CHERRY HILL, NJ – Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that Rutgers University–Camden will receive $3,000,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to help build up a Center for Ethics, Equity and Transparency at the National University of Asuncion in Paraguay.

“From South Jersey to South America – collaborations are underway to promote democracy and fairness,” said Congressman Norcross. “The goals here are admirable; every person deserves a voice, a vote and a government that transparently works for them. I congratulate Dr. Bonilla-Santiago, Chancellor Haddon and the Rutgers-Camden community on this grant, and I look forward to seeing the results from their partnership on the other side of the hemisphere.”

“Every day at Rutgers University–Camden, our faculty and students generate original thinking and new ideas that advance our state and our world,” said Phoebe A. Haddon, Chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden. “This grant from the USAID will allow Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago to engage in critical work that will strengthen democratic values in our hemisphere. We thank and applaud Congressman Norcross for his support of Rutgers–Camden and his unwavering commitment to growing South Jersey as a hub for innovation that uplifts families here in New Jersey and contributes to the overall stability of our world.”

“[In Paraguay] there is a generalized perception that government is disconnected from the people, and that trust in governmental institutions and officials is low, which translates into substandard levels of citizen participation,” said Dr. Bonilla-Santiago, Director of the Community Leadership Center at Rutgers–Camden. “Paraguayans wants to shift their national paradigm, and our center will help to address issues of corruption and ethics in the public sector and to impact the ethical and civic formation of its people.”

The Rutgers-Camden Community Leadership Center, directed by Dr. Bonilla-Santiago, has a long track record of partnering with universities and NGOs.

The National University of Asuncion, founded in 1889, was the first institution of higher education in Paraguay. Today, the university has more than 43,000 students and 8,360 teachers.

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Contact: Ally Kehoe, Communications Director
ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov