Human Rights and
International Democratic Solidarity

Events

08-27-2010

The new configuration of civil society in Latin America and its role in the consolidation of democracy

Plataforma Democrática, Centro de Estudios de la Sociedad Civil y la Vida Pública at Universidad Nacional de San Martín and CADAL, organized at the Representation in Buenos Aires of Unviersita di Bologna, the Seminar-Debate arround the book ''Usos, abusos y desafíos de la sociedad civil en América Latina''. The speakers were: Carlos H. Acuña, Pablo Marsal, Mario Roitter, Gabriela Ippolito-O’Donnell, Laura Alonso and Bernardo Sorj.

Plataforma Democrática, Centro de Estudios de la Sociedad Civil y la Vida Pública at Universidad Nacional de San Martín and CADAL, organized at the Representation in Buenos Aires of Unviersita di Bologna, the Seminar-Debate arround the book "Usos, abusos y desafíos de la sociedad civil en América Latina". The speakers were: Carlos H. Acuña, Pablo Marsal, Mario Roitter, Gabriela Ippolito-O’Donnell, Laura Alonso and Bernardo Sorj.

The first panel was dedicated to "Frequent questions on civil society", including: the different tipologies of civil society, an attempt to map civil society, and how the appear, who they represent, how their are financed and measure their results. This panel was moderated by Gabriel Salvia, Chairman of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL), and the speakers were Carlos H. Acuña, Pablo Marsal and Mario Roitter.

Carlos H. Acuña holds a Ph.D. in Political Science (University of Chicago) and a Masters in Research Methodology. He is director of Maestría en Administración y Políticas Públicas and Professor at Universidad de San Andrés, Main researcher at CONICET, he was professor at UBA, Universidad Di Tella, University of Chicago and University of Notre Dame. He has published several articles and books in the country and abroad. His areas of specialization are Comparative politics; public policy and economic policy.
Video of Carlos H. Acuña Presentation (In Spanish)

Pablo Marsal is BA in Organizatino and Institutional Management (Universidad Nacional de San Martín) and Master of Arts in Development Management and Policy (Georgetown University), speciallized in civil society organizations, their articulartion with the government and companies. He was chairman of the association of NGOs professionals in Argentina (AGODI) and one of its founders. He is author of the book: ¿Cómo se financian las ONG Argentinas? and the Argentine chapter of the Project “Rendición de cuentas y transparencia de las Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil”, among other published works.
Video in Spanish of Pablo Marsal's presentation

Mario M. Roitter is economist and Master in Administration. He is Deputy researcher at Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES) and coordinator of the Civil Society Area at this Center. He has researched civil society, citizen participation, social economics and on other social and cultural themes related to CSOs (youth, childhood, arts, sports and recreation). He is professor of the Post-graduate program in Management of non profit Organizatinos (Universidad de San Andrés - CEDES). He has published numerous works and has served as consultant of public and private entities such as international organizations.

The second panel was entitled "Civil society, representative democracy and citizen participation". The speakers were Gabriela Ippolito-O'Donnell, Laura Alonso and Bernardo Sorj, who analyzed the challenges of civil society in Latin American democracies of 21st century: What should we do for civil society to become a factor of strengthening a space of autonomous power able to dialogue with public institutions, governmen institutions and public opinion? How could we strengthen the virtuous relations among them, without making them loose their specific form of action? The moderator of this panel was José María Ghio, professor at Escuela de Gobierno at Universidad Di Tella.

Gabriela Ippolito-O'Donnell is Ph. D. in Political Science at University of Cambridge. She holds a Masters degree from University of Notre Dame and BA in Political Science at Universidad del Salvador. She is director of CESC (Centro de Estudios de la Sociedad Civil y la Vida Pública) and of the Political Science College at Escuela de Política y Gobierno at Universidad Nacional de San Martín. 

Laura Alonso is Congresswoman from the City of Buenos Aires (2009-2013). She was Executive Director of Poder Ciudadano. She received the Global Leadership Award from the organization Vital Voices Global Partnership in 2008. She is Eisenhower Fellow and British Chevening Scholar. She served as professor at Universidad de Buenos Aires, San Andrés, CEMA and Lanús. In the second half of 2009, she was in charge of the general coordination of the dialogue process between government and civil society organizations entitled  ‘Compromiso Buenos Aires 2020’ supported by UNDP. She is BA in Political Science from Universidad de Buenos Aires and Master in Public Administration and Public Policy at London School of Economics.

Bernardo Sorj is Director of Centro Edelstein de Investigaciones Sociales and professor of sociology at Universidad Federal de Río de Janeiro. He was visiting schollar in several universities in Europe and United States, and is author of 23 books published in several languages, on social theory, Latin America and democracy. Among his most recent books are: El Desafío Latinoamericano (with Danilo Martuccelli, Siglo XXI, 2008) and La Democracia Inesperada (Prometo/Bonagno, 2004).

Carlos H. Acuña, Guillermo O’Donnell, José María Ghio, Bernardo Sorj and Mario Roitter.

Mateja Lesar Markovic, from the Embassy of Slovenia, and Ondrej Pometlo, from the Embassy of Czech Republic.

Gabriela Ippolito-O’Donnell, Guillermo O’Donnell and Gabriel Salvia.

- Videos in Spanish with the presentation by Carlos H. Acuña

- Videos in Spanish with the presentation by Pablo Marsal

 

 

 

 
 
 

 
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