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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today about a topic important to us all: the role of development assistance in fostering racial and ethnic inclusion in our hemisphere. This topic is a critical component of all democracy-building efforts. Building more inclusive societies is not only a human rights and moral imperative for the still fragile democracies of Latin America and the Caribbean, but also key to maximizing the resources of these growing economies.
Historically, control over the economies and governments of the Americas has been exclusive. The roots of this exclusion can be traced back to the beginning of the colonial era, and the mercantilist tendencies of that era. Exclusive management of first colonial and then national economies marginalized groups of indigenous and African descent. Until recently, the lack of economic participation has gone hand-in-hand with the absence of political participation.
Inclusion means that people participate in the development process and share its benefits. USAID's Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean has made democracy the bedrock of our development vision. Today, we have missions in fifteen countries and a regional program that addresses critical objectives for democracy. The USAID program for this hemisphere involves efforts to deepen and broaden the participation of all groups, particularly the socio-economically disadvantaged. Our efforts assist poor and marginalized groups to strengthen their communities and increase their participation, and include people of African descent as an important part of a larger whole. Our programs seek to support all poor and marginalized groups that are trying to strengthen their communities and increase their voice in society.
Determining the exact number and location of Africans in the Americas, or the extent to which they suffer from discrimination, is often difficult. Official statistics are not usually kept by race or ethnicity. Nevertheless, it is clear that throughout Latin America, communities of African descent are among the poorest of the poor and often live on marginal lands in urban areas and along coasts and waterways. Like many of the poor in our region, persons of African descent lack title to the lands on which their ancestors resided for generations. Lack of title makes African populations vulnerable to external economic interests, including efforts to develop the coastal lands where they frequently live. Commercial development often means lost livelihoods, rising costs, and greater hardship.
In some countries, Black communities have also faced legal or official discrimination. People of African and indigenous descent have been subjected to discrimination in employment, education, and healthcare.
To address these injustices, USAID has supported Black and indigenous populations in the Americas both through targeted programs, and as beneficiaries of larger efforts to support poor and disadvantaged groups. I'd like to share a few examples with you.
Peru: In Peru, USAID has promoted the recognition of groups of African origin as serious and viable actors in their communities through support to Afro-Peruvian nongovernmental organizations. In 1997, USAID worked with the Afro-Peruvian NGO, Pata de Cabra, to sponsor a cultural fair on race, discrimination, and violence. Attended by over 7,000 participants, the event raised awareness of racial discrimination which led to the Peruvian Congress' enacting a law that forbids racial preferences in employment announcements.
USAID is also providing training in human rights, civil participation, and leadership to thirty-three Black communities through the Movimiento Francisco Congo, another Afro-Peruvian organization. By so doing, we are advancing the capacity of Black groups to participate in the political process.
Honduras: In Honduras, USAID is working with the Garífuna population along the North Coast in HIV/AIDS prevention, and in a youth program. We have built water and sanitation systems that have benefited 20,000 people, and have financed a child survival grant with the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras. USAID's efforts in the legal sector are aimed at reducing crimes against minorities. In addition, a training program for Garífuna mayors has enabled them to improve tax registries and manage their communities more effectively.
Following Hurricane Mitch, USAID has supported reconstruction of Garifuna communities. With USAID financing, NGOs are working to restore production of traditional crops, including cassava, coconut, and plantains. USAID is also financing the restoration of water and sanitation systems damaged by the hurricane in five Garífuna communities.
Nicaragua: In Nicaragua, USAID has supported Creole communities of African descent, as well as indigenous Miskito groups, through the Bilingual Intercultural Education program. Local community teachers and administrators have collaborated to ensure that the linguistic and cultural needs of students are addressed. These bilingual education activities are designed to expand access and opportunity and to foster respect for local culture, language, history, and natural resources. The program has contributed directly to cross-cultural understanding and a strengthened multicultural society.
Other USAID efforts: There are many more examples of USAID supported activities to improve the lives of Latin Americans of African descent. In Ecuador, USAID has financed a study to guide the formulation of legislation to protect Afro-Latino and indigenous groups. In Bolivia, our Democratic Development and Citizen Participation project is working in two predominately Black communities. In Brazil, USAID funded an At-Risk Youth Project to address the needs of impoverished youth and their families through direct health and social services in northeast Brazil. The project reached 30,000 people, 70% of whom are Black.
I would also like to briefly describe how USAID has supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities that carry out development projects in the region. Linkages between Blacks in the US and the socioeconomically disadvantaged in Latin America and the Caribbean are important. An example is USAID's Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships program, managed through Georgetown University. Last year, over $1.3 million in scholarships enabled disadvantaged students who demonstrate strong prospects for community leadership to study at historically black colleges and universities in the United States.
Cooperative agreement with the Organization of Africans in the Americas and Partners of the Americas: Today, I am very pleased to announce a new program -- our first regional grant to focus on strengthening Black communities in Central America, primarily those affected by Hurricane Mitch. This will be jointly managed by our host, the Organization of Africans in the Americas (OAA), and Partners of the Americas, which has long worked with USAID in strengthening community organizations. Both OAA and Partners of the Americas, with their wealth of organizational contacts all over the hemisphere, will involve the best talent in strengthening Black communities in the hurricane-affected countries of Central America.
This agreement with OAA and Partners of the Americas is a positive response to a major disaster, Hurricane Mitch. Hurricanes and other natural disasters disproportionately affect Black communities in Central America, because these communities typically occupy marginal, flood-prone land along the coasts and river basins. Hurricane Mitch, like its predecessors, caused many residents to lose their homes and belongings. Many of these communities are not formally organized or experienced at tapping into the institutional structures of their own countries or to those of international donors. These communities have difficulty in ensuring that adequate resources are targeted to the reconstruction of their communities.
Through this agreement with OAA and Partners of the Americas, USAID expects to: Help build partnerships and networks among Black organizations; Foster the active participation of Black organizations in identifying and implementing solutions to problems; and Ensure that Black communities are better prepared to confront the devastating effects of future natural disasters.
Conclusion: In conclusion, there is an important role for development assistance to help reduce barriers and create opportunities for vulnerable groups across the region, including communities of African descent, in order to address their development needs.
Of course, governments of Latin America and the Caribbean bear the lead responsibility for meeting the needs of all their citizens, and USAID will carry on continual dialogue with official counterparts as to how they can best achieve this. They can be confident that promoting the rights of disadvantaged communities will foster the unity of their nations. Marginalized groups must have a voice in addressing their concerns within the political and economic systems of their countries. All democracies face this challenge: they must allow individual groups to exercise the right to maintain their cultural identities, while ensuring that these groups are an integrated part of society and enjoy its benefits.
Thank you for inviting me here to speak on this important topic and for the critical work you are all doing to ensure that democracy and development are a reality for all people of the Americas.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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