Programs

OBJECTIVES AND PROGRAMS

Our mission will be accomplished by the following objectives:

• To create a network of political, community, opinion and grass-root leaders in The Americas committed to democratic reform and market solutions to the poverty problem.
• Establishment of a Staff and Fellows Council that will pursue research and produce policy papers and other products and services for our network based upon a demand oriented methodology.
• To promote exchange and synergies with other “think-tanks” in The Americas.
• Networking by promoting close ties among our leaders in order to share experiences and provide mutual support and common agendas to impact public opinion around the Continent.
• Research on successful experiences to transfer know-how among and troughout the network.

PROGRAMS

HR 35. This is an initiative designed to gather the emerging leadership among human rights organizations and activists in The Americas, in order to review the state of human rights in the 35 OAS member countries, discuss recent cases, exchange experiences and best practices in their struggle to protect and defend human rights, as well as identifying common causes and synergies among the participants course of action.

The Fellows will honor one distinguished emerging leader every year with the Jose Nucete Sardi Award, consisting of publishing the best work in the field of Human Rights in the Americas. The awardees will become CDDA Fellows

AMERICAS 100. This is an initiative to create a community of Emerging Congressional Leaders in the Americas. One of the deficits in Latin American Democracies is the weakness of their parliamentary institutions. This conference will gather the up-and-coming congressional leaders of the region and identify the causes of such institutional problem, and will provide them with ideas, tools and support to seek reforms and develop a leadership capable of exercising their mandate with independence and strong commitment to constituencies, escaping unproductive polarization and promoting political dialogue.

The Fellows will honor with the Romulo Betancourt Award an emerging parliamentary leader of the Americas, whose progressive legislative work has made a substantial contribution to democracy, equal opportunity and development in the Americas. The awardees will become CDDA Fellows.

CITIES IN ACTION. A program of events designed to address the issues of education, the environment, security through a dynamic exchange among acting elected officials, experts, civil society leaders, NGOs and the Academia. Because we believe that sustainable change in The Americas is related to decentralization, the events will focus in working with the emerging new leaders of cities or municipalities across the region.

The Fellows will grant the Leopoldo Martinez Olavarria Award. The conference will distinguish a leading government or organization in the region for their work in creating a Habitat with quality of life for its citizens. The awardees will become CDDA Fellows.

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