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African, Latin American and Caribbean Studies
JSIA’s Centre for African, Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS) mission is to enhance interregional understanding and cooperation through policy-oriented research, dialogue and training. To achieve this goal, CALACS serves as a hub at JGU for academics, policy-makers, diplomats and businessmen in India and abroad to connect, exchange, and develop initiatives related to :
Applied critical thinking in a changing world
South-South relations are increasingly defining global economy and politics. Africa and the Americas are natural partners, with at one point a shared geography and later a with a shared history. This partnership is now enjoying a period of revitalization owing to an economic upturn in Latin America and in the Caribbean countries, as well as similar developments in several African nations.
This partnership is also outgrowing to other developing countries like India propelled by a common strategy to diversify commercial relations and reduce overdependence. India’s trade with Mexico and Brazil surpasses trade with neighboring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as traditional partners like Canada and Spain. ALAC countries growing economic ties with India also benefit from relatively larger trade complementarity and higher-value investments compared to other emerging economies.
In many instances, the domestic and export wealth of ALAC countries extends beyond their ‘natural’ resources, reaching into the global domain of human innovation.
Many ALAC countries have also achieved higher development levels underpinned by poverty reduction strategies, social welfare programs, and scientific-technological progress.
This has accentuated the possibilities for cooperation between ALAC, India and other countries in the Global South who share similar developmental problems and could learn from each other’s success stories.
As ALAC countries and India become influential voices in international discourse, they also begin to share responsibility for shaping the global agenda in a manner that helps developing countries achieve their objectives.
These ambitions are spearheaded mainly through a common agenda on many multilateral issues, new interregional policy coalitions like the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Dialogue Forum and the BRICS (association of five emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and new interregional institutions like the New Development Bank (NDB).
CALACS combines interdisciplinary research, policy, and capacity development to understand the changing dynamics of South-South relations, deepen partnerships between ALAC countries and India, and support ALAC countries and India, as part of the Global South, in reshaping global governance.
CALACS’ launch was announced during the BRICS Civil Forum in October 2016. A Special Panel on BRICS Process was organized in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian think tank Research & Information System for Developing Countries, and attended by 80 JGU students, Ambassador Yogendra Kumar, Joint Secretary Alok Simri and the Deputy Heads of Mission from Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
Since its formal launch in February 2017, CALACS has organized several dialogues with renowned experts, journalists, diplomats and entrepreneurs, entered into new partnerships, and launched fully and partially funded internships abroad. CALACS has also engaged in policy-oriented research initiatives aiming at further developing JGU research capacity and student employability.
CALACS produces monthly newsletters containing analyses of current events in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The newsletters are electronically distributed to a global network of partners in government, academia, international organizations, private sector, and non-governmental organizations.
Contact calacs@jgu.edu.in if you would like to receive our monthly newsletters.
Valor Economico (2 December, 2020):China will react if it thinks Brazil discriminates against the country, say analysts https://valor.globo.com/brasil/noticia/2020/12/02/china-reagira-se-achar-que-o-brasil-a-discrimina-avaliam-analistas.ghtml
Radar China (18 November, 2020): The outcome of the 12th BRICS Summit and the new development banks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYiZFwgoZq4
Financial Express (14 November, 2020): BRICS A new Agenda for Cooperation? https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/brics-summit-a-new-agenda-for-cooperation/2127965/
Folha de São Paulo (16 November, 2020): ‘The Challenge ahead of the BRICS Summit is to provide answers to the urgent matters of our time’
CGTN (19 November, 2020): 12th BRICS Summit – Member states to adopt counter-terrorism strategy
https://news.cgtn.com/news/3059444d35514464776c6d636a4e6e62684a4856/index.html
Folha de São Paulo (14 August, 2020): What does Brazil gain from joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank? https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mercado/2020/08/o-que-o-brasil-pode-esperar-do-banco-asiatico-de-investimento-em-infraestrutura.shtml
Folha de São Paulo (27 July, 2020): With over 50 thousand cases per day, India may surpass Brazil and the USA. https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mundo/2020/07/com-50-mil-casos-diarios-de-covid-india-caminha-para-ultrapassar-brasil-e-eua.shtml
Radio France International (29 July, 2020): Under Brazilian Leadership, the BRICS-Bank May Finance Post-COVID Economic Recovery.
Valor Economico (6 April, 2020): Amid complicated environment, Russia wants BRICS Summit in October https://valor.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2020/06/04/em-meio-a-ambiente-complicado-rssia-quer-cpula-do-brics-em-outubro.ghtml
Global Policy (11 March, 2020): Vazquez, K. 2020.BRICS multilateralism à la carte.
https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/11/03/2020/brics-multilateralism-la-carte
Radio France International (21 January, 2020): Jair Bolsonaro and Narendra Modi, two populist leaders in search of declining influence
BBC Brazil (25 January, 2020): In India, Bolsonaro says that in Brazil immigrants have more rights than us
Jornal do Commercio (24 January, 2020): Brazil-India, a marriage yet to be seen
BBC Brazil (24 January, 2020): Bolsonaro in India – in 7 points, how Brazil compares to the Asian country in terms of economic and social indicators
https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-51220988
Financial Express (21 January, 2020): Brazil-India relations: a marriage yet to be seen
BBC World Service – Prof Vazquez and Deputy Minister of Economy and Marcos Troyjo radio interview on Brazil-Indian relations
Folha de Sao Paulo (23 January, 2020): Bolsonaro and Modi meet in India in pursuit of trade and domestic crisis relief
Global Times (23 December, 2019):[巴西]华一卿：多轨并进 ，巩固中巴务实合作http://hqtime.huanqiu.com/share/article/9CaKrnKotRS?from=singlemessage
Dharma Opina (November, 2019): Podcast on Bolsonaro’s visit to China
https://open.spotify.com/episode/71qqQZ1LUCAf7dgeMYWM9j?si=bB_DISFWS_6-J5tx4qtrBw
Financial Express (18 November,2019): Geopolitics over Amazon firetaking complex turn for Brazil
https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/earths-lungs-are-on-fire-geopolitics-over-amazon-fire-taking-complex-turn-for-brazil/1695031/?fbclid=IwAR2SS2AEYPyzVjjGtgiV-judsymytD1xkOFiWcKGhi2YNPb72O7Zi7vU4nA
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This essay examines theAIIB’s approach to investing in sustainable infrastructure (SI). The main argument is that theAIIBis taking a hybrid layered approach to SI investment. On the one hand, the Bank is following the ‘do no harm’ pathway of the traditional MDBs, of using safeguards to avoid and compensate adverse social and environmental impacts. On the other hand, it is pursuing innovation, and a more transformative agenda, that encourages investment in SI projects that generate broader, positive developmental spillovers. In pursuing its hybrid agenda, theAIIBis developing its own multi‐layered safeguards regime to ensure smooth and strong SI investment, and alignment between the Bank’s overarching strategic policy, its ESF, sector and thematic strategies, and projects. The analysis also details three ways in which theAIIBstands out from other MDBs for how it is ‘trying new things’ with its approach to SI investment: first, is how ‘economic sustainability’ is one of the main considerations for project selection alongside environmental, social and governance sustainability; second, how the Bank has integrated social and indigenous and oversight safeguards into its ‘environmental and social framework’ (ESF); third, its creation of large‐scale public‐private Funds for green finance and climate finance.
Vazquez, K., Khan, M., Izmestiev, A., 2019. Innovating Triangular Cooperation. Development Cooperation Review, Vol 2, No. 1, 2019. Research and Information Systems, Indian Ministry of External Affairs. http://www.ris.org.in/journals-n-newsletters/jsia-Cooperation-Review?fbclid=IwAR1HBK60QKweClDxOwViqTEOnNrUwQA9Yt42mKPqIkYHfoVS__6LLYG0RTQ
Vazquez, K. 2019.Learning from Peers: How Brazil and Indonesia are Structuring Institutional and Operational Models for South-South Knowledge Exchange In: Besada, H.; Tok, E.; Polonenko, L.Innovating South-South Cooperation: policies, challenges and prospects.Ottawa: Ottawa University Press, 2019.
Vazquez, K.2018.What Future for South-South Cooperation?In : Ayllón, B.; Ojeda, T.La Cooperación Sur-Sur a 40 años del plan de acción de Buenos Aires.Revista Español de Desarrollo y Cooperación, n. 43, December 2018.
https://www.academia.edu/37864884/What_Future_for_South_South_Cooperation
South-South Cooperation (SSC) has increased and diversified over the past decades. This phenomenon, however, has not been followed by a reassessment of the normative framework that guides this form of cooperation, limiting the
complementary role SSC can play in the implementation of the 2030 Development Agenda. As the scale, scope, and complexity of SSC expand, a reassessment of SSC normative framework is necessary to enhance the contribution of SSC
to sustainable, inclusive development ahead of BAPA+40.
Vazquez, K., Roychoudhury, S. and Borges, C. 2017.Building Infrastructure for 21st Century Sustainable Development: Lessons and Opportunities for the BRICS-led New Development Bank. New Delhi: O.P. Jindal Global University. https://jgu.edu.in/jsia/african-latin-american-and-caribbean-countries/Vazquez, K., Mao, X. and Yao, S. 2017.兼容并蓄与因地制宜？ 各国开展发展合作的方式及对中国的借鉴意义Beijing: UNDP/CAITEC)
Vazquez, K.2017.S outh-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation on Technologies for Adaptation in the Water and Agriculture Sectors. UNFCCC/TEC Policy Brief n. 9, [online]. http://unfccc.int/ttclear/misc_/StaticFiles/gnwoerk_static/brief9/0690de2775954709aaac85ced2c8fb57/2ccc6a9fa019437dac534c3c1c282652.pdf
Vazquez, K. 2017.South-South and Triangular Cooperation: Towards Sustainable Development in Arab States. New York: UNDP.
4th December 2020: How can the US & Canada support Post-Covid Recovery in Latin America?”
On 4th December, the Centre for African, Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS) organized a virtual round table based on the paper by Prof. Kenneth Holland and Prof. Germán Morales Farah on “How can the US & Canada support Post-Covid
Recovery in Latin America?”. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the socio-economic inequalities in Latin America. According to Prof. Holland and Moralez, there are two critical choices available to Latin America to steer its economy
out of the crisis. They can either opt for a public sector model promoted by China that primarily depends on government borrowing and spending or choose to rely on a private sector model advocated by the United States and Canada, which
emphasizes on investment by private companies. Prof. Holland underlines that by private sector model, they do not envision a model that shuns state support but rather one that fosters a business-like environment in the region. He lends
credence to the United States and Canada given their proven track record in promoting private investment and business-friendly environment. The webinar concluded with a brief and engaging discussion by the speakers with the panelists-Ambassador
Ravi Bangar, Prof. Karin Costa Vazquez, Hari Seshasayee, Prof. Hebatallah Adam, Prof. Sebastian Cutrona, and Sumalatha KC.
12th;September, 2020 – Liberation Under Siege—a documentary by Priya Prabhakar, Reva Kreeger and Sabrina Meléndez.
On 12th;September, CALACS organized the screening of Liberation Under Siege—a documentary by Priya Prabhakar, Reva Kreeger and Sabrina Meléndez. The film depicts the life of Cubans in the aftermath of trade embargo imposed by the United States for the past 60 years. It traces the journey of ten Cubans from different walks of life sharing their experiences and survival stories. The film gives a glimpse into their lives, who despite dealing with the economic and political hostility from the U.S, have embraced their conditions, and continue to uphold their national pride and freedom. The documentary also represented the resilience shown by Cubans in being an anti-imperialist force as well as in endorsing their socialist values. The three filmmakers—Prabhakar, a designer and researcher; Kreeger, a history and community studies graduate; and Melendez, a genderqueer activist and artist—held an enriching student interaction post-screening of the film. The filmmakers provided a social lens in viewing the current scenario of Cuba. They stated that despite the situation being bleak, they still see a ray of hope, just like los;compayes en Cuba.
Project: Future of India’sDevelopment Cooperation
India has provided development cooperation to its neighbours in South Asia since the early 1950s. The program has expanded exponentially in recent years, and now involves more than US$2.5 billion in technical and financial cooperation annually to nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
However, public debate on India’s development cooperation remains limited. With the creation of the Development Partnership Administration (DPA) in 2012, public expectations were high that the new agency would play a lead role in formulating and developing a new policy framework and agenda for the country’s development cooperation. In the years since it was formed, the DPA has emerged more as an administrative organ of the MEA rather one designed or tasked with shaping India’s bilateral cooperation policy, institutional set-up and delivery modalities. In addition to DPA, India’s development cooperation includes a number of public and private institutions which would also benefit from more coordinated strategies, management systems and budgets for Indian development cooperation.
While the current arrangement may continue to provide strategic flexibility in administering India’s development cooperation, over the longer term and as Development Cooperation portfolio grows larger, Indian development cooperation will begin to require a well-articulated policy framework and eventually a formal policy. What should such a policy look like? Beyond geo-political interests, what factors should influence India’s development cooperation objectives, internal accountability and institutional arrangements?
Objective of the project
To examine these and other emerging issues, theAsia Foundationand O.P. Jindal Global University through theSchool of Government and Public Policy (JSGP)and the Centre for African Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS) at the School of International Affairs (JSIA)have partnered on a graduate student project for the development of a “draft White Paper” on the future of India’s development cooperation policy.
It is expected that this paper will form the basis for initiating dialogue and discussions on formulating a development cooperation policy from India with Indian scholars and government-connected think tanks. The paper and subsequent discussions provoked by it can deepen understanding on the parameters of India’s cooperation program and the ways and means to better strengthen and improve its selection, delivery and monitoring mechanisms.
The project runs from January-June 2017 and comprises three building blocks:
Building block 1 – Capacity development (led by CALACS-JSIA in collaboration with JSGP)
This building block aims to further strengthen policy-oriented research capacity at Jindal Global University. The students selected for the capstone project are required to simultaneously complete the elective course “Beyond aid and the future of
development cooperation,” offered by Prof Karin Costa Vazquez as part of CALACS-JSIA diploma of specialization in development cooperation. All students enrolled in the course are required to write case studies on international experience
in conceiving and managing development cooperation that could inspire India’s own efforts and inform the draft White Paper. The country case studies are part of students’ mid-term assessment and will accompany the draft White
Paper. All students enrolled in the course are also required to produce a policy brief as part of their final assessment. The policy briefs will serve as an input for the draft White Paper. The country case studies and the policy briefs
will form CALACS’s first policy paper and working paper series.
Building block 2 – Dialogue exchange (led by JSGP in collaboration with CALACS-JSIA)
This building block aims to strengthen knowledge exchange between students and Indian and foreign diplomats and experts, feed into the elective course, and further prepare students for the capstone project. The public lecture series comprise: i) guest
lectures by renowned Indian and global thinkers/leaders on topics like global architecture for development cooperation, key challenges for Indian development cooperation, and international experiences, as part of the elective course “Beyond
aid and the future of development cooperation,” offered by Prof Karin Costa Vazquez as part of CALACS-JSIA diploma of specialization in development cooperation; and ii) dialogues open to JGU community and invited guests. The first
dialogue will bring selected experts from Asia, Africa and Latin America (mainly from countries receiving Indian cooperation). The second dialogue will focus on the future of Indian Development Cooperation and specific elements of the
draft White Paper.
Building block 3 – Policy research (led by JSGP in collaboration with CALACS-JSIA)
This building block aims at producing a draft White Paper on the future of India’s development cooperation. It consists in the production of the draft White Paper. This paper would be accompanied by the comparative country case studies [building block 1] and complemented by the policy briefs [building block 1] and discussions with Indian and foreign experts [building block 2]. The preparation of the draft White Paper involves a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods including an inception workshop, initial review of existing literature of India’s development cooperation; interviews and key informant interviews with public policy, academic and government experts working on development cooperation and foreign policy issues. The final draft White Paper will be presented to a panel of invited experts at the end of the Spring Semester. The final version of the paper will be launched in New Delhi during a dissemination seminar.
JGU Faculty Advisors
Building Infrastructure for 21st Century Sustainable Development: Lessons and Opportunities for the BRICS-led New Development Bank The world’s infrastructure gap is currently estimated to be an astronomical US$ 90 trillion by 2030. Recognizing this shortfall of resources will be particularly significant in emerging markets, governments of the BRICS countries decided in 2015 to create their own financial institution, the New Development Bank (NDB).
The NDB’s aspiration to meet the vast and unfulfilled infrastructure requirements of its member countries, whilst retaining a deliberate focus on sustainable development, represents a bold departure from approaches currently followed by its counterpart institutions. The NDB’s efforts to promote what it broadly labels as ‘sustainable infrastructure’ is thus both welcome and laudable.
However, as an institution that is now only in its second year of operation, and which is still in the process of pioneering its own unique approach to development financing, the NDB will no doubt be confronted with a number of challenges along the way. Questions persist around how exactly the NDB will define, build, measure and monitor sustainable infrastructure, how it will incentivize investments in sustainable infrastructure and whether and how it will formalize its engagement with the many stakeholders both engaged in, and directly impacted by, the development process.
During this early phase of its existence, the NDB must plan around and account for these, as well as other, considerations. By doing so, the NDB will not only avoid replicating the mistakes of the very institutions and structures it seeks to challenge, but more importantly, it will enable it to pioneer a radically new approach to multilateral development financing.
The report Building sustainable infrastructure for 21st century sustainable development: lessons and opportunities for the BRICS-led New Development Bank – the result of the BRICS Sustainability Index project, a partnership between the Centre for Latin American and African Studies at O.P. Jindal University in India, Conectas Human Rights in Brazil and Fudan University in China – addresses some of these challenges and questions, and presents policy recommendations for a possible way forward for the NDB. To capture best practices and lessons of potential relevance to the NDB, twelve multilateral development institutions and organizations were benchmarked.
In addition, inputs were sought from a range of stakeholders – government officials, private sector representatives, civil society, development practitioners, policy analysts and others – through bilateral conversations, online consultations and policy discussions.
Click here to read the full report
To guide the NDB during its strategy implementation phase, the report seeks to provide concrete guidance on the following three areas:
Understanding sustainable infrastructure: The report argues that that easiest way to define sustainable infrastructure is to build on the triple bottom-line of sustainable development that integrates economic, social and environmental performance, in addition to financial feasibility of the project. The emphasis on each pillar of the sustainable development triple bottom line needs to be nuanced to reflect each of the BRICS’ national development priorities. At the very least, however, sustainable infrastructure would need to abide with certain minimum, universally-agreed principles relating to the protection of human rights as well as the environment. Sustainable infrastructure should not be assumed to be synonymous with green or renewable energy projects, and neither should traditional, physical infrastructure be assumed to always be unsustainable.
Laying down the principles for sustainable development:
a. Pragmatism, but not conformism: A pragmatic approach would involve focusing on projects that address local problems and assist countries in their transition to a low-carbon economy. A non-conformist approach involves recognizing that infrastructure projects are often designed and implemented in highly unequal settings in terms of distribution of political and economic power.
b. Incentivize rather than regulate: Building on the experiences of the BRICS countries to design financial and other forms of incentives to promote sustainable infrastructure projects.
c. Inclusive and bottom-up approach: Pre-empting potential conflict arising from infrastructure investment by establishing meaningful participation and consultation processes with civil society.
d. Gender-responsiveness: Ensuring that a gender-responsive approach to sustainable infrastructure catalyzes positive and transformative development impacts for women.
e. Strengthen country systems: Prioritizing the strengthening of country systems to ensure sustainable development, greater country ownership, and robust social and environmental management. Any use of country or corporate systems must still ensure a minimum level of social and environmental protection
Developing a model for assessing the sustainability of NDB’s infrastructure projects: Informed by the above principles, a model is presented to form the basis for the future creation of a composite index that assesses the sustainability of projects. The model would comprise the following three levels, and over time, criteria could be developed across each level:
a. Strategic: Does the project enhance competitiveness, connectivity and openness? What is the project’s contribution to broader development objectives (including the Sustainable Development Goals)? Is the project designed to foster systemic innovation?
b. Tactical level: Is Environmental, Social and Governance analysis applied in the project? Are corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethical and human rights standards used to assess private parties’ adherence to sustainability frameworks? Are country systems being strengthened?
c. Operational level: Are safeguards capable of preventing harm to communities and the environment? How is compliance with safeguards ensured? What are the monitoring tools and indicators? Are fundamental rights being respected?
Building on the above, the report proposes the following recommendations to the NDB:
Create a NDB-CSO (academia, NGOs, etc) task force on sustainable infrastructure to elaborate indicators to assess the sustainability of NDB infrastructure projects;
Develop financial and non-financial incentives based on the degree of sustainability of NDB projects;
Establish a Centre of Excellence on sustainable infrastructure to generate and share knowledge, including through the hosting of a collaborative platform for MDBs and Southern stakeholders;
Develop a gender policy to proactively attract and retain female talent as well as to deepen women’s access to and control over economic resources;
Create a NDB-CSO reference group to institutionalize NDB’s engagement with civil society (academia, NGOs, etc) while retaining its lean structure;
Develop a plan for NDB-civil society interaction with dedicated budget to further consider and implement such reference group.
Over the next five years, the NDB will look to implement its inaugural five-year strategy. At this point, it remains unclear to what degree the NDB will succeed in redefining the contours the international development financing. New approaches, modalities and partnerships are on offer. Ambitions and aspirations run high, but these must now be matched with action on the ground. The NDB has an unprecedented opportunity to unlock new funding and catalyze a bold, new approach to development, both within the BRICS as well as other developing economies of the Global South. It must do it well, and it must do it right.