Inter-American Dialogue: A year in review

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Our Year in Review  2017 was a busy and exciting year for the Inter-American Dialogue. We were recognized at the 16th annual Think Tank Awards sponsored by the British publication Prospect as the “One to Watch,” commended “for pushing the question of how the US relates to its neighbors.” We also held three of our flagship events: our 11th Sol M. Linowitz Forum, assembling all of our members here in Washington DC; the 21st Annual CAF Conference, convening more than 1,000 attendees to debate and discuss the most pressing developments facing the Americas; and our 3rd Leadership for the Americas Awards Gala which honored exceptional world leaders and gathered over 400 dignitaries. Additionally, we hosted 73 public events, including conversations with Mauricio Macri, Luis Guillermo Solís, Juan Carlos Varela, Sebastián Piñera, Lilian Tintori, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Marta Lucía Ramírez, Rodrigo Janot, and Denise Dresser. We closed the year with the opening of our new office in Guatemala, our first office in Latin America and the Caribbean and a physical representation of the importance and the reach of the Dialogue’s work, in a world in which connections – and dialogue – are ever more important. We could not do this without your support, and we hope that you will join us in 2018 to engage in dialogue as we foster democratic governance, prosperity and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean.   With appreciation and best wishes for this holiday season, Michael Shifter President SUPPORT US   HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR PROGRAMS Education Program Convenes ECD Forum in Colombia and Publishes Flagship Paper on ELL In November, the Dialogue’s Education Program co-hosted the First Latin American Forum on Early Childhood Development, which resulted in the signing of a regional agenda for ECD. Earlier in the year, we published a paper on English Language Learning in Latin America, examining the current state of policies, instruction and learning in ten countries throughout the region. Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program Examines US-LatAm Energy Relations, Clean Transportation & Deforestation in Colombia  In 2017, the Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program published US-Latin America Energy Investment: Proposals for Policy Engagement, examining the impacts of Trump administration policies on energy relations with the rest of the hemisphere. The program also held its Third Annual Latin America Clean Transport Forum in Costa Rica. Earlier in the year, we published Peace and Environmental Protection in Colombia: Proposals for Sustainable Rural Development. Rule of Law Program Intensifies Focus on Corruption, Citizen Security and Human Rights  This year Michael Camilleri took over as director of the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program. The program published reports on the context of corruption scandals, the Inter-American Human Rights System, the daily impact of insecurity in Central America and freedom of expression in the digital age. We also hosted an anti-corruption experts meeting and a public policy dialogue to provide recommendations for the VIII Summit of the Americas. The program was widely covered in the media, including an op-ed on Venezuela in the New York Times. Migration, Remittances and Development Program Leverages Migration for Development through Financial Inclusion and Research In 2017, the Migration, Remittances and Development Program continued its work on remittances, migration and financial inclusion. In late 2017 we concluded a study about migrants in the U.S. and their use of technologies for financial services. On remittance marketplace issues, we released studies about competition, and annual growth of the more than 70 billion dollars in family transfers. Finally, our financial inclusion initiatives included a partnership in Nicaragua with BanPro bank and CAMMINA and the continued implementation of the Opportunities for my Community project in Guatemala with USAID. Our team has also worked on various Central American initiatives, including a forum on media and democracy and preparing briefings about the state of the region. Latin America and the World Program Examines Asia's Growing Role in Latin America  The Latin America and the World Program continued its focus on Asia-Latin America relations this year by convening experts in Mexico City for a third annual high-level meeting on Japan-Latin America relations. As part of its extensive work on China, the program also assembled a first-ever cohort of China and Latin America Young Scholars to jointly conduct research on the Asian nation's evolving role in the region in the coming months. As in previous years, we were pleased to release an updated version of our China-Latin America Finance Database and an accompanying report on Chinese state to state lending in the region.   VIDEOS FROM 2017 PHOTOS FROM 2017