Cricket and Central America’s Gangs
The ability of sports to unite and promote shared goals has enabled athletes to reach parts of society that have often felt excluded. Could cricket be used to stem gang membership in Central America? Cricket dates back to the sixteenth century where it was first played in southern England. By the eighteenth century, it was … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Chile Proposes New Tax Code to Fund Education Chilean President Sebastián Piñera introduced … Read more
Race and Ethnicity by the Numbers
*Watch an AQ Q&A interview with Judith Morrison. Despite growing recognition that racial and ethnic groups across the Americas are disproportionately poor, government interventions that address their needs have been inadequate. Yet if the region’s current economic growth is going to be sustained, it will require policy tools that address the exclusion of these groups … Read more
Generation Ni/Ni: Latin America’s Lost Youth
The youth unemployment rate today in Latin America and the Caribbean stands at a remarkable 15 percent. These 8 million unemployed are part of what may be called a global “lost generation” of young people at risk of social exclusion—all of whom lack opportunities, resources and access to formal labor markets. In 2011, 75 million … Read more
The Future of Electoral Observation
Free and fair elections are the accepted litmus test of a well-functioning democracy. For nations experiencing the difficult rite of passage from nondemocratic regimes, the presence of outside election monitors who can assure the world—and a country’s citizens—that the electoral process was indeed free and fair is crucial. Since the early 1990s, the United States … Read more
Social Exclusion and Political Change
Overcoming widespread poverty and inequality is not just a moral imperative. It is key to political and economic development. Social exclusion acts as a drag on sound and sustainable economic growth by preventing large segments of the population from fully contributing to the formal economy. And even if formal political rights exist on paper, social … Read more
Graciela Dixon
Graciela Dixon is the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Panama, the first Afro-Panamanian woman to hold that position.
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Summit Advances Cooperation Despite Lack of Declaration The Sixth Summit of the Americas … Read more
Cuba, Alan Gross and the Summit of the Americas
The uproar over the scandalous behavior of U.S. Secret Service agents, combined with front-page reporting of Secretary of State Clinton’s late-night party at a local salsa club appear to have drowned out more serious coverage of last weekend’s sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. Maybe it’s for the better. There isn’t much positive … Read more
DC Water Cooler: Hold Drops and Ambassador Swaps
On March 29, the U.S. Senate confirmed several of President Obama’s diplomatic nominations, many of whom were tapped to serve in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA). Here’s a brief rundown of the confirmed WHA officials and their new positions: Roberta Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Larry Palmer, … Read more
The Summit of the Americas: Why It Matters
April is Western Hemisphere month for U.S. President Barack Obama, and the capstone event is this weekend’s Sixth Summit of the Americas, a regular meeting of the 34 democratically elected presidents and prime ministers of the hemisphere. Originally scheduled to arrive in Cartagena, Colombia, on Saturday, Obama will now arrive one day earlier to get … Read more
Hugo Chávez to Attend Summit of the Americas
Colombian officials confirmed yesterday that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is expected to attend this weekend’s Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. The announcement of Chávez’ decision to attend the summit alongside other hemispheric heads of state comes amid intense speculation about the possible deterioration of the Venezuelan leader’s health. Chávez has spent the last … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. FARC Releases Military Hostages The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released the … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Pope Rounds out Tour of Mexico and Cuba Benedict XVI arrived in Mexico on Friday, … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. VP Biden Meets with Mexican and CentAm Leaders U.S. Vice President Joe Biden … Read more
