Southern Voice is very excited to announce that the network is growing. As of September 2021, we welcome nine new think tanks from across the Global South:

From Africa

ACED is an independent nonprofit organization based in Benin that works on the most important challenges of food and nutrition security in West Africa. They combine research, policy and local action to reduce poverty and hunger in the most vulnerable communities. ACED acts as a think-and-do tank. 

Twitter: @acedbenin

Established in 2012, the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation is an apolitical, nondenominational and non-profit making organization established by Dr. Denis Foretia and Mrs. Lenora Ebule Foretia. The aim is to catalyze Africa’s economic transformation by focusing on social entrepreneurship, science and technology, innovation, public health and progressive policies that create economic opportunities for all. The foundation has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2018. 

Twitter: @NkafuPolicyInst

Policy Studies Institute (PSI) of Ethiopia is a policy think tank established in 2018 by the Ethiopian government. It resulted from the merger of the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI) and Policy Study and Research Centre (PSRC), established in 1999 and 2014, respectively. PSI is engaged in economic, social and governance research and policy studies, bridging research and policymaking, capacity building and consultancy, and knowledge dissemination and exchange.

LinkedIn

Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC) is a semi-autonomous entity. The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini established ESEPARC in 2008. 

The main goal of ESEPARC is to build sustainable national capacities to improve the quality and timeliness of public policies in Eswatini. The Centre achieves its mandate through building the capacity of civil servants, facilitating public policy dialogues, and conducting relevant and timely research to inform public and economic policy formulation, implementation, and decision making in Eswatini. 

Twitter: @Separc_Eswatini

BELAB is an independent research institute based in Guinea-Bissau. BELAB is specialized in experimental socioeconomic interventions with the joint objective of guiding policymaking and producing high-quality scientific publications. Their work focuses on economic development, including policies to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the introduction of communication technologies in agriculture, finding the right incentives for social workers, and studying the impact of vocational education in rural areas. BELAB supports international institutions, NGOs, national firms, and government agencies with data collection and the implementation of high-quality surveys, impact evaluations, and socioeconomic experiments. 

LinkedIn

From Latin America & Caribbean

The Institute of Socio-Economic Research of Universidad Católica Boliviana “San Pablo” (IISEC-UCB) is a center of excellence in social and economic research. Their mission is to generate objective interdisciplinary knowledge with solid empirical evidence on Bolivian and Latin American society and economy at the service of inclusive and sustainable development. The aim is to contribute to the public, plural and informed debate in the Global South and participate in the academic community. The Institute is also a training centre for young researchers.

The Institute’s lines of research are: 

  • Social justice, inequalities and poverty 
  • Economic development, public policies and institutionality 
  • Environmental sustainability, common goods and governance

Twitter: @iisec_ucb

Plataforma CIPÓ is an independent, women-led policy research and action institute based in Brazil. CIPÓ’s work focuses on climate (especially environmental crimes in the Amazon basin), governance, and peacebuilding in Latin America and the Caribbean and elsewhere in the Global South. CIPÓ supports local and national governments, international organizations, civil society entities and private sector actors in developing effective responses to the emerging challenges of the Anthropocene.  Its staff are located in three Brazilian biomes (the Amazon, the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest), as well as the UK. Plataforma CIPÓ is a non-profit organization registered in Rio de Janeiro. 

Twitter: @plataformacipo

The Caribbean Policy Research Policy Institute (CAPRI) is an independent public policy think tank based in Kingston, Jamaica. Its mission is to conduct evidence-informed policy research on topics that are relevant to Caribbean development and to communicate the findings of that research to policymakers, stakeholders, and the general public. Their work is motivated by the conviction that evidence-informed policies are essential to good decision-making. CAPRI covers policy issues relating to the economy, social issues, the environment, and public governance. 

Twitter: @CapriCaribbean 

CERES is an independent and non-profit studies centre specializing in public policies. It analyses economic and social affairs, influencing public policies and promoting debates at the local level and in international forums to inspire positive changes in living standards. Since 1985, CERES has led research and analysis required by policymakers and decision-makers. 

Twitter: @CERES_UY

Southern Voice gives the new members a warm welcome and looks forward to working together! You can see the list of all the network’s members here. 

RELATED POSTS