Empowering the Poor : Engaging Civil Society in World Bank Operations
The beginning of the new millennium finds the Latin America and Caribbean region having made progress on several fronts. Health and education indicators continue to improve and all but one country hosts democratically elected governments. However, poverty rates are still high - 34.6 percent in 1998 compared to 33.4 percent in 1986, and extreme poverty is up from 14.4 percent in 1986 to 16.1 percent in 1998. Inequality is growing in many countries. In addition, corruption continues to haunt the region and there is a perception, at least among the poor, that reform programs have not delivered on their promises and that they are increasingly being excluded from markets, good quality public services and decision-making processes that affect their lives1. This has led to a lack of confidence in public institutions and decision makers in many countries, as well as a feeling of despair which manifests itself in a variety of ways throughout the region.
Summary: | The beginning of the new millennium
finds the Latin America and Caribbean region having made
progress on several fronts. Health and education indicators
continue to improve and all but one country hosts
democratically elected governments. However, poverty rates
are still high - 34.6 percent in 1998 compared to 33.4
percent in 1986, and extreme poverty is up from 14.4 percent
in 1986 to 16.1 percent in 1998. Inequality is growing in
many countries. In addition, corruption continues to haunt
the region and there is a perception, at least among the
poor, that reform programs have not delivered on their
promises and that they are increasingly being excluded from
markets, good quality public services and decision-making
processes that affect their lives1. This has led to a lack
of confidence in public institutions and decision makers in
many countries, as well as a feeling of despair which
manifests itself in a variety of ways throughout the region. |
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