Despite the recent weakening of violent extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Boko Haram, these threats continue to be a pressing global issue. In the development sector, countering violent extremism (CVE) and preventing violent extremism (PVE) are increasingly high priorities for government agencies and donors. As USAID, the State Department, and others grapple…
Decades of work to disrupt cycles of violence in developing countries has resulted in some promising, replicable approaches. Yet, to get to a “best-fit” approach within a particular country, we know that we cannot simply cut and paste strategies and tools from one context to the next. Considering this, what can market research conducted by…
We partner with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), independent media, and local communities to strengthen democratic governance systems. Our programs encourage transparency and accountability of leaders and institutions, and protect and promote universal human rights. For example, our work takes us to Sri Lanka, where we are improving the performance of core justice institutions and…
Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world at 60 homicides per 100,000 people in 2015. Violent acts are primarily concentrated in low-income, urban areas and primarily perpetrated by young males against other young males. Through the USAID Governance for Citizen Security Activity, Honduras is strengthening its crime and violence prevention agenda,…
Enrique Betancourt is the director of the Citizens Security Initiative at Chemonics, where he contributes to a portfolio of citizen security and justice projects implemented across Latin America and the Caribbean. His work focuses on establishing collaborative mechanisms that bridge the gap between the design and implementation of evidence-based citizen security policies at the national…
Rosa Jimenez is a lawyer and democracy and governance expert with more than 10 years of experience managing USAID projects in the Dominican Republic, Pakistan, and Nicaragua. She is the former deputy chief of party on a USAID criminal justice systems strengthening project in the Dominican Republic.
Raúl Soto is a violence and crime prevention expert with local and international experience in academia, the Mexican government and civil society. He currently serves as the chief of party for the Violence Prevention and Reduction Activity (PREVI) in Mexico. Prior to joining Chemonics, Raúl has worked with the FICOSEC’s Citizen Observatory, the Pan American Health…
Enrique Rivas is the Senior Vice President, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Business Unit. He has more than 30 years of experience with social and economic development projects in areas of post-conflict and political instability. He has served as chief of party on six programs, including on the Juntos Para la Prevención de la…
With better partnerships across the government and civil society organizations, Mexico can improve the way it targets crime and violence in vulnerable communities.
Despite gains made through prior USAID initiatives, Colombia still faces challenges in securing ongoing respect and protection for human rights. Vulnerable populations generally lack knowledge of protection mechanisms and of government efforts to prevent and respond to human rights violations. USAID’s Human Rights Activity (HRA) uses a three-pronged strategy — promote a culture of human…
An effective criminal justice system indiscriminately provides citizens with access to justice, promotes equality and demonstrates impartiality, maintains timely and efficient processes, combats the impunity of human rights violators, fosters citizens’ independence and responsibility, and earns the public’s trust. In the Dominican Republic, 20 years of justice reform and modernization efforts have led to some…