Trust: The Key to Social Cohesion and Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (Executive Summary)

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Good News ◽  
Executive Summary ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Public Sector Reforms ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Government Workers

Trust is the most pressing and yet least discussed problem confronting Latin America and the Caribbean. Whether in others, in government, or in firms, trust is lower in the region than anywhere else in the world. The economic and political consequences of mistrust ripple through society. It suppresses growth and innovation: investment, entrepreneurship, and employment all flourish when firms and government, workers and employers, banks and borrowers, and consumers and producers trust each other. Trust inside private and public sector organizations is essential for collaboration and innovation. Mistrust distorts democratic decision-making. It keeps citizens from demanding better public services and infrastructure, from joining with others to control corruption, and from making the collective sacrifices that leave everyone better off. The good news is that governments can increase citizen trust with clearer promises of what citizens can expect from them, public sector reforms that enable them to keep their promises, and institutional reforms that strengthen the commitments that citizens make to each other. This book guides decision-makers as they incorporate trust and social cohesion into the comprehensive reforms needed to address the region's most pernicious challenges.

Trust: the key to social cohesion and growth in Latin America and the Caribbean

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Scartascini
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Good News ◽  
Institutional Reforms ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Public Sector Reforms ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Government Workers

Trust is the most pressing and yet least discussed problem confronting Latin America and the Caribbean. Whether in others, in government, or in firms, trust is lower in the region than anywhere else in the world. The economic and political consequences of mistrust ripple through society. It suppresses growth and innovation: investment, entrepreneurship, and employment all flourish when firms and government, workers and employers, banks and borrowers, and consumers and producers trust each other. Trust inside private and public sector organizations is essential for collaboration and innovation. Mistrust distorts democratic decision-making. It keeps citizens from demanding better public services and infrastructure, from joining with others to control corruption, and from making the collective sacrifices that leave everyone better off. The good news is that governments can increase citizen trust with clearer promises of what citizens can expect from them, public sector reforms that enable them to keep their promises, and institutional reforms that strengthen the commitments that citizens make to each other. This book guides decision-makers as they incorporate trust and social cohesion into the comprehensive reforms needed to address the regions most pernicious challenges.

Strategies and Business Models for Improving Broadband Connectivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: Guidelines for the Planning, Investment, and Rollout of Broadband Networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pau Puig Gabarró ◽  
Antonio García Zaballos ◽  
Enrique Iglesias Rodriguez ◽  
Ana Sepúlveda ◽  
Alex Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Regulatory Climate ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Caribbean

Achieving universal and affordable digital connectivity is an essential goal for all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Although significant progress has been made to advance the state of connectivity for the countries in this region, there are still significant challenges ahead (both from the private and public sector perspectives): high financial and operating risks; energy supply issues; poor coordination among regulatory and policy making bodies; lack of public sector capacity and resources, and the absence of a conducive investment and regulatory climate that promotes investment and competitive principles. The objective of this report is to: first, make a compilation and analysis of global business and financial models, best practices, innovations and progresses around the topic of digital infrastructure, including middle and last mile connectivity; and second, serve as a guidance tool for policy makers, regulators, government officials as well as private sector and community leaders in LAC, to better assess alternatives for improving broadband connectivity, and tailor best practices and approaches to their own country's needs.

Managers’ perceptions of mental illness in Barbadian workplaces: an exploratory study

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwayne Devonish
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health And Illness ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Public Sector Managers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of private and public sector managers in Barbados regarding the concepts of mental health and illness at work. It also explored their interactions and experiences with persons with mental illness at work and various forms of support and resources needed to improve the overall management of these persons within the organisational setting. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used an exploratory research design based on two focus groups of private and public sector managers. Findings The findings revealed that both private and public sector managers understood the distinction between the concepts of mental health and mental illness. However, managers believed that high levels of stigma and discrimination exist in both private and public sector workplaces due to a lack of understanding of mental illness, cultural norms, and socialisation in Barbados regarding mental illness and negative stereotypes. However, workplace education and promotion, associated workplace policies, and employee assistance programmes (EAPs) were identified as key strategies for effectively addressing issues of mental health stigma and the management of persons with mental illness at work. Research limitations/implications Due to the qualitative approach used and small sample selected based on non-probability sampling, generalising the findings to larger populations is heavily cautioned. Practical implications Organisations in both private and public sectors should emphasise workplace mental health interventions such as mental health education and awareness, the development and implementation of supportive and flexible policies, and EAPs. These strategies are likely to help destigmatisation efforts and enhance managers’ understanding of mental health and the management of persons with mental illness. Originality/value This study provided a rich and in-depth understanding of mental health and illness from the perspective of private and public sector managers in a small developing country in the Caribbean. The Caribbean region possesses a dearth of empirical research concerning issues of mental health and illness at work.

Natural Hazards Governance Practices and Key Natural Hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivis García
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Caribbean

Along with sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean is among the geographic regions most exposed and vulnerable to the occurrence of disasters. The vulnerability is explained by geography and climate, but also by prevailing poverty and inequality. Year after year, multiple disasters such as landslides, hurricanes, floods, rains, droughts, storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, among others, threaten the region. Natural disasters reveal the deficiencies of infrastructure and essential services. In particular, they highlight the lack of an institutional framework for effective governance with clearly defined goals of how to prevent, respond to, and reconstruct after a natural catastrophe. One of the priorities of governments in the region is to achieve resilience—that is, to strengthen the capacity to resist, adapt, and recover from the effects of natural disasters. To be able to accomplish this, governments need to prepare before a natural disaster strikes. Therefore, disaster risk management is critical. A fundamental element in the strategy of increasing resilience is good planning in general—that is, to reduce inequality, manage urbanization, and invest in necessary infrastructure such as energy, sewage, and water management. Because climate change increases the risk of disasters, it is generally understood that good governance practices can prevent further global warming. Governments might achieve this, for example, by investing in renewable energy and financing other environmentally friendly initiatives. Unfortunately, most current governance models in Latin America and the Caribbean are characterized by bureaucratic structures that are fragmented into different sectors and whose actors do not have much interaction between them. With technical assistance from organizations, such as the World Bank and the United Nations, stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean are learning how to develop plans that encourage the collaboration of multiple sectors (e.g., transportation, housing) and improve the working relationships between various institutions (e.g. local associations, NGOs, private and public organizations). To be adequately prepared for a disaster, it is necessary to establish a network of actors that can engage quickly in decision-making and coordinate effectively between local, regional, and national levels.

scholarly journals Investigación sobre aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Una agenda renovada para informar políticas públicas e incidencia (resumen ejecutivo) / Research on Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean. A Renewed Agenda to Inform Public Policy and Advocacy (executive summary)

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvina Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Executive Summary ◽  
Important Place ◽  
The Status ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Las Mujeres ◽  
America Latina

El tema del aborto en la región latinoamericana ha venido ocupando un lugar importante y creciente en el quehacer académico, el debate público y, en particular, en las agendas y políticas públicas desde hace más de dos décadas. La excelente y reciente publicación del Consorcio Latinoamericano contra el Aborto Inseguro (clacai), Investigación sobre aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Una agenda renovada para informar políticas públicas e incidencia, cuyo resumen ejecutivo se presenta a continuación, nos ofrece un conocimiento riguroso y sólido de la evidencia científica de que se dispone en la región sobre este tema en el periodo de 2009 al 2014; con base en éste, nos propone los ejes temáticos prioritarios que deben ser indagados en el futuro inmediato. Sin duda esta publicación representa un insumo altamente valorizado que contribuye a comprender y difundir la situación del aborto en la región, sus causas, las consecuencias y los obstáculos que las mujeres enfrentan en su decisión de interrumpir su embarazo, así como las posturas de los diversos actores sociales que están a favor o en contra de la despenalización del aborto y las acciones que en los ámbitos institucionales, privados y públicos, influyen y participan en este proceso; dichos aspectos también están presentes en el debate público en numerosos países de otras regiones.AbstractThe issue of abortion in Latin America has occupied an increasingly important place in academic work and public debate, particularly in agendas and public policies, for over two decades. The recent excellent publication by the Latin American Consortium against Unsafe Abortion (clacai), Investigación sobre aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Una agenda renovada para informar políticas públicas e incidencia, whose executive summary is presented below, provides a detailed account of the scientific evidence available in the region on this topic in the period from 2009 to 2014. On the basis of the latter, it proposes thematic priorities that should be investigated in the near future. This publication is an extremely valuable input that contributes to understanding and disseminating the status of abortion in the region, its causes and consequences and the obstacles women face in their decision to terminate their pregnancies. It also details the positions of the various stakeholders for or against the legalization of abortion and actions in the institutional, private and public spheres that influence and participate in this process. These aspects are also present in the public debate in many countries in other regions. 

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