Initial evidence that COVID-19 is reaching Afro descendant communities in Latin America is growing. Statistics in Brazil show that Afro-Brazilians are more likely to have severe respiratory symptoms that are lethal (more than 20%), while the Colombian Pacific coast, with a large Afro-Colombian and indigenous population, registered the first cases of coronavirus weeks ago, and … [Read more...] about Exposure and Inequalities: African Descendants During COVID-19
Judith Morrison
Senior Advisor for Social Development in the Gender and Diversity Division. She has over 20 years of international development experience and previously served as a Regional Director at the Inter-American Foundation, Program Director at the Inter-American Dialogue, and Executive Director at the Inter-Agency Consultation on Race in Latin America (IAC). Her work focuses on the best approaches to reach poor and vulnerable communities in Latin America, with an emphasis on the economic development of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples. She has extensive experience brokering investments with the private sector and communities throughout Latin America and developed the first private-sector eco-development fund in Brazil. She holds a master’s degree in poverty alleviation and income distribution from MIT where she received the Carroll Wilson Award for international research and received a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship.
Hidden figures
On July 25, 1992 representatives from 32 countries met in the Dominican Republic to celebrate the contributions of African descendant women in Latin America and the Caribbean, marking the first International Day of African Descendent Women. Now, almost 30 years later, what do we know about black women? In many ways African descendant women in Latin America and the … [Read more...] about Hidden figures
5 ways to make sure that the most vulnerable citizens are considered
October 20th - World Statistics Day. In development policy if something cannot be measured it doesn’t count. As a development professional I am frequently asked how many indigenous peoples and African descendants live in the region. A short answer, based on recent estimates, is that they represent up to 40% of the population. However, the issue is more complex, and shows how … [Read more...] about 5 ways to make sure that the most vulnerable citizens are considered
Use it or Lose it: Tough Decisions for Indigenous Peoples
August 9th- International Day of Indigenous Peoples For the second time just this year I have worked with indigenous peoples who have been forced to move and change their lifestyle due to land pressures. These tough choices are often driven by external actors and concepts of land use that marginalize conservation and instead are based on “use it or lose it” policies My first … [Read more...] about Use it or Lose it: Tough Decisions for Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous peoples, biodiversity and “buen vivir”
How do indigenous peoples work with governments to develop public policies that promote biodiversity as a tool for sustainable development? This question is fundamental for our reflections this week as we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, established by the United Nations in 1994 to support indigenous peoples and their solutions to problems, and … [Read more...] about Indigenous peoples, biodiversity and “buen vivir”