Transcript Topics for Donors Meeting - Organization of American States

ANNEX III
Washington, DC
November 2005
Presentation to the Working
Group to Prepare a Draft
Inter-American Convention
Against Racism and All
Forms of Discrimination and
Intolerance - OAS
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Key Dimensions of Social
Exclusion
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In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), inequality and
exlusion are embedded in the collective histories of the
nations and peoples in the region.
Socially excluded peoples and populations in the region
today, suffer multiple and cumulative disadvantages,
stigma and discrimination and share poverty as a common
cause of the impact of exclusion.
In LAC today, the legacies of colonialization are
manifested in the unequal ditribution of productive assets,
human physical and social or political capital, which
determine income inequality,
Social exclusion intensifies the unequal distribution of
income earning assets and concentrates inequalities
among groups.
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The Impact of Social Exclusion
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In the region, high inequality and exclusion not
only reduce the impact of growth on the most
excluded groups but also restrains the overall
growth rates themselves.
Inequality and social exclusion have been linked,
in LAC, with social upheaval and threats to public
safety, especially in countries with high ethnic or
racial diversity and in environments where social
injustice and discrimination pervade. The
democratic process in these cases is also
undermined as a result, limiting a county’s
chances for growth.
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Other Examples of Exclusion
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Primary school enrollment rates are lower and repetition and drop out
rates are higher for children from indigenous and African descendant
families.
Indigenous women have the lowest educational levels and the lowest
returns to the education in contrast with the overall progress women
have made in education in the region.
In Brazil, the costs of labor market discrimination translates into 3040 percent lower earnings in the case of women and 50% lower
earnings in the case of People of African descent overall.
Excluded groups have least access to land and other forms of property
and credit. And, socially excluded groups lack voice and influence
over the policy processes that shape structural reforms.
In countries in Latin America with the largest percentages of African
descendant and indigenous peoples, political representation from
these communities is relatively scarce. And women on average, still
represent less than 15 % of those holding political decision making
positions.
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Social Inclusion: a working
definition
Equal rights and opportunities for all
regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, class,
sexuality, disability or those with
HIV/AIDS where diversity is respected and
valued.
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The Social Inclusion Trust Fund
(SITF)
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Social inclusion is among the most urgent needs in Latin
America and the Caribbean (LAC) to address its
persistent and rising inequality.
The goal of the Social Inclusion Fund is to promote social
inclusion in LAC. This is accomplished by incorporating
this theme into the IDB’s operations, policies and
strategies, its advocacy work with the governments of the
region as well as the activities of non-governmental
organizations and civil society.
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Objectives
The main objectives of the SITF are to:
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Promote sustained and integrated programs and policies to
address social inclusion by targeting traditionally excluded
groups including:
indigenous peoples, people of African descent, persons living with
HIV/AIDS, persons with disabilities and poor women
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Support organizational strengthening of local institutions
that work with traditionally excluded groups.
Increase awareness among governments in the region
regarding the importance of social inclusion as a
development objective.
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SITF History
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The Fund started in February 2003 with
contributions from Norway and DFID (UK)
Fund’s size:
~$2 million in the first two years (2003-2004)
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How does the SITF work?
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Call for Proposals
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Special Line of Activity
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Call for Proposals
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Distinct from other Trust Funds, the SITF
hosts a call for projects on a competitive
basis which includes a technical committee
selection process at least once a year.
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Criteria for Eligibility
The following types of proposals are considered:
(i) proposals which fall within one of the Fund’s three areas of
action;
(ii) that have as beneficiaries one of the Fund’s target groups;
(iii) that have eligible executors; and
(iv) that do not exceed the maximum financing.
A Bank Specialist, from headquarters or the pertinent
country office, must present external proposals in order to
be considered by the Technical Committee.
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Special Line of Activity
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The SITF aims to support the Bank and the region
in incorporating social inclusion more
systematically within lending, national
investments and programs, and public policy. To
do so, the Fund increased support for greater
social inclusion analysis and consideration in the
first step of the programming and analysis cycle –
IDB Country Papers (CPs) and Poverty
Assessments (PAs.)
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Thinking Strategically
The Fund is expanding and deepening key
building blocks to inclusion:
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Widening and Deepening Links with Bank
Operations;
Increasing Participation and Diversity;
Strengthening Policy Processes and Links with
other Funds; and
Advancing Awareness-raising, Outreach and
Lessons Learned.
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Deepening Relationships to Bank
Operations & Programming
Increasing Percentage of SI Projects
related to Bank Operations
2003: 60% = 24% + 36%

2004:
73% = 45% + 28%
Direct Support
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Financing by Beneficiary
Group 2004-2005
Persons with
HIV/AIDS
17%
Crosscutting
23%
Disability
10%
Afrodescendants
35%
Indigenous
Peoples
15%
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Strategic Line 3:
Contributing to Larger Policy
Processes
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National Processes:
Colombia – Brazil
Ecuador – Mexico
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Larger Policy Processes:
Gender Mainstreaming, Indigenous Strategy, Rights, MDGs,
Development Effectiveness, Collaboration/Synergies with other Trust
Funds
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Multilateral Initiatives:
Inter-Agency Consultation on Race, Rights, MDGs
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Strategic Line 4:
Raising Awareness & Knowledge Base
on Social Inclusion
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EXR Campaign
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Expanded Knowledge – Research Products
Exchange among SITF projects, greater
dissemination:
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‣ Wider range + more integrated social inclusion proposals;
‣ Within IDB, greater prevalence of social inclusion
at project / policy level;
‣ More effective project monitoring
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National Examples
Nicaragua
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Designed the methodology used to ensure the
participation of ethnic groups in the census
process.
Established a special community committee
(Comité de Acompañamiento) to follow up on the
analytical stage and dissemination of data
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More National Examples
Ecuador
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Supervised the project from the Country Office
and an Afro Ecuadorian NGO served as executing
agency
Set up a Special Committee of key NGOs (5) to
coordinate consultation processes related to the
capacity building activities
Coordinating consultant is training NGOs in the
fundraising process for their project proposals.
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Some Observations in the SITF
Experience
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Key countries in the region are demonstrating the
political readiness and advancing policy
instruments for more comprehensive social
inclusion policies.
The Fund has sought to expand the impact of
small grants by focusing on supporting the
incorporation of inclusion from the outset –
incorporating social inclusion in the initial
national poverty assessments and strategy (e.g.
Bank country papers).
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More Observations
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The Fund has also identified that the
greatest impact on Bank Operations can be
made in the diagnostic process of a
country’s development and programming
needs.
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Recommendations
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One of the key failings of past economic and social policy
has been inattention to excluded populations for reasons
of gender, age, ethnicity, race, disability etc.
 Policies and processes which address the specific
impact of discrimination, stigma on excluded groups
should be supported throughout the region and best
practices shared widely.
Despite advances made in this area in the region, there is
still inadequate information available on excluded groups
– which increases their invisibility and contributes to their
exclusion
 Disaggregated data initiatives in the form of
restructured census or data collection with identity
should be supported by all actors including
multilaterals and national policymakers.
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Reccommendations – Cont.
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There is also a compelling need for mechanisms and
instruments which seek ways to raise awareness and
minimize the effects of discrimination and exclusion on
peoples and communities in LAC as noted earlier policies
of inclusion which confront invisibility, lack of political
representation, lack of access to education, healthcare and
substandard living conditions.
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For Information about the Social
Inclusion Trust Fund…
 Access the website:
www.iadb.org/sds/sifund
1 This document was prepared with data from EC/IADB Seminar IDB Document: Inequality, Exclusion and Poverty in Latin America and the
Caribbean: Implications for Development, “Seminar on Social Cohesion in Latin America, Brussels, June 5-6, 2003.
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