webinar Series: Public eHealth in the Caribbean Region The Public eHealth, Innovation and Equity (eSAC) project will host a 3-part Caribbean Webinar Series in March 2014. Recognizing the need for more research, knowledge sharing, innovation and partnership in public health in the Caribbean region, the objectives of the series are to: create regional dialogue about public ehealth and equity; build and encourage a Caribbean community of interest; showcase various related projects, persons, organizations, publications across the region and promote public eHealth and innovation in public health regionally.

The eSAC project is funded by IDRC, and jointly designed and implemented by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the People, Health Equity and Innovation (Phi) Research Group at the University of Toronto.

Registration deadline: February 28th 2014. The event will be in English.

Read more

Sustainable Pubic Procurement for a Green Economy To support the OAS Member States through the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement (INGP), the General Secretariat of the OAS and IDRC signed an agreement on “Sustainable Pubic Procurement for a Green Economy” and committed themselves to promoting sustainable public procurement as one of the key elements for strengthening democratic governance.

The project aims to work with public administrations in the Americas to help position public procurement as a catalytic policy for green growth in the region. It also aims to produce specialized knowledge on sustainable public procurement and strengthen capacities in this area for the INGP members and policymakers.

Read more

National Dialogues on Green Inclusive Growth

Argentina

Mexico

The “2nd Multisectorial Dialogue on the Challenges of Green Growth with Social Inclusion in Argentina” was held with the objective of providing continuity to the space created by the first event in 2012, which brought together several different relevant actors.

More than 100 people participated in the “2nd National Dialogue on Green and Inclusive Growth” organized by the Global Institute of Sustainability at the EGADE Business School (Tecnológico de Monterrey), along with the LATN Network with support of IDRC.

At this event, discussions focused on analyzing the responses of concrete economic sectors to the question “Can green growth also be inclusive?”. The event was organized by the LATN Network with financing from IDRC. Notes (Spanish) prepared by the LATN Network on the discussion are available.

The dialogue revolved around four priority themes: institutional framework and public policy, energy for green growth, sustainable water management, and sustainable cities.

Presentations and notes prepared by the LATN Network are available here

IDRC’s Fifth Annual Public Meeting On November 2013, IDRC’s Annual Public Meeting took place in Ottawa. One of the speakers on this occasion was Federico Burone, IDRC’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. He spoke about the role research and innovation play in the prosperity of the Latin America and the Caribbean region, particularly in rural areas.

Watch the video

Youth Violence in Central America On January 22, 2013, the Municipality of Ilopango in El Salvador declared itself a “Violence-Free Municipality”, making it the first territory to formally assume the challenge of the violence reduction process which began in El Salvador in March 2012.

But what has happened since then? Interpeace has recently published a document entitled “Ilapongo: one year later: community, gangs and the reduction of violence” which is part of the research carried out in the “Addressing Youth Violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador” project which receives funding from IDRC, among others.

Read more (Spanish)

Evaluating Excellence in International Development Research IDRC has launched a strategic evaluation to answer the question “What is research excellence in the context of research for development?” Amaltas, a consulting organization based in India, conducted an enquiry into how Southern researchers view research excellence and how their experiences can inform the creation of a framework for the assessment of research excellence at IDRC. Together with work being undertaken by other researchers involved in the strategic evaluation, this study entitled “Excellence in the context of use-inspired research: Perspectives of the global South“, is intended to contribute to a more global analysis and summary of current discussions on questions such as: where is the research excellence field moving; what are the key debates, and who are the different proponents of these debates; and what is the spectrum of definitions and approaches being used?

Read full report / Read Executive Summary

TTI Stories of Influence – ASIES and educational reform in Guatemala The Think Tank Initiative has prepared a series of documents entitled “Stories of Influence” with the objective of sharing information on the types of policy influence that think tanks have had on important social and economic affairs in their countries.

We take this opportunity to share the Asociación de Investigación y Estudios Sociales (ASIES) document on education reform in Guatemala.

Access the Stories of Influence series or read the ASIES document.

Four projects from LAC selected as part of Grand Challenges Canada “Global Mental Health” program Projects from Guatemala, Colombia, Jamaica, and Peru were among 22 mental health projects selected worldwide for a total of $7.7 million CAD in funding to provide a helping hand to sufferers of brain related disorders in developing countries – the most neglected of neglected global health problems.

Read more about the selected projects

Peruvian “Stars in Global Health”

Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada, and the National Council for Science, Technology, & Technological Innovation (CONCYTEC) of the Republic of Peru are proud to announce a collaborative agreement that will support ‘Stars in Global Health’ innovators based in Peru. A call for project proposals is now open until March 10, 2014.

Read more (Spanish)

New quarterly magazine addresses Ecohealth issues in Colombia The EcosaludETV program in Colombia recently published the first issue of its magazine “EcosaludETV uniting efforts to control and prevent vector borne diseases”.

Ecosalud ETV Colombia is a research program which takes an ecosystem approach to human health. It is financed by Colciencias in Colombia, and is a partnership between the Fundación Santa Fé and Fundación Salutia. The program is carried out within the framework of the IDRC funded “Ecohealth Field Building Leadership in Prevention and Control of Vector Borne Diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean”.

The magazine will be published quarterly and the first issue is available here (Spanish).

Video of the month - the experts talk about Climate Change and Water The “In conversation” video series aims to share the research experience of our partners through brief interviews with the project leaders. In this bulletin, we share two interviews which were carried out with Latin American researchers who receive financing through IDRC’s Climate Change and Water program. ¿How do mangrove ecosystems help with adaptation to climate change?

Ken Takahashi of the Instituto Geofísico del Perú explains the many ways in which mangrove ecosystems in Tumbes, Peru serve to minimize climate impacts, while also drawing attention to the local communities that live and work in these areas.

Access interview / Read more about the Manglares project Improving adaptation capacity along the shores of the Rio de la Plata “Effective climate change adaptation policies depend on governments' capacity to bring together a broad range of stakeholders, especially the ones at risk which are usually the poor communities", points out Florencia Alamansi, lead researcher of the binational research initiative to enhance resilience to flooding in four coastal towns along the Río de la Plata in Argentina and Uruguay.

Access interview / Read more about the Riveras Rioplatenses project

Joint Scientific Chairs in Research for Development in the Americas – México With the aim of increasing the availability of information and improving the political debate on the role of science, technology and innovation in the region, IDRC is financing the “Joint Scientific Chairs on Research for Development in the Americas”. CONACYT Mexico currently has the call open for Mexican researchers.

Deadline: February 23, 2014 Read more

Scholarships - Diploma in Climate Change Adaptation 2014 (Central America and the Caribbean) CATHALAC is receiving applications for the Diploma in Climate Change Adaptation 2014. The diploma is offered through a virtual platform and consists of 5 courses given over 6 months. This year, a limited number of scholarships will be offered as part of the Regional Project on Water Security and Climate Change in Central America and the Caribbean, carried out by CATHALAC with the support of IDRC. Deadline: March 7, 2014 Read more (Spanish)

Grand Challenges Canada

Stars in Global Health Deadline: March 10, 2014 Read more

Peruvian “Stars in Global Health�

40 projects will be selected. Each one will receive from the Peruvian Government (CONCYTEC) and Grand Challenges Canada up to 293 thousand soles for the concept note.

Deadline: March 10, 2014 Read more (Spanish)

Call for Research Proposals The Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Economics Program (LACEEP) provides research grants in environmental and resource economics to Latin American and Caribbean researchers. Not only does it provide financial support, but it also provides support for meetings, resource persons, access to literature and opportunities for comparative research on public economics, with emphasis on environmental economics and its relationship with development, poverty, education, health, and others. Grants are provided twice a year and are funded by IDRC and the IADB. Deadline: March 11, 2014 Read more

FRIDA start-up will award innovation projects This call for proposals –the "FRIDA Start-Up" Program– seeks to continue promoting and supporting innovative projects and initiatives so that they can achieve greater impact beyond their original scope. In order to have access to this new form of funding, a project must be the result of a partnership between different organizations, one of which must have already received FRIDA funding during prior editions of the program.

Read more

Deadline: March 31st, 2014

IV Essay Competition for students on labour and social issues in Latin America As part of the Enhancing women´s economic empowerment through better policies in Latin America project, CEDLAS from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata is organizing the 4th essay contest on labour and social themes in LAC, in collaboration with CIEDUR, and with the support of IDRC. This competition is aimed at both undergraduate and graduate economic students from universities around the world.

Deadline: April 15, 2014 Read more (Spanish)

Jan. 8 – 15. 2014 Jan. 19-22, 2014 Jan. 21, 2014 Feb. 3-11, 2014 Feb. 10, 2014 Feb. 12, 2014 Feb. 24-25, 2014 Feb. 27, 2014 Mar. 17-23, 2014 Apr. 2-4. 2014 Apr. 14- May 7, 2014

Taller Macroeconomía Internacional para Comunicadores del Sector Público, CADEP, Asunción, Paraguay Reunion Global Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, GEM, Santiago, Chile “Dialogo Nacional sobre Crecimiento Verde Inclusivo” (segunda edición); Instituto Global para la Sostenibilidad y Red LATN, Mexico City, Mexico “Serie de talleres convocados en el marco de la Iniciativa sobre el Liderazgo y Desarrollo en Ecosalud y ETV en América Latina”, Antigua de Guatemala, Guatemala “Seminario Justicia Laboral: Experiencias y Perspectivas” Mexico City, Mexico Mesa de Debate “Inclusión Financiera en el Peru Rural: avances en el ámbito público-privado”, IEP, SEPIA, Proyecto Capital, Lima, Peru “Seminario Internacional “El Derecho a la Ciudad en América Latina: visiones desde la política”, FLACSO, Mexico City, Mexico Seguridad y gobernanza: retos para las políticas públicas, Universidad Icesi CEAF/Departamento de Estudios Sociales/CENSS; Cali, Colombia “Citizen Security Dialogues: Exploring what works in promoting safety and security in Latin America and Africa” Igarapé Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Seminario Internacional “Seguridad, Delincuencia Organizada y Políticas Públicas de Información” , Quito, Ecuador 2014 PEP Annual Conference: "Inclusive Growth and Employment for Poverty Reduction", Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

IDRC IN THE NEWS •

The Colombian newspaper “El Espectador” published an article on the role of women in rural areas entitled “Cultural practices do not allow the role of the rural woman to be visible”. This article is based on the findings of a research project carried out by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and McGill University in Canada. (in Spanish)

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Radio Canada International interviewed Heidy Cristina Gómez, the Director of the Human Security Observatory in Medellín, Colombia on the occasion of “Latin American City: Crime, Violence and community security alternatives” international seminar. Dr. Gomez leads a project on urban violence which receives funding from IDRC. Interview by Pablo Gómez Barrios.

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Annette Quinn’s “Green Minute” program, TVN Canal 2 (Panama) interviewed Walter Ubal during the “Adaptation to Climate Change in the Water Sector: How can research respond to the needs of decision makers?” regional workshop, organized by CATHALAC and IDRC. (in Spanish)

Agriculture and Environment • •

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“Ecohealth Trainer Manual”, 2013 “Cohesión Territorial e inversión privada agroindustrial. Marco teórico y metodología”, Cazzuffi, C.; Soloaga, I; Berdegué, J; Barrantes, R.; Fiestas, J. ; Lagos, Y.; Documento de Trabajo N°18. Serie Estudios Territoriales. Proyecto Cohesión Territorial para el Desarrollo. Rimisp, 2013 “Mapas de Dinámicas Territoriales en Ecuador, 1998-2010”. Wong, S.; Documento de Trabajo N°28. Serie Estudios Territoriales. Proyecto Cohesión Territorial para el Desarrollo. Rimisp, 2013

Social and Economic Policy • • • • • •

A Diáspora criminal: O alastramento transnacional do crime organizado e as medidas para conter sua expansão, Garzón Vergara, J.C.; Notas Estretégicas 11, Instituto IGARAPE , 2013 “Prevenindo a violencia na América Latina por meio de novas tecnologías”, Muggah, R. ; Diniz. G., Artigo estratégico 6, Instituto Igarapé, 2014 “Equidad Laboral para Mujeres Mayores de 40 Años en Colombia”, R. Rodríguez Revilla; CEDLAS; Documento de Trabajo N°144 Fundamentos para el Plan de Desarrollo Educativo del Departamento Central, Molinas, M. ; Instituto de Desarrollo, IDES, Documento de Trabajo Nº 10, Serie Educación, 2013 “Ejercicio de los derechos y participación de las mujeres en los espacios locales: promesas y realidades de la descentralización en América Latina”, Bonder, G. FLACSO/IDRC, 2013 “¿Puede la mitigación al cambio climático tornarse rentable? Pago por Servicios Ambientales & Green Commodities Facility”, C.Soto, Instituto de Desarrollo, Documento de Trabajo N° 12, Serie Economía del Clima y de los Recursos Naturales, 2013

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“Creciendo en el Perú: una mirada longitudinal al uso del tiempo de los niños y las niñas en el campo y la ciudad, V. Rojas; A. Cussianovich ; Avances de Investigación, 14. GRADE, 2013 “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor: Caribbean Regional Report 2012”, Varela, R.; Moreno, J.A.; Cardona, M. ; Soler, J.D. , Centro de Desarrollo del Espíritu Empresarial, Universidad Icesi, 2013 “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Trinidad and Tobago 2012 Report”, Bailey, H.; Pacheco, M.; Carrillo, M.; David, T.; UWI, Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, 2013 “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Colombia 2012 Report”, Varela, R.; Moreno, J.A.; Cardona, M.; Soler, J.D. , Centro de Desarrollo del Espíritu Empresarial, Universidad Icesi, 2013 “Building creative industries in Jamaica” , Dunn, H.; Williams, R. ; Policy Brief, GEM; Mona ICT Policy Centre, Mona School of Business and Management, UWI, 2013 “Private Security Companies in the Caribbean: Case studies of St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica”; Project Ploughshares and the Institute of International Relations, The University of the West Indies, 2013

Global Health Policies •

“Síntomas depresivos y distrés laboral en trabajadores chilenos: condiciones diferenciales para hombres y mujeres”, Elisa Ansoleaga, E.; Vézina, M.; Montaño, R. Cadernos de Saude Pública, vol.30 no.1 Rio de Janeiro Jan. 2014

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Avda. Brasil 2655, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay Tel: +598 2 7090042 Email: lacro@idrc.ca www.idrc.ca/lacro

Comments or suggestions write to lacro@idrc.ca