Equity and Social Mobility

The DRCLAS and the UNDP International Poverty Centre (IPC) organized a conference on “Equity and Social Mobility: Theory and Methodology with Applications to Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, and South Africa” that took place in Brasília from January 11th to 13th. Over twenty distinguished researchers from leading universities and institutions participated in the three day meeting. Participants from Harvard included Professor Jorge Domínguez (FAS, Government), Professor Prudence Carter (FAS, Sociology) and Lorena Barberia, DRCLAS Program Associate who chaired the session “Brazil: Inequality and Poverty” and overcame numerous obstacles to ensure the participation of researchers from all four countries. The papers presented and the group discussions highlighted the challenges of promoting economic growth and policies that ensure the equity of opportunities. Researchers presented their analysis of the experiences and challenges faced by Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, and South Africa. The seminar focused on emerging patterns in gainful income and consumption decisions, rural development, ethnic segmentation and the impact of social policies on social mobility trends and aimed to inform policy decision makers for poverty reduction, equity enhancement and the promotion of social mobility. More information about the conference, papers and participants can be found on the website: http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/ems.

Following the conference in Brasília, the Cuban delegation, accompanied by Lorena Barberia, traveled to Salvador, Bahia to visit the state’s PNUD office and to meet with Bahia’s Governor, Jaques Wagner. For more information, please see: http://drclas.fas.harvard.edu/index.pl/programs/brazil/news.Participating Harvard faculty: Jorge I. Domínguez; Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Economics and

Participating Harvard faculty:
Xavier de Souza Briggs, Associate Professor of Sociology and Urban Planning in the Department of Urban Studies & Planning, MIT

Merilee S. Grindle, Edward S. Mason Professor of International Development, KSG

Jorge I. Domínguez; Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Economics and Politics

Michael Woolcock, Lecturer in Public Policy, KSG and Senior Social Scientist; World Bank Development Research Group

Miren Uriarte, Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, University of Massachusetts, BostonPolitics

Prudence Carter, Associate Professor of Sociology, FAS

Collaborating Institutions: Centro de Investigaciones Psicológicas y Sociológicas (CIPS); Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana (CEEC); United Nations International Poverty Center (IPC); and, Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (IPEA)

The Cuban Economy at the Start of the Twenty-First Century

As part of an ongoing collaboration with the University of Havana’s Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy, The Cuban Economy at the Start of the Twenty-First Century was published in March 2005. Co-edited by Jorge Domínguez, Omar Everleny Pérez Villanueva and Lorena Barberia, the purpose of the volume is to illuminate sources of strength and weakness in Cuba’s economy, economic policy making, and the related issues of external economic relations and domestic welfare. The volume was published as part of the David Rockefeller Center’s book series and is distributed by Harvard University Press. With support from the Ford Foundation, the David Rockefeller Center is currently working to publish the Spanish edition of The Cuban Economy at the Start of the Twenty-First Century with El Colegio de México. In partnership with the University of Havana's Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy, the David Rockefeller Center's Cuba program will also sponsor a book presentation workshop in Havana in June 2006 including all three editors and the Cuban authors.

Participating Harvard faculty: Jorge I. Domínguez; Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Economics and Politics

Collaborating Institutions:Centro de Investigaciones Psicológicas y Sociológicas (CIPS); Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana (CEEC); El Colegio de México

University of Havana/Kennedy School Public Policy Exchange

The Center's Cuba Program, in partnership with the University of Havana and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, initiated a series of workshops to support the expansion and improvement of policy and management programs at the University of Havana . The goal of this exchange is to strengthen relationships and enrich dialogue on public policy and management in the Americas . The project promotes academic exchanges focused on a broad area of topics, including:

• development and exchange of theoretical frameworks & other tools to improve public sector organization performance;
• public policy and management curricula;
• pedagogical and social science research methodologies.

Between January 2001 and January 2002, two faculty groups from Harvard traveled to Cuba to give seminars in policy and management. In September 2001, a delegation of scholars and practitioners from Cuba came to the Center to participate in a round table seminar to discuss issues of community-based management and governance. These seminars are part of a growing relationship and exchange between these two institutions, which the Program hopes to expand in future years.

The Cuba Program also has a strong history of exchange with the Centro de Estudio de la Economía Cubana and the Centro de Estudios sobre los Estados Unidos, both of which have sent visiting scholars and hosted researchers from Harvard.

Harvard faculty:

Xavier de Souza Briggs, Kennedy School of Government

Collaborating institutions:

University of Havana, including the Cetedra de Administracion Publica, the Centro de Estudio de la Economía Cubana, and the Centro de Estudios sobre los Estados Unidos.

Visiting Scholars from Cuba & Topics Studied:

Pedro Monreal: Cuba's Insertion into the World Economy: The Limits of 'Upgrading'

Mauricio de Miranda: Reform and Reinsertion of the Cuban Economy in the 90's

Haroldo Dilla: Cuba Today: Civil Society, Political Economy, and International Relations; The United States, Latin America, and Europe: Analysis of the New Agenda

Jorge Mario Sánchez: Cuba Today: Civil Society, Political Economy, and International Relations; The United States, Latin America, and Europe: Analysis of the New Agenda

Rosendo Díaz: Comparative Study of Science and Technology Policy in Latin America

Isabel Jaramillo Edwards: U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Latin America

Carlos Alzugaray Treto: U.S. Foreign Policy, Security Studies, and Comparative International Relations in Latin America

Orlando Guitierrez: Improving Public Administration Mechanisms at the Local Government Levels

Antonio Iglesias Morrell: Comparative Public Administration Teaching Methodologies