Federal Independent Agencies
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from federal independent agencies.
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USAID Administrator Power Issues Remarks at Swearing-in Ceremony for Incoming USAID Mission Director for Bangladesh Stevens
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development issued the following remarks by Administrator Samantha Power at the swearing-in ceremony for incoming USAID Mission Director for Bangladesh Kathryn Stevens:
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I want to thank Karen for kicking us off, and Ambassador Miller and Ambassador Islam for being here to welcome USAID All Star and proud Texan Kathryn Stevens as our Mission Director to Bangladesh.
I also want to welcome Christian, her husband, and Quinton, her son, who are here to cheer her on. When you pursue life as a foreign service officer, the sacrifices you
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development issued the following remarks by Administrator Samantha Power at the swearing-in ceremony for incoming USAID Mission Director for Bangladesh Kathryn Stevens:
* * *
I want to thank Karen for kicking us off, and Ambassador Miller and Ambassador Islam for being here to welcome USAID All Star and proud Texan Kathryn Stevens as our Mission Director to Bangladesh.
I also want to welcome Christian, her husband, and Quinton, her son, who are here to cheer her on. When you pursue life as a foreign service officer, the sacrifices youmake are not born alone-and I want to thank Kathryn's family in advance for the late night calls to DC, and all the time at the dinner table spent talking about health metrics and poverty reduction programming.
It can be tempting to look at the path of someone's career, and assume that their trajectory was predestined-that it was inevitable they'd end up where they did.
And in Kathryn's case, the path to leadership in Bangladesh feels like a straight line. Tours in regional neighbors India and Pakistan; a stint in Afghanistan, the only Mission larger than Bangladesh in Asia; time in DC spent refining her leadership on matters of policy, legislative affairs, internal communications- really important experience as we elevate USAID's voice in policy debates as well as on core programming issues; even a recent stretch on our COVID-19 task force, working to end the greatest threat Bangladesh is now facing.
But such paths only look preordained in reverse; each step in Kathryn's impressive nearly 25-year USAID career has its own story.
In India, Kathryn's colleagues spoke about her "infectious optimism" and her "rare ability to make real and personal connections with anyone"-the foreign minister, a local Delhi shopkeeper, a young student in a school house in Bihar.
And that warmth didn't end on the embassy campus. Every Saturday, Kathryn would welcome people from the mission into her home to practice yoga with a teacher she hired.
She did this, mind you, even when she was out of town.
In Afghanistan, where she served as our acting Mission Director, she helped deliver critical food assistance to Afghans displaced by conflict and droughts by securing wheat from local food mills rather than foreign donors, thereby supporting the local economy.
And in DC, when Kathryn found herself leading internal communications during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she devoted herself to supporting our local staff, our Foreign Service Nationals, as many of our foreign service officers returned to the U.S.
She worked to ensure that our local staff received all the information they needed to run an effective response to COVID-19 in their countries. But she also wanted to help them tell their stories-not just to help them do their work, but to help them share that work with the world.
What Kathryn realized is that despite the grim headlines we read about the state of the world, development is often the source of the good news. Lives saved. People healed. Rights secured. The real improvements in people's lives.
And across 50 years of partnership with USAID, Bangladesh is full of bright headlines.
A national poverty rate that's been cut in half. Maternal and child mortality slashed by two-thirds. Rice production tripled. Electricity brought to nearly half of the country's population.
That's not to say the country is without its challenges. Strengthening democratic institutions and workers and human rights protections are key priorities-right in line with Kathryn's background as a democracy officer back in the day. As we have heard, COVID-19 is spreading as we work to help the country treat and vaccinate its people. Climate change is subjecting the country to sea level rises, storms, cyclones, droughts, landslides, and flooding. And Bangladesh is now home to the largest refugee settlement in the world, with nearly one million Rohingya Muslims who have fled from Burma.
Despite these obstacles, Bangladesh remains committed to becoming an upper middle-income country within 10 years.
They will have no better partner in reaching that goal than Kathryn.
I could leave you with a list of superlatives about Kathryn from her colleagues, but I'll simply end with just one: "She's the best."
With that Kathryn, it's my pleasure now to administer the oath.
U.S. Postal Service: Literary Arts Stamp Series Honors Cross-Genre Author
PORTLAND, Oregon, July 28 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release on July 27, 2021:
The forward-thinking and genre-crossing writings of acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin, whose novels and short stories increased appreciation of science fiction and fantasy, are being celebrated with a new Forever stamp - the 33rd in the Postal Service's Literary Arts series. The stamp was unveiled in a ceremony today at the Portland Art Museum.
As an author, Le Guin was interested in more than just science fiction and her prescient writings are now viewed as more than just fantasy.
"Ursula
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PORTLAND, Oregon, July 28 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release on July 27, 2021:
The forward-thinking and genre-crossing writings of acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin, whose novels and short stories increased appreciation of science fiction and fantasy, are being celebrated with a new Forever stamp - the 33rd in the Postal Service's Literary Arts series. The stamp was unveiled in a ceremony today at the Portland Art Museum.
As an author, Le Guin was interested in more than just science fiction and her prescient writings are now viewed as more than just fantasy.
"Ursulaonce said she wanted to see science fiction step over the old walls of convention and hit right into the next wall - and start to break it down, too," said Joseph Corbett, U.S. Postal Service chief financial officer and executive vice president, who served as the stamp ceremony's dedicating official. "She felt the ideas represented in her fiction could help people become more aware of other ways to do things, other ways to be and to help people wake up."
Joining Corbett for the ceremony were India Downes-Le Guin, granddaughter of Ursula K. Le Guin; Linda Long, University of Oregon Libraries; Amy Wang, columnist, The Oregonian; and Martha Ullman West, arts writer.
The stamp features a portrait of Le Guin based on a 2006 photograph with a background that references the wintry world and characters she created in "The Left Hand of Darkness." Designed by Donato Gionacola, with Antonio Alcala as art director, Le Guin's name appears along the bottom of the stamp. The words "USA" and "THREE OUNCE" are printed vertically down the left side.
These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 3-ounce price. News of the Ursula K. Le Guin stamp is being shared with the hashtag #UrsulaKLeGuinStamp.
Background
Born in Berkeley, CA, in 1929, Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was deeply interested in Native American cultures from a young age. It was a fascination that would inform her later work. After graduating from Radcliffe College in 1951 and earning a master's degree from Columbia University in 1952, she began exploring the potential of science fiction and fantasy in the early 1960s, publishing her first novel,"Rocannon's World," in 1966. The novel intertwined elements of fantasy and science fiction - and inspired two sequels - while establishing a setting for many later novels and stories.
Le Guin's writings were markedly ahead of the times. In 1969, she published "The Left Hand of Darkness," a novel about an Earth diplomat named Genly Ai, who journeys to a wintry planet where two nations teeter on the brink of war - and where the inhabitants have no fixed gender most of the time. The book, which won the Hugo and Nebula awards in science fiction and fantasy, broke new ground and was often praised as the novel that permanently raised the literary expectations for science fiction.
In addition to the novels and fiction that won her dozens of literary awards and legions of avid readers, Le Guin also published volumes of poetry, wrote realistic stories about life in a small Oregon town and started a blog at the age of 81 that became the 2017 essay collection, "No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters."She also published a translation of the classical Chinese philosophical and religious text, Tao Te Ching, the result of 40 years of Taoist reading and reflection.
Le Guin is credited with championing the literary and artistic value of science fiction and fantasy, as well as encouraging more women to write and read fiction in both genres. At the same time, she inspired many readers and writers of color by placing nonwhite characters at the center of her work and by tackling issues of racial injustice and colonialism in nuanced ways. Through lifelong interests in mythology, anthropology, feminism and Taoism, as well as through her wide-ranging translations, essays, poetry and nonfiction, Le Guin demonstrated that no writer needed to be limited by the boundaries of any genre.
Smithsonian Announces Its 2021 Artist Research Fellows
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
The Smithsonian has awarded fellowships to 14 accomplished visual artists from an international pool of candidates as part of the 2021 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Program. Over the course of a one- to two-month residency, each fellow will conduct research at Smithsonian museums and research centers to inform the development of innovative, cross-disciplinary work.
Artists are nominated by art curators, scholars and former fellows, and then selected by a panel of art experts. Over 100 artists from around
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
The Smithsonian has awarded fellowships to 14 accomplished visual artists from an international pool of candidates as part of the 2021 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Program. Over the course of a one- to two-month residency, each fellow will conduct research at Smithsonian museums and research centers to inform the development of innovative, cross-disciplinary work.
Artists are nominated by art curators, scholars and former fellows, and then selected by a panel of art experts. Over 100 artists from aroundthe world have received Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Awards since the program began in 2007.
The 2021 fellows and their projects will be:
* Jananne Al-Ani (Based in the U.K.): Time Travelers
During her fellowship at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Al-Ani will examine Islamic metalwork to inform an upcoming video installation. Her research will connect the history of military and political upheaval in the Middle East with the movement of peoples and material culture.
* Diana Al-Hadid (Based in the U.S.)*
Al-Hadid will study the artists, materials and cultural contexts of the Islamic Golden Age. Inspired by the miniaturist techniques found in Islamic illuminated manuscripts, Al-Hadid's research at the Freer Gallery of Art will inform the creation of large-scale sculptural works.
* Shiraz Bayjoo (Based in the U.K. and Mauritius): The Coral Continent: Language and Fluidity on the Swahili Coast
Bayjoo's research at the National Museum of African Art and the Freer Gallery of Art will focus on the Swahili Coast and Zanzibar as sites for cultural exchange. By examining the region's trade between the 16th and 20th centuries, Bayjoo will reposition the area as a powerful intersection of culture, ideas and people.
* Milagros de la Torre (Based in the U.S.): Patterns and Diagrams: The Face as an Experiment
De la Torre will study the history of visualizing, manipulating and programming the human face at the National Portrait Gallery. Through her research, de la Torre will explore the relationship between depictions of the face and the sociopolitical contexts producing them.
* Theo Eshetu (Based in Germany): Fragile Languages
Influenced by themes of fragility and mortality, Eshetu will study the origin of cultures at the National Museum of African Art. Eshetu's work will examine language loss and the resulting decay of cultural and ideological diversity.
* Mariam Ghani (Based in the U.S.): Dis-Ease
In a cross-disciplinary approach, Ghani will investigate the "war on disease" at the Natural Museum of Natural History. Ghani's research will support a full-length documentary exploring the history, philosophy and culture surrounding infectious diseases.
* Autumn Knight (Based in the U.S.): Humor and Radical Resistance
Knight, an interdisciplinary artist, will study American minstrelsy at the National Portrait Gallery. Her investigation of the derisive entertainment form will inform Knight's work at the intersection of humor, politics, Blackness and resistance.
* Natalia Lassalle-Morillo (Based in Puerto Rico and the U.S.): Como desde la ausencia, imaginamos la distancia (How from absence, we imagine distance)
Lassalle-Morillo will study ceremonial objects of Haitian Voudoun and Arawak Taino origin at the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of Natural History. By examining ceremonial objects specific to the Caribbean, Lassalle-Morillo will deepen an understanding of Puerto Rican history and spiritual cosmology.
* Reynier Leyva Novo (Based in Cuba): Homeland, Death and Sugar. The slave trade from the Caribbean to the United States of America
Building on a project developed for the 2019 XIII Havana Biennial, Leyva Novo will expand his study of historic materials of the U.S. slave trade at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
* Matthew Mazzotta (Based in the U.S.): If people can sit together, they can dream together: Examining metamorphosing furniture at the Cooper Hewitt
As an artist concerned with urbanism and the built environment, Mazzotta will research the chair as a space for community gathering. Mazzotta's research with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will inform public artworks that blur the line between seating and architecture.
* Jefferson Pinder (Based in the U.S.): Black Nostalgia, Black Joy
Pinder will delve into archival films and materials documenting the everyday lives of Black Americans at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pinder's research will support a video artwork celebrating Black joy.
* Rodrigo Valenzuela (Based in the U.S.): The Unwaged
Valenzuela will investigate the history of labor at the National Museum of American History. Inspired by the museum's photographic archives, Valenzuela will ultimately create an experimental series reflecting the stress generated by unpaid labor and the decline of collective bargaining rights.
* Sara VanDerBeek (Based in the U.S.): Future Variations
Drawing from resources at the Archives of American Art, VanDerBeek will explore historical materials related to the seminal 1965 performance piece, "Variations V." Looking ahead to a restaging of the original work, VanDerBeek will examine the role of documentation and interpretation when modifying an ephemeral work from the past.
* Anna Von Mertens (Based in the U.S.): Structuring the Light: The Story of Dark Matter
Von Mertens will study how dark matter structures the cosmos with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. As a conceptual textile artist, Von Mertens's work will explore the patterns formed between art and science.
NASA's Human Systems Integration Division: Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 Selected as NASA Software of the Year Runner-up
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- NASA's Human Systems Integration Division issued the following news:
NASA's Ames Research Center was selected as a runner-up for the 2021 NASA Software of the Year Award for its work in developing the Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) system. About 150 NASA personnel, including several Human Systems Integration Division researchers, worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airline operators to conduct technology development and demonstration activities to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of the air transportation system. This was
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- NASA's Human Systems Integration Division issued the following news:
NASA's Ames Research Center was selected as a runner-up for the 2021 NASA Software of the Year Award for its work in developing the Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) system. About 150 NASA personnel, including several Human Systems Integration Division researchers, worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airline operators to conduct technology development and demonstration activities to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of the air transportation system. This wasachieved through the integration of multiple concepts and technologies to better integrate arrival, departure, and surface operations in increasingly crowded metroplex/multi-airport environments.
The Human Systems Integration Division's Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) played an integral role in this research effort. As experts in prototyping efficient Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, AOL researchers helped to develop collaborative operational solutions for both Air Traffic Control (ATC) and airline flight operators. The AOL team applied human factors principles throughout the lifecycle of the project, including the concept of operations and concept of use, numerous human-in-the-loop simulations, the iterative development of software and display requirements dependent on user feedback, user manuals, the training of operators, and the final evaluation of operations. ATD-2 results have been impressive.
From Sept. 2017 to May 2021, Phase 1 and 2 of the field demonstration at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) had achieved a cumulative savings of one million gallons of jet fuel and a reduction in CO2 emissions equivalent to planting 150,000 urban trees. This was accomplished with ATD-2 decision support tools which helped controllers determine when aircraft should be held at the gate with engines off rather than accruing delay on the taxiway or in the queue. The more recently deployed ATD-2 Phase 3 system has software which enables airline flight operators to identify reroute opportunities which reduce delay both on the surface and in the air.
To learn more about AOL contributions to ATD-2, please visit-https://hsi.arc.nasa.gov/groups/AOL/research/atd2.php
To learn more about ATD-2, please visit-https://aviationsystems.arc.nasa.gov/research/atd2/index.shtml
Meet the Inter-American Foundation: 2021 Summer Interns
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The Inter-American Foundation issued the following story:
In this month's interview, the IAF's summer interns spoke about their experience at the IAF. Despite the geographic distance, interns expressed that they have found ways of connecting with the team. We offer semester-long (virtual or, once the office re-opens, in-person) internships. To apply, follow the instructions on our Internships page.
What have you been studying, and why did you decide to intern for the IAF?
Adam VanGorder, Programs
I'm pursuing a Master of International Affairs at Penn State University,
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The Inter-American Foundation issued the following story:
In this month's interview, the IAF's summer interns spoke about their experience at the IAF. Despite the geographic distance, interns expressed that they have found ways of connecting with the team. We offer semester-long (virtual or, once the office re-opens, in-person) internships. To apply, follow the instructions on our Internships page.
What have you been studying, and why did you decide to intern for the IAF?
Adam VanGorder, Programs
I'm pursuing a Master of International Affairs at Penn State University,where I am concentrating on the intersection between sustainability management, policy, and development. I wanted to gain more hands-on experience in the development space, and I'm also getting sustainability experience to boot! I'm really energized by the grassroots approach that the IAF takes in the organizations it supports.
Pauline McKean, Programs
I am studying an MA in International Development with a focus in Sustainable Development at Clark University, but remotely from Ecuador. I like IAF's grassroots and participatory approach to development, and LATAM is the region that interests me the most. In addition, I was told in the application process that interns were invited and encouraged to attend meetings in all areas of IAF's work, providing a broad understanding of the workings of the organization.
Jenna Houchins, Programs
My undergraduate degree was in Global Studies, and I am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Policy and my MBA at Duke University. I decided to intern at the IAF because I am passionate about sustainable development. After working in a corporate role for two years, I had the opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps in Peru. It was an extremely formative experience and allowed me to directly see the value of grassroots development and the work of key stakeholders, such as the IAF, in the process.
Samantha Kaiser, Programs
I am currently enrolled in a Master's program in intercultural and international communication with a concentration in public diplomacy at American University. I decided to intern for IAF because I think it's a great organization, and I have had a strong interest in Latin America since I was enrolled in a Spanish immersion elementary school. I also have never worked with international development and wanted to gain insight on the field.
Sophia Ventura-Cruess, Programs
I am currently receiving my Master's Degree in Peace and Justice Studies. My strongest motivation to intern with IAF came from the organization's mission to advance community-led development. In my studies, I have explored how avenues for sustainable peace emerge when built upon local community capacity and knowledge. I was clear that I wanted to intern at an organization that refuted universal blueprints for peace and rather committed to solutions that are particularized for local communities. IAF stood apart as a development agency that focalized community driven sustainable development as a vital mechanism through which societies can cultivate resilience, health, and prosperity.
Sophie Mueller, External and Government Affairs
I am an international studies major with a focus on Latin America and Spanish at Middlebury College. I wanted to learn more about sustainable development and overall governance in Latin America. I like that the IAF works directly with grantee partners to make an impact on Latin American development. I was especially impressed with the staff at IAF and hope to learn from their knowledge and experience in both the public and private sectors.
Jordan Halpern, External and Government Affairs
I'm an upcoming junior at the University of Michigan, majoring in international studies and history, with a focus on political economy and development. Working with the IAF offers a unique look into international development, as well as key themes and issues across the region. It also has allowed me to see the inner workings of a small U.S. government agency, which is extremely helpful early on in my career.
Josefina Senese, Learning and Impact
I am an upcoming Ph.D. student in Educational Studies at the University of Boston. I hold an MA in Global Affairs from the University of Notre Dame and a BA in International Studies from Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Working as an intern for the IAF will put my academic formation into practice in a thriving professional atmosphere and further my early career as a policy researcher.
What's your favorite project you have worked on so far?
Adam VanGorder
One of the things that is captivating me right now is a fact sheet I am working on that evaluates the impact of sustainable agriculture projects and their effect on mitigating climate shocks and building resilience to natural disasters. It involves combining academic literature and IAF projects to demonstrate how these practices are helpful to the communities using them and the planet as a whole!
Pauline McKean
I am working on projects related to IAF's community-based tourism grantees. It's been very interesting to better understand the diverse scope of these organizations' work as well as the grant process.
Jenna Houchins
One of the upcoming projects I am most excited about is interviewing IAF grantee organizations that have supported displaced Venezuelans in their respective communities.
Samantha Kaiser
I work with RedColaborar, an online learning platform that was created to provide a space for virtual collaboration among current and past grantee partners and other stakeholders. As of now, the platform is still being redeveloped, and I have the job of connecting with former grantees on social media as part of the preparations to relaunch RedColaborar. I find it to be meaningful work, and it's amazing that you can see what impact you're making!
Sophia Ventura-Cruess
My current project is analyzing the issue of chronic violence, as it relates to development work and IAF grantees.
Sophie Mueller
I've enjoyed researching dynamics in the countries where we work and attending congressional hearings to learn what issues our government is focused on in the region.
Jordan Halpern
Writing content for the monthly bulletin has been really rewarding. I really enjoy being able to dig in on a specific topic or theme and craft an informative piece from it.
Josefina Senese
I am conducting quantitative analysis of grantees' program descriptions to better understand their efforts to ensure inclusivity in their activities.
What's the last book you read?
Adam VanGorder
I'd recommend The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon.
Pauline McKean
Besides an array of textbooks for my MA program, one of the last books I read was Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth. I am currently reading A Memory of Solferino, by Henry Dunant, which is his firsthand account of the 1859 battle of Solferino (Italy) that is heralded as the impetus for the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Jenna Houchins
I recently started Educated by Tara Westover.
Samantha Kaiser
The Fifth Agreement, a sequel to The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Sophia Ventura-Cruess
Strange Stones by Peter Hessler.
Sophie Mueller
Master of the Senate by Robert Caro.
Jordan Halpern
A Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in a social psychology perspective on political or religious polarization.
Josefina Senese
Nuestra parte de Noche by Mariana Enriquez. I highly recommend it.
Do you have any advice for potential interns during the application process?
Adam VanGorder
Be your authentic self, and energetically ask questions! There are so many incredible people and resources at the IAF, so you want to show how your internship will benefit you as much as it would benefit the IAF.
Pauline McKean
Do your homework! Make sure you can speak to the IAF mission/vision and point to specific examples in your cover letter and during the interview.
Jenna Houchins
Do your research on some of the latest projects/initiatives at the IAF. This will not only give you a better sense of the potential work you may be doing, but will help strengthen your application as you work on the written portion, as well as in the interview.
Samantha Kaiser
Be genuine in your cover letter and interview. IAF is a small organization and from what I can tell, they value uniqueness, genuineness, and passion.
Sophia Ventura-Cruess
Ensure that you feel personally committed to the IAF's overall mission around issues like what makes societies more peaceful, what are the most effective ways to reduce violence, and what does effective development look like. I see that as interns, we can contribute more holistically and learn more from the work we engage in when we believe in the organization's core goals. This advice might seem obvious, but I have found that when I am seeking an internship I often forget about my own theories of change in societies and what I want to get out of the opportunity.
Sophie Mueller
Be open and prepared to ask questions in your interviews. I really enjoyed getting to know the team I would work with and was impressed by their experience.
Jordan Halpern
During the application process, I would recommend having a clear answer to why you are interested in working at the IAF, and why you would be a good fit for the role. This means having a solid understanding of the IAF's work, as well as an answer to what interning at the IAF would do for you and your career moving forward.
Josefina Senese
Be specific on what (research topic, location, or activity) you would like to work on during your internship.
Inter-American Foundation: InnovAction - Innovation in Action Responding to COVID-19
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The Inter-American Foundation issued the following story:
Imagine a tool that harnesses big data for family farmers so they can apply for organic or fair trade certification. Or a crowdfunding platform to fund projects that improve local infrastructure and public spaces. What if incarcerated women could learn water conservation skills to help them rejoin society and qualify for dignified employment? What if your plastic bottles could become an ultralight bicycle-or weren't even plastic at all? Young entrepreneurs from across Latin America and the Caribbean pitched businesses
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The Inter-American Foundation issued the following story:
Imagine a tool that harnesses big data for family farmers so they can apply for organic or fair trade certification. Or a crowdfunding platform to fund projects that improve local infrastructure and public spaces. What if incarcerated women could learn water conservation skills to help them rejoin society and qualify for dignified employment? What if your plastic bottles could become an ultralight bicycle-or weren't even plastic at all? Young entrepreneurs from across Latin America and the Caribbean pitched businessesthat would make all of these ideas a reality at the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas), an annual business plan competition that held its 2021 finals in late June.
The IAF has always believed in the power of investing directly in young people catalyzing positive change. In 2020, we launched the InnovActionChallenge with the Young Americas Business Trust, Summits of the Americas Secretariat, and Organization of American States (OAS) as part of TIC Americas to incubate young entrepreneurs' best and brightest ideas for helping their communities recover from the pandemic.
The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) is an international nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the Organization of American States to promote social and economic development of young people around the world. One of YABT's signature programs has been sponsoring TIC Americas, which has engaged 51,429 young entrepreneurs to date in refining and pitching their business ideas. The InnovAction Challenge became one of three business plan competitions featured in the 16th annual TIC Americas.
The Summits of the Americas Secretariat is responsible for providing advice and guidance to hosts of the Summits, institutionalized gatherings of the heads of state and government of the Western Hemisphere where leaders discuss common policy issues, affirm shared values, and commit to concerted actions at the national and regional level to address continuing and new challenges faced in the Americas. The Summits formally recognize young people as important stakeholders and the Secretariat supports initiatives like the InnovAction Challenge to empower youth to drive development in the region.
Through the InnovAction Challenge, we engaged young entrepreneurs from marginalized communities who have historically had less access to support for their innovations, including young people with disabilities and those from Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and LGBTI communities. More than 1,300 young entrepreneurs from 32 countries chose from four award categories to submit innovative ideas for tackling challenges exacerbated by the pandemic: social inequality, gender equity, youth civic engagement, and industry reactivation. The finalists included a youth civic engagement initiative that seeks to democratize information and combat growing trends of misinformation, a fintech lending and credit scoring platform helping female entrepreneurs to access credit, a tour company that specializes in accessible experiences for tourists with disabilities, and a platform that connects businesses with university students to develop business solutions and strategies. All of the teams had access to 34 free business bootcamp sessions hosted by YABT, with distinguished international experts helping them refine their proposals, as well as over 100 recorded workshops.
The competition officially closed on June 25th in an Awards Ceremony with remarks from OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro and three youth representatives reporting on a dialogue held among the finalist groups.
2021 Winners
* The winner of the Social Inequality category to broaden marginalized communities' access to economic opportunities, education, and healthcare is Oaxacanita Chocolate from Mexico. Their seed funding will enable Indigenous Mixtec communities in Mexico's poorest region to earn income by producing and selling artisanal chocolate.
* The winner of the Gender Equity category to reduce barriers to women working and accessing financing for entrepreneurship is Fundacion Soy Oportunidad from Colombia. Their seed funding will help them connect underserved single mothers with flexible, accessible work-from-home economic opportunities-and connect businesses with an untapped labor resource.
* The winner of the Youth Civic Engagement category to create spaces for youth to build leadership skills and contribute to democratic dialogue is Youth to Lead from El Salvador. With their seed funding, they can continue to support spaces for social change, non-partisan youth political participation, and leadership.
* Finally, the winner of the Industry Reactivation category to provide enterprises hard hit by the pandemic with business solutions is Cornersave.com from Jamaica. Their seed funding will grow their mobile and web application for small grocery shop owners to manage their stores more effectively and turn their smartphones into points of sale.
We congratulate all of the finalists and winners in each of InnovAction's four categories. We believe that the region needs and will benefit from the ideas and solutions proposed by all of the applicants. The diverse business ideas surfaced during the InnovAction Challenge reflect the power of young people to build more inclusive prosperity in their home communities and countries. The training and accompaniment that they have received through the InnovAction Challenge is an important building block to help them take their business ideas to the next level. We look forward to continuing to invest in initiatives that put youth on the path to business success.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index Up 1.7 Percent in May
WASHINGTON, July 28 (TNSRep) -- Federal Housing Finance Agency issued the following news release:
House prices rose nationwide in May, up 1.7 percent from the previous month, according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI(R)). House prices rose 18.0 percent from May 2020 to May 2021. The previously reported 1.8 percent price change for April 2021 was unrevised.
For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly house price changes from April 2021 to May 2021 ranged from +1.0 percent in the Middle Atlantic division to +2.4 percent in the Pacific division.
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WASHINGTON, July 28 (TNSRep) -- Federal Housing Finance Agency issued the following news release:
House prices rose nationwide in May, up 1.7 percent from the previous month, according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI(R)). House prices rose 18.0 percent from May 2020 to May 2021. The previously reported 1.8 percent price change for April 2021 was unrevised.
For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly house price changes from April 2021 to May 2021 ranged from +1.0 percent in the Middle Atlantic division to +2.4 percent in the Pacific division.The 12-month changes ranged from +15.4 percent in the West South Central division to +23.2 percent in the Mountain division.
"House prices continued their record-setting growth into May," said Dr. Lynn Fisher, FHFA's Deputy Director of the Division of Research and Statistics. "This trend will likely continue around the country as busy summer homebuying months maintain the pressure being felt in already tight housing markets."
The FHFA HPI is the nation's only collection of public, freely available house price indexes that measure changes in single-family home values based on data from all 50 states and over 400 American cities that extend back to the mid-1970s. The FHFA HPI incorporates tens of millions of home sales and offers insights about house price fluctuations at the national, census division, state, metro area, county, ZIP code, and census tract levels. FHFA uses a fully transparent methodology based upon a weighted, repeat-sales statistical technique to analyze house price transaction data.
FHFA releases HPI data and reports on a quarterly and monthly basis. The flagship FHFA HPI uses seasonally adjusted, purchase-only data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Additional indexes use other data including refinances, FHA mortgages, and real property records. All the indexes, including their historic values, and information about future HPI release dates are available on FHFA's website: https://www.fhfa.gov/HPI.
FHFA will release its next HPI report on August 31, 2021 with data for the second quarter of 2021 and monthly data through June 2021.
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REPORT: https://www.fhfa.gov/AboutUs/Reports/ReportDocuments/FHFA-HPI-Monthly_7272021.pdf
