Desarrollo social en America Latina : temas y desafios para los politicas publicas

Since the Social Development Summit in Copenhagen in 1995, there has been a progressive search for mechanisms to incorporate the social dimension systematically in the development agenda. Three core themes have marked the debate. First, is the persistence of poverty and inequity during a period of economic growth and increased liberalization of markets. Second, is the imbalance between macroeconomic reforms and social policies that have primarily focused on the mitigation of crisis and not on the existing inequity both in the global system and national societies. Third is the need to strengthen democratic governance both on the public administration and in reaffirming citizen's rights. The six chapters comprising this report are authored by regional specialists who aim at reinventing the social dimension, or the social sphere, of development. The chapters center on themes and challenges the Social Development Unit of the World Bank has identified as priorities and arise from the context of Latin America and the Caribbean. The first three chapters deal with general aspects. The first chapter discusses the agenda of social development and its demands on public policies in the Latin American region in the next few years. The second chapter revolves around the issue of social development indicators. The third chapter analyzes the issue of citizenship and its links to development. The next two chapters are more specific in approach, and essential in their consequences for the region's social development. The fourth chapter is analyzes the question of development from the perspective of youth, particularly concerning the generation of opportunities for social mobility that demand short term fiscal resources but reap observable yields in the medium and long term. The fifth chapter elaborates on urban violence, one of the major threats to Latin Americans' quality of life. The volume concludes by examining the possibilities of governance for the States in the region and its implications for achieving better thresholds of social development and welfare.