Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
May 2014
News / Calls and Awards / Recent and Upcoming Events / New Projects / Project Publications and Articles
World No Tobacco Day 2014: research from 7 countries in the region presented
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the worldwide the 31st of May, World No Tobacco Day 2014 was celebrated.
Since 2012, the Instituto de Efectividad Clínica Y Sanitaria (IECS) in probabilities that Latin Americans face of getting sick or dying from tobacco related conditions. It has also estimated th decision makers from universities, research centres and health agencies in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, M Tobacco Day. Read more (in Spanish)
Evaluating CARICOM’s political commitments for non-communicable disease prevention and control
In 2007 the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued the Port of Spain Declaration – “Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of NCDs”, a declaration aimed at addressing the high burden of non-communicable diseases in the region. The goal of this project is to evaluate the implementation of this declaration in order to learn lessons that will support its further execution and lead to progress in this area. This work is being undertaken at the request and with the support of the CARICOM governments, and coordinated by the University of West Indies in Barbados.
AGROECO – Food security in the Peruvian Andes On May 23rd and 24th, the final results of the “AGROECO – Intensification of Smallholder Agriculture in the Andes” project were presented. This project, which was carried out in Peru from 2011-2014, researched and promoted organic agriculture strategies to improve food security among high Andean peasant communities.
The AGROECO project was led by the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, the Peruvian Environmental Law Association (SPDA) and the University of British Columbia with funding from the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) - an IDRC program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). The video “An organic look at food security in the Andes” (narrated in Quechua, with Spanish subtitles) emphasizes the importance of ecological intensification, the conservation of biodiversity and the role of women in food security. Along with the radio programs Sumaqta mijuspa allinta kausasunchis (Eating well we nourish ourselves well), the video will be an important tool when distributed among predominately Quechua speaking communities. Read more (Spanish)
Sustainable Livestock Production, Health and Environment in the Bolivian Altiplano Raising sheep and llamas is a fundamental economic activity that is being threatened by current agricultural practices in the high plateau of Bolivia. A national program was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development to support the development of the llama sector and contribute to local economies but animal disease is limiting its potential, inducing farmers to abandon the traditional mixed llama-sheep production method. This project aims to fill the knowledge gaps associated with local livestock health and public health, including the burden of parasitic diseases in livestock and human exposure to pathogens associated with both types of animals. The project is being coordinated by PROMETA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity and the promotion of sustainable development in Bolivia.
First Dialogue on Green Growth in Bolivia The first "National Dialogue - Can green and inclusive growth help overcome the primary export pattern in Bolivia under the Mother Earth and Integral Development for Living Well Law?" will take place on June 5th in La Paz, Bolivia. Green growth recognizes that environmental protection, far from slowing economic activity, can increase it. Green and inclusive growth involves environmental protection policies in identified sectors that promote economic growth which increases employment, salaries and living standards of the most vulnerable groups. The event, supported by IDRC, is organized by the LATN Network and CICATAL. Similar Dialogues have been promoted by LATN’s Green Growth program in Argentina and Mexico. Read more (Spanish)
Debate Magazine – Sustainable Development and Environment The second issue of “Debate” magazine, produced the Paraguay Debate platform is now available. This new edition presents a series of articles on climate change and its impact
on the Paraguayan society and economy. “Paraguay Debate” is a platform of civil society organizations that work to strengthen policy debates. The platform will address issues such as growth, poverty and inequality; governance; environmental sustainability and Paraguay’s economic integration; agricultural policy, climate change, education and health. CADEP and the Instituto Desarrollo participate in the platform and receive funds from IDRC through the Think Tank Initiative. Read more (Spanish)
Linking Universities and Think Tanks On May 6, the Más Saber América Latina project presented the results of its regional study. This study aimed to improve the understanding of the relationship between think tanks and universities in Latin America; produce evidence to strengthen research capacities on public policies and provide lessons for effective collaboration between think tanks and universities in the region. The project is coordinated by Grupo FARO in Ecuador and the Centro de Políticas Comparadas de Educación of the Diego Portales University in Chile and is financed by IDRC through the Think Tank Initiative. Read more (Spanish)
Brazil signs into law an Internet Bill of Rights On April 23rd 2014, during the opening ceremony of the Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, President Dilma Rousseff signed the Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights (or Marco Civil as it is known in Portuguese), effectively turning the document into law. The history of this Bill of Rights began almost a decade ago in 2006 with work by the Centre for Technology and Society at Fundación Gertulio Vargas which explored the social implications of the appropriation of digital technologies in poor communities in Brazil. This research, supported by IDRC as part of the Open Business project (in Portuguese), fed the debate on an Internet Bill of Rights with rich information from those people working in this area. The Marco Civil provides the necessary legal framework for Brazilian entrepreneurs (including micro, small and medium ones) to engage with the digital economy without the fear of operating in “gray areas” where the law was uncertain. It will not only improve the legal protection of privacy in Brazil, but will create a comprehensive body of legislation capable of empowering citizenship, by means of promoting openness, free flow of information, and fundamental human rights. It will also protect users, entrepreneurs and innovative uses of ICTs. Read the approved Law
Study on Open Data in the Judicial System
On May 8th 2014, CIPPEC (Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento) presented the results of a study carried out as part of the global “Exploring the Emerging Impact of Open Data in Developing Countries” project, an initiative supported by the World Wide Web Foundation and IDRC. The study, by Sandra Elena and Ana Pichón Rivière, presents recommendations for the implementation of open data policy in the judicial branch of government in three Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile and Paraguay) is now available online as well as in presentation format (in Spanish). The “Exploring the Emerging Impacts of Open Data in Development Countries (ODDC)” programme is a collaborative initiative of IDRC and the Web Foundation which is supporting 17 projects in 14 southern countries. The programme is working to develop a shared toolkit of research methods that can be used in understanding the nature, use and emerging impacts of open data in a range of different countries and governance contexts around the world. Read more (in Spanish)
Brazil-Canada Mulheres Mil Impact Assessment Program The final results of the “Mulheres Mil Impact Assessment Program” (MMIA), published by Niagara College in Canada, are now available. The Mulheres Mil prgram began as a collaboration between Canada and Brazil to build the capacity of Brazilian colleges (Institutos Federal) to help marginalized women in Brazil access job-specific training and enter the formal workforce, thereby improving their livelihoods. The Mulheres Mil Impact Assessment (MMIA) project teams from Canada and Brazil have collaboratively developed the framework, tools and methodologies to allow Brazilian authorities measure the impact of the Mulheres Mil program on various stakeholder groups. This project received funding from IDRC’s Canadian Partnerships small grants program which aims to foster innovative approaches to development challenges by linking academic and practitioner communities in Canada and in developing countries. Read more
LASA 2014 – Presentations on Security and Justice Researchers from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Jamaica and Mexico, financed by IDRC’s Governance, Security and Justice program, participated in the XXXII International Congress of the Latin American Studies (LASA 2014) which took place on May 21-24, 2014 in Chicago. On Thursday May 22 IDRC funded researchers were panelists of the session “The Role of Research to Strengthen and Improve the Visibility of Security Strategies in Vulnerable Populations” and on Saturday, May 24th more IDRC partners presented their research during the panel entitled “Four Violent Latin American Cities: A Comparative Perspective”.
Additionally, over 30 fellows from the Drugs, Security and Democracy (DSD) Fellowship Program presented their research at the Congress. This program is co-funded by IDRC and the Open Society Foundations, in collaboration with the SSRC, Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, and Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas in Mexico. Read more
The future of Latin American Science: Young researchers awarded Two IDRC researchers are included in a list of scientific leaders dubbed “The Future of Latin American Science”. The list, compiled by Que Pasa magazine and LatinAmericanScience.org, recognizes 30 Latin American scientists under the age of 40 whose work shows great promise. Jaime Miranda from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia was selected for his efforts to combat obesity, hypertension, mental illness and social exclusion. From 2012 to 2014, Miranda worked as part of an IDRC project to promote healthy dietary habits among poor residents of Lima who rely on community kitchens for food. More recently, he was selected by Grand Challenges Canada to lead a project to train healthcare providers in Lima to recognize and treat depression and promote mental health in socially disadvantaged populations. Read more (IDRC project).)
Pablo Imbach from CATIE in Costa Rica was selected for his work on conservation, and his research on the relationship between climate, ecosystems, and agriculture. Imbach is a research team member of the “Adapting Community-Based Water Supply in Central America to a Changing Climate” project which is investigating how community-based water organizations in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica are adapting to the changes.
Read complete list of award winners.
Video of the month – Partnership for Canada-Caribbean Climate Change Adaptation (ParCA) ParCa is a 5 year interdisciplinary research project focusing broadly on improving the sustainability of coastal livelihoods in the face of climate change. ParCa is co-led by the University of Waterloo and the CARIBSAVE Partnership. The project is focussed in 4 study areas, two in Canada (Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia) and two in the Caribbean (Jamaica and Tobago). This initiative is financed by IDRC’s Challenge Fund under the International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (IRIACC). This video features the advances made during the first 3 years of the project.
Watch video
International Competition for Science Journalists The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) will invite eight journalists to attend and cover the Ecohealth 2014 Conference that will take place in Montreal, Canada from August 11-15, 2014. These scholarships are funded by IDRC. Deadline: June 3, 2014 Read more
Call for Abstracts - Round table on inclusion in the network society IT for Change and IDRC are co-organizing a round table on “Inclusion in the network society – mapping development alternatives, forging research agendas” in September 2014 in Bangalore, India. The round table will bring together around 25 participants – leading scholars, development practitioners and thinkers, who are interested in the theoretical and policy aspects of equity, inclusion and participation in the 'ICTs and development' domain. Deadline: June 9, 2014 Read more
May 06, 2014 May 14, 2014 May 14, 2014 May 22, 2014 May 24, 2014 May 27, 2014 Jun 2-4, 2014 Jun 5, 2014
Potenciando el vínculo entre think tanks y universidades, Quito Ecuador Seminario “Nuevo Ciclo Político: Internet e Incidencia en el Debate Público” Primer Encuentro Nacional de Incidencia en Políticas Públicas, Ciudad de México, México El rol de investigación para visibilizar y fortalecer estrategias de seguridad de poblaciones en situación de vulnerabilidad, LASA2014 Congress, Chicago, USA Four Violent Latin American Cities: A Comparative Perspective, LASA Congress, Chicago, USA Seminario Internacional: “Impuestos al tabaco y salud pública: desafíos y oportunidades en Chile” Santiago, Chile Curso Teórico-Práctico sobre Mercados Laborales, Pobreza y Desigualdad en América Latina, La Plata, Argentina Diálogo nacional- ¿Puede el Crecimiento Verde e Inclusivo contribuir a superar el
Jun. 11-14, 2014 Jun. 25-26, 2014 Jun 27, 2014
patrón primario exportador en Bolivia, bajo la ley de la Madre Tierra y Desarrollo para Vivir Bien?, La Paz, Bolivia Regional Entrepreneurship Profiles and Policy Implications / 59th Annual International Council for Small Business World, Dublin, Ireland Launch of GEM JAMAICA 2013 Report, Jamaica Conference Centre, Kingston, Jamaica Webinario: TIC y #SaludJoven y de Adolescentes
IDRC IN THE NEWS •
The Trinidad Express, published an article in its “Woman” supplement entitled “I don´t have time to eat healthy which presents the results of a survey carried out among its readers on the food habits in the Caribbean, where obesity rates are on the rise. The article cited the research done by the “From Farm to Fork: Improving Food Security and Nutrition in the Caribbean” project, funded by IDRC through CIFSRF.
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CNN Chile interviewed Federico Burone, IDRC’s Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, in honour of the launch of RIMISP’s Latin American Report on Poverty and Inequality in Santiago.
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Sci.Dev published an article on “Violence and poverty on the rise in Latin America ” (Spanish only) which highlights the results of research carried out by Gloria Perdomo, a researcher from Venezuela’s Laboratorio de Ciencias Sociales, and recently presented at the World Urban Forum.
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The Universidad Nacional de Colombia’s news agency published an article entitled “90% of the native communities of the Province of Nariño face food insecurity” which highlights the results of the IDRC funded (CIFSRF) project “Improving potato production for increased food security of indigenous communities in Colombia”.
Agriculture and Environment
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Latin American Report 2013: High Quality Employment And Territory, Summary, RIMISP - Latin American Center for Rural Development; February 2014
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Informe Latinoamericano sobre Pobreza y Desigualdad: empleo de calidad y territorio ; RIMISP Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural; February 2014
Social and Economic Policy • “Exploring Trends in Labor Informality in Latin America, 1990-2010"; Tornarolli, L; Battistón, D.; Gasparini, L. ; Gluzmann, P. Documento de Trabajo Nro. 159, CEDLAS; Mayo 2014 • "Employment and Labor Regulation: Evidence from Manufacturing Firms in Bolivia, 1988-2007"; Muriel, B.; Machicado, G.; Documento de Trabajo Nro. 157, CEDLAS; Abril 2014 • "Escaneo de Políticas y Meta-Análisis: Juventud y Políticas de Empleo en América Latina”; Vezza, E.; Docuento de Trabajo Nro. 156; CEDLAS; Marzo 2014 • “Youth Turnover in Brazil: Job and Worker Flows and an Evaluation of a Youth-Targeted Training”; Corseuil, C.H.; Foguel, M.; Gonzaga, G.; Pontual Ribeiro, E.; Documento de Trabajo Nro. 155; CEDLAS; Febrero 2014 • “Sector agroindustrial: ¿el turbo o un solo cambio más de la economía paraguaya”; Cresta, J. OBEI, Mayo 2014 • “Sustainable Campuses: Sharing our Knowledge for Social and Environmental Sustainability”, Frias, G.; Hurtado, M.; Dawson College and Instituto Mexicano para el Desarrollo de Ciudades Verdes; February 2014 •
“Private security companies in the Caribbean: modernizing regulatory regimes to enhance human security and economic prosperity”; policy brief; Project Ploughshares / The University of West Indies. Institute of International Relations; October 2013
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Understanding women's struggles for justice, healing, and redress : a study of gender and reparation in postwar Guatemala; Crosby, A.; Caxaj, B.; Brinton Lykes, M.; Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC); York University, 2014
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Entendiendo la lucha de las mujeres por justicia, sanación y desagravio : un estudio de género y reparaciones en la Guatemala post-guerra; Crosby, A.; Caxaj, B.; Brinton Lykes, M.; Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC); York University, 2014
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Mulheres Mil Impact Assessment : final technical report; Jurmain, M.; Catalfamo, H.; Niagara College Canada; March 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