Although only 9% of the world’s population lives in Latin America and the Caribbean, the region accounts for a third of the world’s homicides. The cost of crime and violence in our region is very high: crime takes large numbers of lives, affects people’s safety and welfare, and hampers economic development. As evidence of this, one out of three people in the region say crime is … [Read more...] about To Fight Crime, Increase Trust
Microeconomics and Competitiveness
Text Messaging Parents to Boost Student Performance
We've all known kids who joke around in class, get up to mischief, and even skip school altogether, yet manage to ultimately thrive. But they are glaring exceptions. Classroom misbehavior and absenteeism, along with failing grades, are strong warning signs that a student is likely to repeat a grade or give up on school altogether down the line. In Latin America, where only 53% … [Read more...] about Text Messaging Parents to Boost Student Performance
COVID-19 and the Rise of Telemedicine
Telemedicine—the delivery of medical services through electronic means of communication—is potentially transformative, mitigating transportation problems, bringing care to rural communities and decreasing waiting times and medical costs. But its adoption in Latin America has been slow. Insufficient communication infrastructure and status quo biases, among other factors, … [Read more...] about COVID-19 and the Rise of Telemedicine
Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean suffers from low productivity. The slow growth in productivity per worker in the region has weakened its economies and made countries unable to satisfy the burgeoning needs and demands of their citizens. The Covid-19 pandemic has only highlighted this chronic problem, revealing a significant technological gap between the region and the advanced … [Read more...] about Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean
Do You Want Your Research to Help Close the Gender and Diversity Gaps? This Call for Proposals Is for You
The Latin America and the Caribbean region still has a long way to go when it comes to closing the gender and diversity gaps. One of the biggest challenges is closing existing knowledge gaps on the inequalities facing women, indigenous peoples, persons of African descent, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ persons. Which interventions contribute to closing gender gaps in the … [Read more...] about Do You Want Your Research to Help Close the Gender and Diversity Gaps? This Call for Proposals Is for You