Since 2012, The Central American Regional Security Initiative, Economic support fund, better known as CARSI ESF, has invested over 12 million USD into funding grants to support civil society organizations In Belize.
For the Americans, it's a way to enhance quality of life in struggling communities here in Belize in the hope that a.) less drugs are smuggled to the US and b.) that less persons migrate to the US.
It would be hard to say that either objective is being met, but civil society groups continue to develop community friendly projects. Today we found out who this year's recipients are at the signing ceremony. Jomarie Lanza was at the Embassy in Belmopan:
Sherlene Enriquez, Vice president of UB
"These dedicated individuals have engaged deeply with modules covering essential topics such as understanding trafficking in persons, the legal framework of counter trafficking and responding and reporting trafficking in persons. The course's practical and urgently needed objectives are reflected in the capabilities in imparts, participants now possess the ability to articulate the legal definitions of human trafficking and trafficking in persons. Distinguish between human trafficking and human smuggling and understand the critical role of human rights in this context."
Three time CARSI-ESF grant recipient, RET international held its closing ceremony for it's TLEAP project project this morning, which was aimed at providing a self paced online course for 540 service industry stakeholders on how to recognize and respond to trafficking situations.
It's because of these initiatives, implemented by organizations like RET that the CARSI ESF programme continues to provide support to these civil society groups. And so today they divided another 1 million USD among 4 organizations, and it is the funder's hope that this paves the way for economic and social progress. Ambassador to Belize Michelle Kwan shared more.
Michelle Kwan, US Ambassador to Belize
"Well as I said in my remarks presiding over this annual event is really the highlight of my ambassadorship because I get to first hand over big cheques today was handing over a million US dollars to civil society organizations really doing incredible work as you heard from their speeches from the UNDP to RET international to Love foundation and Galen university and today I am thrilled that we have high level senior visitors from Washington and we have the deputy assistant secretary Eric Jacobstein and also having meetings across shared issues and so today is just a spectacular event really celebrating and really acknowledging the hard work that's being done across this country."
Jo-
"I noticed that some of these recipients they are not first time recipients like RET, would you say this is a testament to how effective CARSI is to help these civil societies reach their goal?"
Michelle Kwan, US Ambassador to Belize
"That's a very good question and you said it correctly as you heard from RET international this is a three peat this is a highly as you can imagine, competitive grant process and again and again they have proven themselves to do incredible work and listed in a very strategic way and so yes to your answer in their capabilities and proving that their organization is really stepping up."
The 2024 CARSI ESF grantees are the Love Foundation, Galen University, UNDP Belize and RET International.
