Civil Society and Social Movements makes a needed contribution to the clarification of the role of organized citizenry to development in Latin America.
Most of the work on this topic has been dominated by polarized ideological positions. One extreme denounces social movements as instruments of caudillos lacking the legitimacy of political parties and elected representatives. The other extreme sees the movements as the “true” spokesmen of the opposition to the traditional political apparatus dedicated to the protection of the their unmerited privileges. In contrast, Civil Society and Social Movements makes a serious effort to take on the issues professionally. Most of the cases illustrate the central argument of the book: “the increase in organized citizen engagement has already transformed the structure and operations of many governments and political parties, making them more democratic.” This is achieved while recognizing that not all social movements offer positive results. The book also has studies, such as that concerning worker housing in Chile, showing the deficiencies of programs designed and carried out without the participation of any organization of the beneficiaries. The Inter-American Development Bank, Arthur Domike and the authors of the essays in the book make an important contribution to integrated development in Latin America.
Santiago Friedman, World Bank (Retired)