Schedule:

LATIN AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS

INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (IDB)

JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE

FUNDACION TZEDAKA

INTERNATIONAL MEETING

CONFRONTING POVERTY:

SOLUTIONS, EXPERIENCES, AND PROJECTS

Sponsored by Ministry of Social Development, Argentina

Ministry of Social Development, City of Buenos Aires

Ministry of Culture, City of Buenos Aires

Government of the Province of Buenos Aires

AMIA & DAIA

BUENOS AIRES

DECEMBER 9-10, 2001

Teatro Municipal General San Martin

I. IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS

Latin America has made tremendous strides towards democratization. Democracies are being consolidated, accompanied by intense processes of state decentralization, more transparency, and a larger participation of the civil society. These are great advances, but with these, two big challenges arise: poverty and inequality.

Poverty, and the empoverishment of the middle classes, are causes for great concern to governments, civil society, and international organizations. Figures show that large sectors of the population live below the poverty line, lacking basic necessities. The most affected are children and women. According to recent estimates, a third of children under 2 years of age are at high risk of malnutrition. Almost 60% of children under the age of 14 live in poverty.

There is also a high unemployment rate. This rate is particularly high among young people. Furthermore, there are problems of deficits in health, education and an increase in delinquency rates.

Poverty struck the middle class. People lost their middle class position joining the ranks of the "new poor." In a very short time, many of those in the middle class lost their comfortable standard of living, which they had worked hard and long to achieving: a stable job, decent housing, and private medical insurance, seeing their lives shattered to subsistence levels.

This painful process affected also the Jewish communities in different countries of the region. Myths associate these communities with a comfortable economic position. The reality is that communities with a small and medium size middle class are the first in being affected by these ruthless developments. Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness are widespread. The burden of poverty has seriously deteriorated the families of the lower and the middle class.

Today, the big challenge facing the democratic system is how to combat this malaise. Poverty in Latin America presents a peculiar characteristic, since income inequality is the largest in the world, thus exacerbating already existing tensions. Data from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) show that the richest 5% of the population amass 26% of the national income, while the poorest 30% amass a meager 7.5%.

Inequality appears in many areas, but the most troublesome is that in education. Studies done by the IDB indicate that schooling of the head of households of the richest 10% of the population is about 12 years, while in the poorest 30% of the population, is only 5 years.

The International Meeting

The international meeting convened by the Latin American Jewish Congress, the Inter- American Development Bank, Tzedaka Foundation and the JOINT, rests on the Latin American reality described above, and is based on the premise that confronting poverty is the highest priority for societies in the region. The purpose of the gathering is to search for creative ideas and combine the efforts of governments, civil societies, international organizations and non-regional countries. In this regard, the Jewish communities could play an important role. This role is based on the sensitivity of the Jewish people, that has pioneered social justice since biblical times, and by its vast experience in volunteer work, which is internationally known.

The Latin American Jewish Congress, which comprises all the Jewish communities in the region, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which considers social investment a high priority, and has done extensive work in it, have sponsored two meetings on the topic. The first meeting took place in Washington D.C. in December 1998 and the second in Montevideo, Uruguay, in August of 2000. Both meetings yielded tangible results.

The IDB has been sponsoring similar meetings with the Catholic, Evangelic and Protestant Churches in Latin America. The Latin American Jewish Congress has created a Social Development Committee that deals with this issue.

The meeting in Buenos Aires, counts with the participation of the Latin American Jewish Congress, the Inter-American Development Bank, Fundación Tzedaka, that celebrates this year its tenth anniversary of very important work, and the JOINT, which is a prestigious international organization that did excellent work in the social area, will focus entirely on achieving concrete solutions to the problems.

The conference is sponsored by the Ministry of Social Development of Argentina, the Offices of Social Promotion and Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, the Government of the Province of Buenos Aires, AMIA and DAIA.

The gathering is sponsored by The Israeli Embassy in Argentina, The Argentine Zionist Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Lubavitch-Argentina, American Friends of Lubavitch, the United Nations Development Program in Argentina, the School of Economics, University of Buenos Aires, The Organization of American States, American University, Washington D.C., the Wold Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, B'nai Brith International, Anti- Defamation League, Hillel International, the Jewish Social Service, HIAS, World ORT, London, and numerous organizations and Jewish communities from Argentina, Latin America, the United States, Canada, and Spain.

II. DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL

The meeting will be totally interactive. Each organization will be able to learn from one another. The meeting will also foster conditions that would allow the design of strategic alliances and the identification of projects of common interest and joint action.

The meeting will open with remarks by the President of Argentina Mr. Fernando de la Rúa, the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mr. Enrique V. Iglesias and the Director of the World Jewish Congress, Rabbi Israel Singer. The gathering would be attended by high ranking officials of the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, the World Bank, the United Nations, the State of Israel, leaders of American and Canadian Judaism, prominent Jewish intellectuals from Latin America, internationally known experts on social issues, corporate leaders, and presidents and high ranking officials of Jewish communities from the hemisphere.

Topics for discussion

• Magnitude of the "new poverty" in the societies of the hemisphere and its causes;
• The daily lives of the "new poor" in Latin American cities;
• Why the Jewish communities were the most affected by the impoverishment of the middle class;
• How to work with recently empoverished people. The international experience;
• Policies and programs to recycle and train the "new poor" in occupations with market value;
• The micro-credit as a tool with great potential to assist the "new poor." Examples.
• Supporting the small and medium size enterprises through innovative solutions;
• The Jewish school and the New Poverty
• School desertion and poverty. Strengthening the network of community schools
• Working with youth without labor market options;
• Assisting the family in the socio-economic crisis;
• Assisting women head of households;
• Supporting the social integration of the disadvantaged of the middle class;
• Creative solutions in housing;
• Protection and support to people in the "Golden Years"
• The Israeli experience in strengthening the small and medium size enterprise;
• Solutions to protect the health of the "new poor;"
• How to strengthen and expand the voluntary organizations in the fight against poverty;
• The role that high technology could play in combating poverty;
• The school and the "new poverty;" Assisting people in the liberal professions to find jobs;
• How to better assist the disadvantaged;
• Relevant experience of the United States and Canada;
• The role that Jewish communities could play in the fight against poverty; and
• Creating strategic alliances for social action.

III. TENTATIVE WORKING AGENDA

December 9

8:00-9:45 Registration

10:00-10:45 Opening Remarks

11:00-12:45 Plenary Session. The New Poverty: A Multidimensional Challenge.

12:45-14:00 Lunch

14:00-16:00 Simultaneous workshops:

• Daily Life of the New Poor;
• Impact of Poverty on the Family: Reinsertion in the Society and the Community;
• How to Strengthen Community Institutions in Times of Crises;
• Experience at the International Level; and
• Role of Jewish Institutions in the Fight Against Poverty.

16:30-18:15 Plenary Session. The New Poor and the Labor Market: Alternatives for Action.

19:00 Lighting of the Chanukah candle

December 10

9:00-11:00 Simultaneous workshops:

• Microcredit and Microenterprises. Experience and Perspectives;
• Recycling and Training for New Employment Opportunities;
• Supporting the Small and Medium Size Enterprises;
• Role of International Organizations; and
• Supporting the Health Sector: A Crucial Issue.

11:15-1:00 Plenary session.

Education and the New Poverty: New Problems and the Search for Solutions.

1:00-2:00 Lunch

14:00-16:00 Simultaneous Workshops:

• Challenges Posed by the New Poverty on the Schools;
• How Could Schools Contribute to the Fight Against Poverty? Experience of ORT and Similar Organizations;
• Lessons Learned from the Israeli Experience;
• Financing and Strengthening of the School System; and
• Policies toward the Teachers: The Basic Social Capital of School and Society.

16:30 Plenary Session. Strategic Alliances to Confront the New Poverty

17:45 Closing

IV. PARTIAL LIST OF SPEAKERS

Fernando de la Rua, President of Argentina

Enrique V. Iglesias, President of the IDB

Rabbi Israel Singer, Director, World Jewish Congress

Abraham Burg, President of the Israeli Parliament

Eliane Karp de Toledo, First Lady of Peru

Juan Pablo Cafiero, Minister, Social Development, Argentina

Carlos Ferdinand, Secretary of the Inter-American Development Bank

Jose Octavio Bordon, Minister of Education, Province of Buenos Aires

Jose Weinstein, Deputy Minister of Education, Chile

Moisés Starkman, Minister, President, Fund of Social Investment, Honduras

Rebeca Grynspan, Former Vice President of Costa Rica. Director, ECLAC, Mexico

Pinhas Avivi, Director for Latin America, Foreign Ministry, Israel

Jacques Rogozinski, General Manager, Inter-American Investment Corporation, IDB

Daniel Figueroa, Secretary of Social Promotion, City of Buenos Aires

Rabbi Avi Baker. Director World Jewish Congress,Israel

Alberto Senderey, Director, JOINT, Department of Community Development, Latin America and Europe

Jorge Tellerman, Secretary of Culture, City of Buenos Aires

Manuel Tenembaum, Director, Latin American Jewish Congress

Bernardo Kliksberg, General Coordinator, Inter-American Initiative on Social Ethics and Development, IDB.

Claudia Coustin, Director of Reform of the State for Latin America at the World Bank

Carmelo Angulo, Director United Nations Development Program, Argentina

Carlos de Grossi, Dean of the School of Economics, University of Buenos Aires

Marcos Aguinis, Writer

Claudio Grossman, President of the Inter-American Committee on Human Rights, Organization of American States, and Dean of the College of Law, American University.

Miriam Krawczyk, Director Planning, Programming and Operations, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. (ECLAC), Chile.

V. ORGANIZATION

The meeting will be held on Sunday, December 9, and Monday, December 10, 2001, at the Teatro Municipal San Martin, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Special hotel rates of $75 per night, single occupancy, and $85 double occupancy, have been negotiated. Rates include all taxes. Accommodations have been negotiated at the following four-star hotel:

Obelisco Center and Suites.

Avenida Presidente Roque Saenz Peña 991

Buenos Aires

Tel. 011-5411-4326-0909

Fax. 011-5411-4326-0269

e-mail:info@obeliscohotel.com.ar

webpage:http:www.obeliscohotel.com.ar

When calling to make or confirm a reservation, please mention the event sponsored by the Latin American Jewish Congress. For any assistance in Buenos Aires, please contact either The Latin American Jewish Congress, tel. 011-5411-4961-4534, fax 011-5411-4963-7056, e-mail cjl@elsitio.net ; or b) Tzedaka Foundation, tel. and fax 011-5411-4811-1430, e-mail: Info@tzedakaonline.org

For any assistance in the US please call Ms. Yael Marciano at the Inter-American Development, 202-623-2552. On next page please find a registration form.

Simultaneous translation into English will be available.

INTERNATIONAL MEETING CONFRONTING POVERTY:

SOLUTIONS, EXPERIENCES, AND PROJECTS

BUENOS AIRES DECEMBER 9-10, 2001 Teatro Municipal General San Martin

Accreditation form

First and last name: ………………………………………………………………….

Address: ………………………………………………………………………………

Telephone #: ………………… fax: number: ………………… E-mail: …..……...........

Institution and Title: ……..………………………………………………………….

Request for reservation at the Hotel Obelisco Center and Suites

Single room  Check in date: ………… Check out date: …..……

Double room  Check in date: …………. Check out date: ……….

Credit card information: ……………………………………………………………

Please send registration and reservation form to: Latin American Jewish Congress Fax:011-5411-4963-7056 Tel 011-5411-4961-4534 and 011-5411-4962-5028 e-mail:cjl@elsitio.net

Go to top