b'P U LT E I N S T I T U T E forG L O B A L D E V E L O P M E N T 2021 - 2022A N N U A L R E V I E WAddressing Global PovertyStreet gangs have been prevalent in Central America for severalover 500 victims of human trafficking are identified each year decades, beginning as localized urban problems and, in somein Guatemala (Sistema Nacional de Trata de Personas - SNAT). countries, escalating to what many consider national threatsLabor trafficking is a kind of human trafficking specifically to society. The GREAT program aims to mitigate this concernrelating to nefarious practices among employers, such asdeceptive and Inequality through a school-based intervention program led by the localhiring practices, withholding pay or identification documents, police. Together with Florida International University andand involuntary child labor. Labor trafficking of Guatemalans, the University of Central America in El Salvador, CARA willparticularly among indigenous populations, is pervasive in collect qualitative and quantitative data from local actors likeagriculture, domestic work, and in small restaurants and stores. During this past year especially, global events, extreme disasters,Our team has dedicated their time and talent to producingpolice officers, parents, students, and teachers, to evaluate theEven though labor trafficking is widespread and legally recognized and humanitarian crises have opened our eyes to the underlyingimpactful work and innovative solutions to these challenges, noteffectiveness of the GREAT program and make recommendationsas a crime in Guatemala, organizations fighting it do not yet causes rooted in poverty and inequality. As part of our strategiconly placing Notre Dame as a leader in development researchfor its future implementation.have sufficient political, social and cultural legitimacy to pressure plan, the Pulte Institute has focused on five strategic themesand policy advocacy, but also centering the needs, experiencesEarlier this year, Hare and Rivero-Fuentes were able to visitgreater action in prevention and protection. Irregular migration that we believe are most critical to alleviating these issues:and voices of those who benefit most from our work: the poorestHonduras and El Salvador and meet with program stakeholdersis one of the most important risk factors for labor trafficking, Humanitarianism, Effective States and Development, Businessand most vulnerable. to better understand the programs implementation. The teamaccording to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime In Development, Global Health, and Sustainability.met with police supervisors and GREAT instructors and visited(UNODC). Despite decades of essential support to migrants schools to observe GREAT lessons in action. These visits wereand host communities from civil society organizations in the essential input for researchers, informing the methodology toAmericas, not enough is being done on a policy-level to discuss be used forthe program evaluation. Data collection is plannedand combat the issues that migration and displacement bring to HUMANITARIANISM to begin in late 2022 and continue through 2023 with resultsthe table. As a response to this general oversight, CARE USA and published and disseminated in 2024. CARA convened civil society experts at the 9th Summit of the Americas last May to discuss the intersection of humanitarian TACKLING LABOR TRAFFICKING, MIGRATION,crisis, migration, labor trafficking, and displacement across the AND DISPLACEMENT Americas, and how policymakers can support a more equitable The Central AmericaHuman trafficking in Central America is another humanitarianfuture for all.problem on which CARA is actively focused. Together with theCARA plans to build out its research and policy portfolio in the Central American Institute of Social and Development Studiescoming years, continuing its legacy in fighting root causes of Research Alliance (CARA) (INCEDES), the CARA team conducted an exploratory study onpoverty and inequality in Central America. If you would like to the topic, focusing specifically on labor trafficking in Guatemala.support CARAs work, please contact Pulte Institute Executive While the exact number of victims is impossible to determine,Director Michael Sweikar. To learn more, visit pulte.nd.edu/CARA.Co-directed by the Pulte Institutes Tom Hare and Mara Estelaevaluate the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) Rivero Fuentes, and in partnership with researchers at more thanprogram in El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Costa Rica. a dozen Central American institutions, CARA conducts applied research to inform development policy and practice in migration, citizen security, democracy and governance, and human rights inBy amplifying the voices of thought leaders El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua. The focus of CARA is to increase research andin the region, the Central America Research project collaboration in the region, and to increase the visibilityAlliance promotes not only rigorous of the knowledge produced amongst non-regional institutionsresearch, but also actionable evidence and individuals who have a vested interest in Central America.for policymakers in our efforts to advance This modelstrengthens partner capacity and research outcomeshuman development and dignity.by aligning projects with local needs and interests. MITIGATING GANG VIOLENCEHugo No Pino, Vice President, Honduran NationalCongressCARA has already made headway this year, starting off by securing a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of State in April toPictured:Tom Hare, Senior Researcher and Co-Director of the Central America Research Alliance (CARA) at the Pulte Institute, met with local preventative police officers in Honduras to gain further insight into the effectiveness of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.12 13'