Bike-riding rules restated
as school vacations near


The draconian new traffic law has not forgotten those who ride bicycles.

The transport ministry said Friday that it was reminding the public of regulations involving bikes because the public school vacation begins at the end of this week.

Bike riders of any age have to wear a helmet, and a reflective vest is required from 30 minutes before dusk to 30 minutes after sunrise. In addition, those on bikes are not allowed to use highways where the speed limit is 80 kph (50 mph) or more. The penalty for doing that is 38,142 colons or about $60.

The penalty for not using a helmet is 286,026 colons, the ministry said. That's $544. Costa Rica has an active bicycle racing community, and many persons in the countryside use bikes for transportation. However, there are few bike paths, and the bicyclists mix with motor traffic, frequently with tragic results.


Arias to speak at event
marking Florida 1810 revolt


Nobel laureate Óscar Arias Sánchez is among leaders and scholars who will speak at a fall symposium commemorating the 200th anniversary of the West Florida Revolt, which inspired freedom movements across the Western Hemisphere.
 
Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his efforts to end civil wars in Central American countries. He will be joined by other scholars and leaders at the Hemispheric Freedom Symposium. Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center is presenting the gathering on Sept. 21-22 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
 
Speakers confirmed for the event include: Domingo Cavallo, former minister of foreign relations for Argentina; Michael Shifter, president of policy for Inter-American Dialogue; and Cynthia Aronson, director of the Latin American Program at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
 
In 1810, rebels from Baton Rouge to the West Florida border rose up against the King of Spain, declared their independence and formed the Republic of West Florida, which stood for 76 days as a nation before being annexed by the United States. The revolt inspired further rebellions across the hemisphere, including those in Venezuela, Argentina, Columbia, Mexico and Chile. In the 15 years following the West Florida Revolt, many of the present geopolitical boundaries of Latin America began taking shape.
 
At the symposium, speakers and participants will examine cultural, economic and trade issues, political and historical relationships, and shared influences in the development of laws.


Competition launched to find
funds for small business


The G-20 and Ashoka’s Changemakers, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, have launched an online competition to find the best models worldwide for public-private partnerships that generate money for small and medium enterprises. The G-20 SME Finance Challenge, the first ever competition launched by the G-20, is a unique financial inclusion effort aimed at giving small entrepreneurs a chance to grow their businesses.

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During remarks to international business leaders at the G-20 Business Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the competition and pledged $20 million from Canada.

“Small and medium enterprises are the single largest contributor to employment and job creation, in Canada and around the world,” said Harper.  “This G-20 initiative will help provide developing countries with the access to financing they need to get their small businesses up and running.”

Only an estimated 20 percent of small firms in low-income countries have access to credit. Small and medium enterprises are often too small to attract commercial bank or investor interest, but too large to benefit from microfinance products, competition organizers said.  To date, few solutions to support this middle tier of businesses have been found, they added

The G-20 SME Finance Challenge is asking the private sector to identify path-breaking models that make public programs more effective in leveraging private finance.  Private financial institutions, investors, companies, foundations and civil society organizations are all invited to submit proposals. 

“By identifying the best financial solutions to support SMEs, the G-20 is playing a critical role in the global fight to create jobs and reduce poverty,” said Rockefeller president Judith Rodin.

The G-20 and Ashoka’s Changemakers invite entries now until Aug. 25 at changemakers.com/SME-Finance. Details on guidelines and criteria for the proposals can be found on this Web site.

The G-20 is committed to mobilizing the public share of the funding needed to implement winning proposals from development banks and interested donors.
 
 

A.M. Costa Rica/Dennis Rogers

Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía
y Seguridad Pública photo