The Igarapé Institute or Instituto Igarapé is a

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian-based think tank that focuses on emerging security and development issues. The Institute's stated approach emphasizes research, informed debate, and the development of people centred tailor-made solutions. The views of Igarapé staff have been cited and referenced in news stories in the Brazilian and international press in connection with urban violence and policing internationally and Brazil in particular. The Igarapé Institute is headquartered in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil, with personnel in São Paulo,

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

, Bogota and

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Areas of work

The institute currently has five main programs focused on: * Citizen security *

Cyber security Computer security (also cybersecurity, digital security, or information technology (IT) security) is a subdiscipline within the field of information security. It consists of the protection of computer software, systems and networks from thr ...

*Global and national drug policy (ex:

Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...

Cooperation with the UN) *

International cooperation In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...

and assistance. *

Sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

The Igarapé Institute has been involved in a number of innovative projects such as an interactive visual history of the global arms trade and using smart phones to increase police accountability.

History

The Igarapé Institute was formed in 2011 as an independent and non-partisan think and do tank in Brazil. The Institute is devoted to raising attention to the challenges of violence and insecurity across Brazil and Latin America. It works with other Brazilian organizations such as Conectas and Sou da Paz as well as international organizations such as the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and the

Inter-American Development Bank The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB or IADB) is an international development finance institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States of America. It serves as one of the leading sources of development financing for the countri ...

to encourage changes in government policy. The Institute also coordinates a network of young Brazilian leaders called Pense Livre to promote changes in national drug policy. The Institute is a partner of the

Drug Policy Alliance The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization that seeks to advance policies that "reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, and to promote the sovereignty of individuals over their minds and bodi ...

and Google Ideas.

Awards

The Igarapé Institute has been awarded several international prizes for its use of new technologies to prevent violence and promote transparency. In 2018, it was voted Top Human Rights NGO in Brazil by Instituto Doar, and "Think Tank to Watch" by Prospect magazine. In 2014, the Institute was one of two Latin American organizations to win a New Digital Age grants from Google Executive Chairman

Eric Schmidt Eric Emerson Schmidt (born April 27, 1955) is an American businessman and former computer engineer who was the chief executive officer of Google from 2001 to 2011 and the company's chairman, executive chairman from 2011 to 2015. He also was the ...

. Also in 2014, the Institute was singled out for a Networked Society award, promoted by

Ericsson (), commonly known as Ericsson (), is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Ericsson has been a major contributor to the development of the telecommunications industry and is one ...

, and a Google Impacts award for its work on new technology and child protection. In 2012, the Institute received a Favorite Website Award. The Igarapé Institute's executive director, Ilona Szabó de Carvalho and its research director, Robert Muggah, spoke at TED Global on fragile cities, resilient cities, and lessons for advocacy and campaigning. Also, in 2014, Robert Muggah delivered a keynote talk on cyber cartels at the

Web Summit Web Summit is an annual technology convention (meeting), conference held in Lisbon, Portugal. Founded in 2009 by Paddy Cosgrave, Web Summit was held in Dublin, Ireland until 2016, when it moved to Lisbon. The conference's topics center on intern ...

. Igarapé Institute's research on cities and citizen security is also widely recognized. In the scope of global drug policy, Ilona Szabó de Carvalho coordinated the Americas Office of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and was the executive coordinator of the Commission's secretariat between 2011 and 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Igarape Institute Think tanks based in Brazil Security studies