President of Fundación Avina, Gabriel Baracatt, at the 65th Annual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors
“It is the ability to collaborate with others, sometimes with opposing interests, that has enabled human evolution and development.”
With this premise, our president, Gabriel Baracatt, participated in the 65th Annual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors. During the inaugural seminar, he engaged in discussions with a broad range of stakeholders from Latin America and the Caribbean on key development challenges, in collaboration with the IDB, IDB Invest, and IDB Lab.
At the 65th Annual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors, which concludes on March 30, our president, Gabriel Baracatt, took part in the inaugural seminar alongside other leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss the crucial role of partnerships between the private sector, civil society, philanthropy, and governments in building systemic change for sustainable and inclusive development.
In his speech, Gabriel Baracatt emphasized that true evolution does not stem from competition but from collaboration among diverse actors. He presented concrete examples such as Latitud R and Lazos de Agua, initiatives that have had a positive impact on recycling and safe access to water and sanitation in Latin America by bringing together businesses, civil society, philanthropy, and communities. In two words: systemic change.
“We formed a collaborative alliance where we brought together Coca-Cola along with PepsiCo, Nestlé, and, at the time, Dow, alongside IDB Lab and, of course, the IDB. But we also brought the key players to the table, which does not always happen. We placed the LACRE Recycler Network at the table. Together, they were on equal footing: businesses, banking, civil society, philanthropy, and the main actors—the social movements. And together, we built Latitud R.” – he explains.
His final message was clear: “There is hope, and we are going to win. Because if we don’t collaborate, we will perish—with climate change, with inequality, with inequity, with organized crime. Therefore, we are condemned to collaborate.” – Gabriel Baracatt.
