Seeks to quantify how socioeconomic, health care, demographic, and geographic effects explain racial disparities in low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) rates in Brazil. Methods. Focused on disparities in LBW and PTB prevalence between infants of African ancestry alone or African mixed with other ancestries, and European ancestry alone. Differences in prenatal care use and geographic location were the most important contributors, followed by socioeconomic differences. The model explained the majority of the disparities for mixed African ancestry and part of the disparity for African ancestry alone.
83 p., Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs have become the main social assistance interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), reaching 129 million individuals in 18 countries in 2010. Programs shared key characteristics such as the payment of cash grants and the incorporation of co-responsibilities, but varied greatly in terms of coverage, infrastructure, routines, and even objectives. In this study, we analyze the experience of six countries (Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru) and attempt to identify important lessons for countries that have recently started or that are currently considering the introduction of a CCT.
Constructs a monetary policy indicator from monetary policy documents and the actions of the Bank of Jamaica and Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and uses it to estimate four variants of an analytical narrative-vector error correction model.
Argues that China has gained influence in multilateral institutions, prompting them toward greater acceptance of public spending in developing countries and that recent developments in Cuba show that China is actively encouraging the Western hemisphere's only communist country to liberalize its economy. China sits at the crossroads of these local and global developments, prompting Cuba toward rapprochement with international norms even as it works to reform them.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Organisation de Cooperation et de Developpement Economiques
Location:
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
164 p., Even in the midst of a global financial crisis, Latin American and Caribbean economies find themselves in better condition than in years past. Latin America must seize this opportunity to design and implement good public policies. The greatest of the long-term objectives of Latin American states remains development: economic growth and structural change that is rapid, sustainable and inclusive. In particular, governments must reduce inequalities in income, public-service delivery and opportunities, as well as promote the diversification of economies, often concentrated on a few primary-product exports. Improved efficiency of public administration is crucial to address both the short-term and long-term dimensions of these challenges. The real change, however, will come if Latin American and Caribbean states carry out meaningful fiscal reforms, making them not only more efficient but also more effective.
"We are aware of the crackdown on illegal Cash Pot activities, however, it is difficult to precisely estimate the losses," said SVL President and Chief Executive Officer Brian George. "Based on the success of the BGLC, we believe it is down, however, in these difficult economic times we recognize the temptation for this activity by the small operators," George told The Weekly Gleaner via email. "This has the greatest potential for growth and it is the area that we understand that the BGLC is focusing their activities," explained George.
Hamburg, Germany: Institut fur Iberoamerika-Kunde (IIK), GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies/Leibniz-Institut fur Globale und Regionale Studien
Location:
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The economies of Latin America and the Caribbean have quickly recovered from the global financial crisis. With growth rates exceeding 6 percent from the previous year in 2010, the economies outpaced the OECD, which grew only by 2.3 percent. The growth prospects for the region are further analyzed.
Reports on an empirical investigation into how small, family-owned businesses in Jamaica raise financing for business start-up and business growth. Access to finance has been one of the most critical issues affecting the growth and survival of these firms in the Jamaican economy but very little empirical work has been done in this area. This study uses survey data collected from over 250 family-owned enterprises from all the industrial sectors in the economy and analyzed, using multivariate statistical techniques. The results revealed that internal sources of financing are usually used to finance business start-up while external sources are used to finance business growth.
Burger,John (Author), Rebucci,Alessandro (Author), Warnock,Francis E. (Author), and Warnock,Veronica (Author)
Format:
Pamphlet
Publication Date:
May 2010
Published:
Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank
Location:
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
39 p., This paper assesses the extent to which a country's external capital structure can aid in mitigating the macroeconomic impact of oil price shocks. Two Caribbean economies highly vulnerable to oil price shocks are considered: an oil importer (Jamaica) and an oil exporter (Trinidad and Tobago). From a risk-sharing perspective, a desirable external capital structure is one that, through international capital gains and losses, helps offset responses of the current account balance to external shocks. It is found that both countries could alter their international portfolio to provide a better buffer against such shocks.
Dr. Edwidge Crevecoeur Bryant, a renowned scholar and speaker, and Professor at University of North Florida, will deliver the keynote address. She is a proud Haitian-American whose brilliance, public speaking and charisma commend the reverence and high regard of all. A leading proponent for advancing higher education in the state, she will argue the need for a significant community effort to help our students through college. Professor Bryant is a role model for our entire community. We are fortunate to also have The Honorable Paul Novack, Attorney at Law, former Mayor of the Town of Surfside and Member of the Florida State Oversight Board for the Miami-Dade County Public School District, to speak on higher education being a vital investment in the future.
