Latin America

By Anna Heikkinen

Twenty years have passed since the end of the Guatemalan civil war. The country has managed to take notable steps fostering its economic and human development. However, inequality and poverty still remain at concerning level. Investing in education is what Guatemala urgently needs to raise its people out of poverty and continue the success story of its economy on a sustainable basis.

The development sector replicates many of the very injustices it claims to work against, reproducing these historical power dynamics and stripping agency from the very people it claims to support. How can international organisations truly work towards equality when they underpay local staff, continue to think of development as unidirectional, and don’t allow for a true shift in power towards local leaders who most fully understand the needs of their own communities?

By Victoria Greaves

We, in the international community, want to believe that development is possible and human rights can be respected, but we must ask ourselves: whose interests do we actually represent? And hearing from local people in the developing world reveals that even positive movements, like environmentalism, can have devastating results.

It is difficult to explain to those outside of the country, but what is currently happening in Mexico is a situation of a structural violence towards the indigenous communities, as well as against human rights advocates and defenders, social leaders and journalists, says Mexico's human rights activist Alejandra Ancheita.

When I make it back into the swirling cacophony of the street, I can’t help but think that this initiative is truly saving lives.

By Anthony Luberto Yes, gangs do exist and yes, many development areas are flickering but there is also hard work being done to curb the future of Guatemala from draining away to the U.S.

By Adil Khan

Colombia has made great strides to transform itself into a cultural and tourism hub, which may encourage further investment and economic progress. Colombia's tourism industry is expanding and could yet prove to be pivotal in the country’s economic diversification and future development.

By Diego Cupolo From aerial surveillance to threedimensional geographic modeling of rugged terrains and even speedy pizza delivery service, manufacturers have begun to promote the infinite capabilities of domestic drones. At the same time, they are specifically targeting developing markets in Latin America for the martial use of drones in law enforcement and military operations.

By LAURA D. ORTIZ/GSDM  According to the Happy Planet Index in 2012, Colombia is positioned as the 3rd happiest country in the world. The HPI results, that...

The risks to refugee education do not stop with COVID-19. Attacks on schools are a grim and growing reality. The report also elaborates on Africa’s Sahel region where violence has forced the closure of more than 2,500 schools affecting the education of 350,000 students.