But how can the energy and initiative of these csos be harnessed to accelerate the Dominican Republic's economic and social development? This was the subject of an IDB-sponsored meeting held in Santo Domingo last September and attended by some 100 representatives of csos, the Dominican government and the private sector.

MORE PARTICIPATION...

The meeting's goal was to identify and improve mechanisms by which CSOs can influence the management and execution of development projects. Participants also discussed ways to raise public awareness on how CSOs can help to ensure the efficacy, efficiency and sustainability of development efforts.

"People participate when they perceive that the conditions are in place for a truly effective participation," said Jorge Cela, a Jesuit priest who directs the Centro de Estudios Sociales Juan Montalvo.

The volunteers organized by Participación Ciudadana are a case in point. Thirty percent of them had never belonged to any kind of organization, according to José Ceballos, general coordinator of Participación Ciudadana. They volunteered to serve as election observers because they believed that their efforts would have an impact on the quality of political life in the country.

The meeting also examined the experience of Procomunidad, a social investment fund supported by the IDB, and Ciudad Alternativa, an advocacy group for residents of poor neighborhoods on the margins of Santo Domingo.

The meeting was the third in a series through which the IDB seeks to encourage the participation of civil society organizations in the projects it finances. The first two meetings were held in Colombia and Guatemala in 1996.

--Reported by Christina MacCulloch