INTER-AMERICAN INITIATIVE ON SOCIAL CAPITAL, ETHICS AND DEVELOPMENT

Invitation:

AN INVITATION FOR REFLECTION AND FOR ACTION

There is great interest in the Latin-American democracies for the ethical subject. Wide sectors of society demand in a pro-active way, to discuss the ethical challenges posed in the efforts to achieve development in the region and to reach conclusions on the responsibilities that should be assumed by the diverse social actors. This discussion can strongly improve the quality of the debate over development in the region, and at the same time it can be a highly relevant input in the design of public policies, as well as an asset for civil society actions.

The important developments that are being produced in the continent in the field of democratization create favorable conditions for a debate on the subject. The debate has a very propitious international correlate. It is seen at the worldwide level a growing concern to incorporate the ethical dimension to the analysis of the social and economic relevant problems, to the development of ethical codes in diverse areas and courses on these topics have been implemented in some of the most advanced universities of the world. Within this frame, the Presidency of Honduras, the IADB, the Universidad Nacional and Universidad Católica de Honduras and the Norwegian Government have agreed to put up efforts to hold a Central-American meeting on the subject. The meeting is scheduled to be the launching platform for the Regional Program on Ethics and Development that the IADB is preparing with the Norwegian support. The IADB has performed in the past several meetings that surround the ethical problems of development, in Washington, Venezuela and Chile (International Board of Governors Meeting), they have had the highest receptivity and a great impact.

It is expected that this meeting, to which government representatives of the mainstream central-American civil society sectors have been invited, will be able to promote the thinking process on this crucial subject, which will support the conclusions outcome applicable to the action.

Go to top