Local banks are a core component of the market architecture in Latin America and the Caribbean with the potential to catalyze innovation and growth. As I return from the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Trinidad & Tobago, my third visit to the country this year, I am reminded how dynamic and innovative its business environment is and how multilaterals can better … [Read more...] about Three ways multilaterals support local banks and drive innovation in the Caribbean
Diversity & Inclusion
A Story of Change through perseverance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pj6EpGIcNA&feature=youtu.be Although Suriname has profited overall from consistent economic growth (averaging around 4.4% since 2008), the fact remains that there are several underserved areas in the country, which do not instantly benefit from all this growth. Especially the tribal and indigenous communities of the remote interior regions … [Read more...] about A Story of Change through perseverance
Disability – A parent’s perspective
My last child, the baby of the family, turns 15 this year. In many ways he is the baby of family, as he still gets hugs and kisses and his actions still elicit oohs and aahs. You see, my son has a neurodevelopmental disorder, so although 14 years old, he is at the intellectual level of a 4 year old. Every new word he learns, every concept grasped and any increased awareness of … [Read more...] about Disability – A parent’s perspective
Caribbean shines at IDB’s XIII Civil Society Meeting
The Caribbean region made its mark during the concluded IDB XIII Civil Society Meeting held in Colombia in November 2013. Members of Civil Society voiced that this was an “extra-ordinary framework for collaboration among civil society actors” and congratulated the IDB for its continued support to this type of engagement. The Network of NGOs for the Advancement of … [Read more...] about Caribbean shines at IDB’s XIII Civil Society Meeting
The Caribbean Private Sector: How to expand lending
“All cassava have the same skin, but all don’t taste the same way,” is a Caribbean proverb which seeks to say people may look similar on the outside yet are all quite different on the inside. The saying, which first originated in Guyana, speaks about the individuality of people, yet it also resonates with me as a development professional when thinking about the diversity of … [Read more...] about The Caribbean Private Sector: How to expand lending