Americas Society Receives Grant to Advance Security Dialogue in Central America

November 28, 2011

(AP Photo)

NEW YORK, November 17, 2011 - Americas Society will deepen the domestic security dialogue in El Salvador and the surrounding region, bolstered by a generous $50,000 grant from the Foundation to Promote Open Society (FPOS).

While much of Latin America experiences greater levels of security and economic vitality, the Northern Triangle region of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras face escalating levels of crime, with their cumulative homicide rate more than twice the regional average. 

The widespread nature of this lawlessness not only compromises the everyday lives of those who live in its shadow, it erodes public trust in institutions and cripples local economies:  According to some estimates, the total cost of crime and violence—including health costs—totals approximately 10.8 percent of GDP in El Salvador; 9.6 percent of GDP in Honduras; and 7.7 percent of GDP in Guatemala.

As we focus on the particular set of problems confronting El Salvador, Americas Society recognizes that Central America’s security challenges transcend borders and will engage key actors throughout the region. 

With FPOS support the Americas Society will:

• Work with local and international businesses and public sector officials to improve public-private cooperation.

• Promote an open dialogue with business leaders, NGOs, public officials, and international democratic security experts on best practices and how to move forward on improving security through public-private partnerships.

• Draw from past successes across the Americas where local businesses have mobilized with public organizations to meet similar challenges.

"As it has done in other areas, with this grant the Americas Society is seeking to leverage its contacts and capital across the business and public policy communities to address one of the fundamental challenges the region faces today—security and transnational crime,"  says Americas Society’s President and CEO Susan Segal.

PRESS INQUIRIES: Please contact Alex Andrews at aandrews@as-coa.org or (212) 277-8384.

Americas Society is the premier organization dedicated to education, debate and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, our mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.

See more in:  Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Security