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NEW YORK. – A present full of challenges that continue to threaten even more democracy in the region, and demand socio-political and economic strategies, were ideas shared by participants during the first day of the Global Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean 2022.

The panels and conversations held at Fordham University´s Lincoln Center campus, in New York City, highlighted the impact the pandemic has had on the region. The shortcomings currently experienced by the region are a result of the incapacity to overcome its many shortcomings.

Leonel Fernández, President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (Funglode), opened the Forum´s opening ceremony along with the Secretary General of IDEA International, Kevin Casas-Zamora.

The Director of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), Funglode’s sister institution in the United States, Natasha Despotovic, formally introduced the event and presented the three development panels that took place on Thursday, September 22.

The panels and discussions of the excellent academic Forum are available in The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development’s YouTube channel. The Forum ended on Friday, September 23.

The former President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández, this Friday highlighted the Forum’s success. “Together, with the accompaniment of various experts, we analyzed the region’s economic, social, educational and health concerns, all within a global context,” he stated on his Twitter account.

The Forum’s official page also provides a gallery of photographs taken during the event.

The Forum concluded on Friday afternoon, with presentations delivered by Daniel Zovatto, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for IDEA International, and President Fernández.

EFE, the Spanish news agency, covered the presentations delivered by academics, former Presidents and analysts that participated in the event.

Says Former Costa Rica President Chinchilla: “The Crisis Must be Seen not as the Exception, but as the Norm”

New York, Sep 22 (EFE). – The former President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, stated this past Thursday at a Forum held in New York City that the current situation faced by Latin America should not be attributed solely to the pandemic, and that new ideas and consensus solutions for the region must be discussed and introduced.

Chinchilla participated today during the first of a two-day Global Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean being held at Fordham University, in New York City, within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly.

The former President of Costa Rica considered that the current situation in the region should not be blamed on the pandemic. “In 2019, Latin America was growing at an aggregate rate of close to 0%, with a crisis already in sight,” she explained.

According to the former President “we must begin to see the crisis not as the exception, but as the norm of modern times” because “the world must begin to prepare to handle various overlapping crisis, all at the same time”, she commented.

DEMOCRATIC CRISIS

Forum participants agreed that the crisis facing Latin America and the Caribbean is also, at times, a democratic crisis.

“We must understand that the democratic projects in Latin America are collapsing with authoritarian projects such as the ones in El Salvador and Venezuela, and this is just the initial symptom of a bigger problem,” said Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary General of IDEAL International.

“The greatest threat comes from within Latin America”, opined the former President of Costa Rica.

WAR IN UKRAINE

Another looming crisis is economic, aggravated by the impact of the war in Russia and Ukraine.

“Last year there was a 6.6% drop in the region’s domestic product, twice as much as the global numbers registered, and as each year passes our numbers continue to drop,” explained Jorge Hinge, Professor of International Relations at Boston University. He also highlighted that it is necessary to “find another path to continue going forward in the international system, focusing on self-interests and working together.”

The region is receiving 13% less in financial flows than what was received a year ago. The task at hand for Latin America is to introduce tax reforms that will allow spending to be sustained, and stimulate investment in order to advance in sustainable growth,” commented Daniel Titelman, Director of the Growth Division of the Economic Commission of the United Nations for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

IMMIGRATION

The immigration crisis, violence and crime prevention were also discussed during the first day of the Forum. “Citizen security must prevail and coexistence must be the basis of social welfare,” said Andrés Ucrós Maldonado, a security and peace expert from Colombia.

Said Maldonado: “In order to achieve comprehensive citizen security, there must be a reform of the security sector through the recruitment of the best personnel available and proper training, including the private sector. One must also take advantage of the technology and innovation systems available.”

On Thursday, September 22 and Friday, September 23, experts will meet in New York to analyze the region´s current reality within a global context. The meeting is organized along with International IDEA, and the support of Fordham University.

NEW YORK. – The former president of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández, and current president of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (Funglode) – and its sister institution in the United States, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) – will head the “Global Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean 2022,” along with the Secretary General of the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Kevin Casas-Zamora. The Forum will be held on Thursday, September 22 and Friday, September 23, 2022.

Through a press release the organizers announced that the event will consist of seven panels, where high-level experts will analyze, from various perspectives, the challenges facing the region. The event will be available to participants both through a digital platform and in person. In addition, five discussion sessions will be held. The event will begin, both days, at 9:30 in the morning.

Those interested will be able to view the Forum´s opening ceremony through former President Leonel Fernández´ social networks (@leonelfernandez).

The scheduled panels will focus on: “Global Threats, Repercussions and Opportunities for Progress;” “Regional Situation: Economic Reactivation, Inflation and Social Tensions;” “New Fiscal Pacts in Chile and Colombia: Challenges and Opportunities;” “Citizen Security: Crime Prevention, Justice and Reform;” “The Migration Crisis in Latin America;” “K-12 Education: Challenges, Trends and Future Perspectives” and “Democratic Challenges: Governance, Social Unrest, Social Networks and Freedom of Expression (IDEA).”

The two-day event will also include five discussion sessions. The first will address the “Challenges and Opportunities of the New Petro Administration.” The second discussion will focus on the issue of “inequality” in the region. The other three discussion sessions will focus on: “The Migratory Crisis in Latin America,” “Climate Change” and “The Future of the Constituent Assembly in Chile.”

Among the prominent experts who will speak on these issues during the Forum are the former President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla; Robert Wood, Chief Economist and Head of the Country Risk Service for Latin America and the Caribbean of The Economist Intelligence Unit; Raúl Féliz, Professor at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE), Mexico; Andy Dauhajre, President and Executive Director of the Economic and Development Foundation of the Dominican Republic and Mario Báez, Head of the Policy Coordination and Supervision Service of the Office of the Undersecretary General for Management of the United Nations Management Department.

Also, Gustau Alegret, Director and host of “Club de Prensa” and “Cuestión de Poder,” NTN24; Chris Dede, Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University´s School of Education; Tíscar Lara, Director of Digital Transformation at the Cervantes Institute; Liz Duraisingh, Principal Researcher of Project Zero at the Harvard University School of Education and, Manuel Orozco, Director of the Migration, Remittances and Development Program for Latin America, Inter-American Dialogue, among others.

Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director, GFDD, and Daniel Zovatto, Regional Director for Latin America for International IDEA, are the Forum´s academic directors. The event will take place using a hybrid format, offering participants in- person and virtual presentations.

The Forum´s final conclusions will be presented by Leonel Fernández and Daniel Zovatto.

Thursday, September 22

Panel 1 – Global Threats, Repercussions and Opportunities for Progress

Panelists:

• Andy Dauhajre, President and Executive Director, Fundación Economía y Desarrollo, Inc.
• Laura Chinchilla, Former President of Costa Rica; Vicepresident of the World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid
• Mario Cimoli, Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Raúl Féliz, Professor of Economics, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE)
• Robert Wood, Principal Economist and Manager, Country Risk Service – Latin America, The Economist Intelligence Unit

Moderator: Mario Báez, Chief, Policy and Oversight Coordination Service, Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Department of Management, United Nations

Panel 2 – Regional Situation: Economic Reactivation, Inflation and Social Tensions

Panelists:

• Daniel Titelman, Director, Economic Development Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Jorge Heine, Professor of International Relations, University of Boston. Former Ambassador of Chile to China
• Marcela Meléndez, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

Moderator: Lourdes Casanova, Gail and Rob Cañizares Director, Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University

Discussion: Challenges and Opportunities of the New Petro Administration

• Elisabeth Ungar, Political analyst and consultant
• José Antonio Ocampo, Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Government of Colombia
• Mónica Pachón, Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations, University of California

Moderator: Gustau Alegret, journalist, director and host of “Club de Prensa” and “Cuestión de Poder,” in NTN24.

Discussion: Talking About Inequality, with Dani Rodrik

Dani Rodrik is Professor at the Ford Foundation on International Economic Policies, Harvard Kennedy School; President of the International Economic Association and Co-Director of the program “Reimagining the Economy,” Harvard Kennedy School.

Interviewers: Leonel Fernández, Former President of the Dominican Republic, President of GFDD and Funglode.

Panel 3 – Citizen Security: Crime Prevention, Justice and Reform

Panelists:

• Andrés Ucrós Maldonado, Security and Peace Expert in Colombia
• Carlos Vilalta, Professor and Researcher, Center for Research in Geospatial Information Sciences (CentroGeo-Conacyt)
• Hugo Acero Velázquez, Citizen Security Expert in Colombia
• Mangai Natarajan, Professor of Criminal Justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Marcelo Bergman, Professor and Director, Centro de Estudios Latinoamericano sobre Inseguridad y Violencia (CELIV), Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), Argentina
• Robert McCrie, Professor of Security Management, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Moderador: Gonzalo Paz, Researcher and Invited Professor, Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) of the Foreign Service School, Universidad de Georgetown.

Discussion: Migration Crisis in Latin America with Manuel Orozco

Manuel Orozco, Senior Fellow and Director of the Migration, Remittances, and Development Program for Latin America, Inter-American Dialogue

Led by: Massimo Tommasoli, Global Programs Director and Permanent Observer for International IDEA to the United Nations

Discussion: Climate Change, with Jamil Ahmad

Jamil Ahmad, Director, UN Environment Programme, New York Office

Interviewer: Claudia S. de Windt, Founder and Director of the Inter-American Institute for Justice and Sustainability (IJS), U.S.A.

Friday, September 23

Panel 4 – Education K-12: Challenges, Tendencies and Future Perspectives

Panelists:

• Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Andrés Delich, Assistant Secretary General, Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI)
• Liz Duraisingh, Principal Investigator at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Mercedes Mateo Díaz, Education Division Chief – Inter-American Development Bank
• Susan Sclafani, VP for Programs, Forum for World Education

Moderator: Jael Rivas, Executive Director, Tadaca Educational Solutions, LLC

Panel 5 – Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation: Building a Common Space for Knowledge

Panelists:

• Aurelio Nuño Mayer, Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
• Chris Dede, Senior Research Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Co-Principal Investigator of the NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Adult Learning and Online Education
• Leonel Fernández, Former President of the Dominican Republic; President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development / Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (GFDD/FUNGLODE)
• María Waleska Alvarez, CEO of NAP del Caribe, President of EDUCA, Dominican Republic
• Tíscar Lara, Director of Digital Transformation, Instituto Cervantes

Moderator: Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD)

Panel 6: Demographic Challenges: Governance, Social Unrest, Social Media and Freedom of Expression

Panelists:

• Alejandro Poiré, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Government, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM)
• Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Founder and Editor, Confidencial
• Daniel Zovatto, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, IDEA International
• María Noel Vaeza, UN-Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean, United Nations
• Tamara Taraciuk, Acting Director, Americas Division, Human Rights Watch

Moderator: Gustau Alegret, journalist, director and host of “Club de Prensa” and “Cuestión de Poder,” NTN24.

Panel 7 – Elections and Polarization in Brazil

• Daniel Bramatti, Editor, Estadão Verifica; Expresident, Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalists (ABRAJI)
• María Herminia Tavares de Almeida, Senior Researcher, Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento (CEBRAP)

Moderator: Daniel Zovatto, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, IDEA International

Discussion on the Future of the Constituent Assembly in Chile, with Isabel Aninat

Isabel Aninat, Dean of the Law School, Adolfo Ibáñez University

Led by: Kevin Casas-Zamora, Former Second Vice-president of Costa Rica; Secretary General of International IDEA

Concluding remarks
Leonel Fernández and Daniel Zovatto.