The Navarra Center for International Development (NCID), one of the eight projects of research of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, and the MODERNA Foundation have launched the project 'Transfer of the MODERNA Plan to Countries in development', financed by the Caja Navarra Foundation. It has a duration of 12 months and is expected to produce between 6 and 8 potentially publishable work documents.

This initiative aims to transfer MODERNA's economic plan to two countries at development, Kenya and South Africa, through a rigorous study of the success factors of the plan and the circumstances of each country. "We do not believe that there are universally applicable solutions," says Pedro Mendi, researcher of NCID, who considers it essential "to be at contact with local agents in the country of destination, generating a permanent channel of dialogue that allows learning in both directions."

Cernin Martínez Yoldidirector general of the MODERNA Foundation, explains that the goal of this partnership is "to design a protocol to implement innovative development plans in these countries, learning from the experience we have been having in Navarra with the MODERNA Plan since 2008".

Private initiative, local solutions and knowledge

According to Professor Mendi, both the ICS's project on poverty and development and the MODERNA Foundation share some fundamental pillars: "In both cases, private initiative, the search for local solutions and the importance of knowledge are understood to be factors of capital importance in a country's development ".

The goal of both is to contribute to the economic development of regions and countries," says Cernin Martinez. MODERNA is oriented towards Navarra and the implementation of projects involving companies, the educational system and the government. NCID is focused on developing countries development with an academic approach and research".

It should be recalled that the Caja Navarra Foundation will also finance two other projects of research of the ICS, belonging to the project 'Education of affectivity and human sexuality'. These are 'Sexual risk behaviors after an HIV negative result in the committee and Voluntary HIV Diagnosis (VDD): study of its frequency and possible determinants in a Congolese population living in Kinshasa (D.R. Congo)', carried out by Silvia Carlos Chillerón; and 'Promotion partner-ecological sexual health of adolescents in Navarra', led by the Full Professor of Preventive Medicine Jokin de Irala. Both experts are also professors at School of Medicine.