Friday, July 01, 2005
The Invisible Conscience: Business and Social Issues in Latin America
By: Paul Holden, Jennifer Sobotka and Carlo Dade, Enterprise Research Foundation, 1997
Latin America stands at a critical juncture in its history. Wide-ranging economic reforms of the past 10 years are taking firm, and potentially irrevocable, root in the region. These reforms present the chance for the sort of sustainable development that can alleviate much of the endemic poverty in Latin America. Institutions that deliver social services are critical to realizing the promise of these reforms but they are functioning inefficiently. Among the most critical of these services are education, health, housing, and security. Without adequate levels of investment here recent reforms will neither fulfill their promise nor will the benefits accrue to most of society. Chapter 1 continues to define the problem and defines the solution of increased business participation and investment in social services. Chapter 2 discusses the importance of providing social services and their relationship to sustainable development. Chapter 3 demonstrated how Latin America falls short of various measures of economic development in the region. The role of business versus other private sector actors and the means by which it may become more involved as well as the potential obstacles are discussed in Chapter 4. Specific sector case studies covering education, health, social security, security, and housing and property rights are presented in Chapter 5. Conclusions are presented in Chapter 6.
Latin America stands at a critical juncture in its history. Wide-ranging economic reforms of the past 10 years are taking firm, and potentially irrevocable, root in the region. These reforms present the chance for the sort of sustainable development that can alleviate much of the endemic poverty in Latin America. Institutions that deliver social services are critical to realizing the promise of these reforms but they are functioning inefficiently. Among the most critical of these services are education, health, housing, and security. Without adequate levels of investment here recent reforms will neither fulfill their promise nor will the benefits accrue to most of society. Chapter 1 continues to define the problem and defines the solution of increased business participation and investment in social services. Chapter 2 discusses the importance of providing social services and their relationship to sustainable development. Chapter 3 demonstrated how Latin America falls short of various measures of economic development in the region. The role of business versus other private sector actors and the means by which it may become more involved as well as the potential obstacles are discussed in Chapter 4. Specific sector case studies covering education, health, social security, security, and housing and property rights are presented in Chapter 5. Conclusions are presented in Chapter 6.