MEDIA RELEASE PR40321
IDRC and Partners Pledge US$35 Million to Bolster Think Tanks in Latin America and South Asia
OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, July 12 /CNW-AsiaNet/ --
Funding to strengthen development policy discussions and contribute to
more equitable and prosperous societies
The Think Tank Initiative has selected 28 think tanks, or independent policy research institutions, in Latin
America and South Asia to receive a total of US$35 million to strengthen their roles as influential players in
national policymaking. Each think tank will receive long-term funding, enabling them to conduct research that
is fundamental to the development of sound policy.
"International donors continue to invest in policy research undertaken by
Western institutions and sometimes forget that it is strong local think tanks
that often generate the most effective policymaking in developing countries,"
says David Malone, President of Canada's International Development Research
Centre (IDRC).
Launched by IDRC, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation in 2008, the Think Tank Initiative is a step towards
reversing this trend. It aims to support local think tanks to produce
high-quality research that will improve policies and, ultimately, contribute
to more equitable and prosperous societies. The US$35 million investment in
Latin America and South Asia follows US$30 million in grants to 24 think tanks
in East and West Africa in 2009.
Think tanks in the developing world are in a unique position to effect
change in their societies. They can strengthen public policy debates and
promote more objective, evidence-based decision-making. However, most never
receive predictable core funding, instead depending on short-term project
grants and consultancy contracts. This Initiative provides think tanks with
stable funding so that they can attract, retain and build local talent,
develop an independent research program, and invest in outreach to ensure that
research results are used in policy debates.
The Initiative received over 300 proposals from a wide range of Latin
American and South Asian think tanks that focus on broad national, social, and
economic policy issues. Following a thorough and rigorous review process, 28
institutions were selected from seven countries in Latin America - Bolivia,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Peru; and five
countries in South Asia - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
"We are convinced that the support given by the Think Tank Initiative and
the collaboration with other policy centres in ours and other regions of the
world will allow Grupo FARO to continue to accompany Ecuador and Latin America
in the road to development" says Orazio Bellettini, Executive Director of
Ecuador's Fundacion para el Avance de las Reformas y las Oportunidades (Grupo
FARO), one of the think tanks selected. Dr. Rajendra P. Mamgain, Director of
the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies adds "The IDRC Think Tank Initiative's
core grant to the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies will be crucial to develop
its research programmes in wider spheres, strategize group-specific inclusive
policies, strengthen partnerships with various stakeholders, improve outreach
through effective networking and develop the support system for a competent
research capacity."
The Initiative's three initial funders have now been joined by the UK
Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands
Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS). This strengthened
partnership is a concrete move toward establishing and nurturing strong local
policy research institutions that ultimately help generate smart and effective
policymaking. "This is an exciting and innovative initiative. It will provide
a much needed support for evidence-based research and policy on global issues
such as economic growth, good governance and citizen empowerment, which will
help tackle poverty in South Asia and Latin America" says Michael Anderson,
Director General for Policy and Global Issues at DFID.
The Initiative is envisioned as a long-term investment over at least 10
years. The five donors have committed a total of about US$110 million to the
program.
For more information about the Think Tank Initiative please visit
Notes to Editors
The 12 Latin American think tanks receiving grants are:
Bolivia: Fundacion ARU, Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Desarrollo
(INESAD)
Ecuador: Centro Ecuatoriano de Derecho Ambiental (CEDA), Fundacion para
el Avance de las Reformas y las Oportunidades (Grupo FARO)
El Salvador: Fundacion Dr Guillermo Manuel Ungo (FUNDAUNGO), Fundacion
Salvadorena para el Desarrollo Economico y Social/Departamento de Estudios
Economicos y Sociales (FUSADES/DEES)
Guatemala: Asociacion de Investigacion y Estudios Sociales (ASIES)
Honduras: Foro Social de Deuda Externa y Desarrollo de Honduras (FOSDEH)
Paraguay: Centro de Analisis y Difusion de la Economia Paraguaya (CADEP),
Instituto Desarrollo (ID)
Peru: Grupo de Analisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE), Instituto de Estudios
Peruanos (IEP)
The 16 South Asian think tanks receiving grants are:
Bangladesh: Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Institute of Governance
Studies (IGS)
India: Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Centre
for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), Centre for Policy Research
(CPR), Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Indian Institute
of Dalit Studies (IIDS), Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), National Council
of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Institute of Rural Management (IRMA),
Public Affairs Centre (PAC)
Nepal: Institute for Social and Environmental Transition Nepal (ISET-N)
Pakistan: Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC), Sustainable
Development Policy Institute (SDPI)
Sri Lanka: Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Institute of Policy
Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS)
About IDRC
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supports
research in developing countries to promote growth and development. IDRC also
encourages sharing this knowledge with policymakers, other researchers, and
communities around the world. The result is innovative, lasting local
solutions that aim to bring choice and change to those who need it most. Learn
About the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since
1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the
world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education,
the environment, global development, performing arts, philanthropy, and
population, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In
developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them
the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United
States, it seeks to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest
resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school
and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff
Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and
About the UK Department for International Development
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) manages the UK's
aid to poor developing countries and leads its fight against world poverty.
DFID works with governments in developing countries to help them lift their
citizens - the poorest and most disadvantaged - out of poverty by providing
proper health care and education, fostering good governance and promoting
equitable economic growth. DFID also works with charities, businesses and
international bodies, including the World Bank, UN agencies and the European
Commission, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the
international targets agreed by the United Nations to halve world poverty by
About the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation
The Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) is
responsible for development cooperation policy, its coordination,
implementation, and funding. The Netherlands works with the governments of
other countries and with international organizations such as the UN, the World
Bank, and the EU. DGIS themes include gender, Aids, education, sustainable
economic development, and the environment. Learn more at www.minbuza.nl
SOURCE: International Development Research Centre
CONTACT: Media contacts:
IDRC: Maria Urbina-Fauser
Tel: +1-613 696-2339
murbina-fauser(at)idrc.ca;
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Jack Fischer
Tel: +1-650 234-4500 x5744
jfischer(at)hewlett.org;
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:
Tel: +1-206-709-3400
media(at)gatesfoundation.org;
Department for International Development (DFID): Swati Sahi
Tel: +11-4279-3435
s-sahi(at)dfid.gov.uk;
Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation(DGIS):
Tel: +31-70-3486486
dgis(at)minbuza.nl
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