Online Event: Economic Recovery and Rebuilding the Social Fabric in Latin America and the Caribbean

This event is organized in partnership with:

                                                          

With the Covid-19 pandemic about to stretch into its second year, the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, continues to struggle with contagion and disease, with the region as a whole accounting for a disproportionate share of infections and deaths worldwide.

For Latin America and the Caribbean, the consequences of the pandemic have been devastating from a health perspective and shaken economic and social conditions. Most experts agree that the post-pandemic recovery will be long and difficult. It will also demand an active participation of the private sector that takes into consideration diminished public resources available and circumstances unique to each country. In what ways can the private sector can help rebuild the social fabric of Latin America and the Caribbean and respond to the need for a more inclusive, equity-oriented economic recovery?

To understand and better prepare for the challenges ahead, the United Way and the Dialogue will convene a panel of experts on December 15 that includes Millicom’s Karim Lesina, the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Cecilia Vaca Jones, and 3M’s José Varela. 

Relevant issues the panelists plan to address include connectivity, employability, social investment, and issues related to the informal sector, with particular attention to the needs of vulnerable groups such as women and children, racial/ethnic communities, and people with disabilities. Several questions will guide the discussion, including: 

• How has the pandemic affected the outlook for jobs, employability, and workforce trends in the region?
• In what ways are digitization and connectivity offering new solutions or revealing potential problems?
• How can aid and assistance–both public and private–be targeted to the region’s most vulnerable groups?
• What concrete measures or initiatives can the private sector take immediately, and what obstacles stand in the way of more efficient and effective public-private partnerships?
• Which social investments could make the region’s economic recovery more sustainable, and take the region beyond pre-pandemic indicators of wellbeing?

The event is free and open to the public over YouTube and Zoom (registration required).

 

WATCH THE EVENT HERE:

 

 

 

OPENING REMARKS

JOSÉ FERRÃO

International President, United Way Worldwide

SPEAKERS

KARIM LESINA

Executive Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom (@karimlesina)

CECILIA VACA JONES

Executive Director, Bernard van Leer Foundation and former Minister of Social Development, Ecuador (@CecyVacaJones)

JOSÉ VARELA

Vice President for Latin America Corporate Affairs & Governance, 3M and Managing Director, 3M Mexico

MODERATOR

MICHAEL SHIFTER

President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)