----Mensaje original----
De: iaf@in.optinpro.com
Inter-American Foundation (IAF)
Special Invitation
The Social Programs Division of the Sustainable Development Department and the Social Inclusion Trust Fund, in cooperation with the Inter-American Foundation are pleased to invite you to the seminar
ADVANCING EQUITY:
Economic Inclusion & Building Opportunities for the Majority
Place: Auditorium, Enrique Iglesias Conference Center
1330 New York Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20577, IDB
Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Time: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Given the historic and endemic economic exclusion of African descendants in Latin America, a key question in the debate on how to promote sustainable and equitable development is: Can equity be advanced in the absence of proactive laws and explicit policies aimed at reducing inequalities? The objective of the seminar is to examine how affirmative action and anti-discrimination laws and policies may be implemented, thereby providing a building block for promoting equitable development in the region. The event will review regulatory frameworks and policy applications in the region, discuss some case studies and lessons from experiences in the United States, Brazil and Canada, and explore challenges to the implementation of policies necessary to deepen and broaden the application of anti-discrimination and/or affirmative action law.
The seminar starts with an overview of political trends in the region, focusing on "deepening participatory democracy and the call for economic inclusion," as well as employment rights provisions being discussed under the proposed Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance (Opening Session). Participants will then discuss the roles of the public sector in implementing affirmative action law or anti-discrimination policies to ensure increased inclusion of African descendants in the labor market and increased access to economic opportunity (Panel 1); the various roles that different actors in civil society can play in implementing affirmative or positive action policies (Panel 2); and lessons from a range of practical experiences of programs designed to implement affirmative action or anti-discrimination policies (Panel 3). The seminar closes with an examination of the operational implications for multilateral and national institutions (Panel 4), followed by a discussion on next steps in framing the conversation on affirmative action in LAC.
The event will bring together civil society leaders from academia, the private sector, and community non-governmental organizations to discuss how affirmative action and similar policies could help advance economic equity and empowerment for African descendant communities in the region. Participants include contributors to the publication "Advancing Equity: Putting Policy into Practice." This is a report of the International Dialogue on Advancing Equity and Racial Inclusion held in Brazil in April 2005.
Invited Speakers include:
Ambassador Larry Palmer, President, Inter-American Foundation
Ambassador Osmar V. Chohfi, Permanent Representative for Brazil and Chair Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, Permanent Council of the OAS
Sergio Suiama, Federal Prosecutor for Human Rights, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Pastor Murillo, Advisor, Ministry of the Interior and Justice, Colombia
This event is part of the IDB Work Program on Affirmative Action which began in 2005 and has included an international seminar on affirmative action held in partnership with DFID, ILO, SEPPIR, and UNDP in Brazil in April 2005; as well as a seminar on Supplier Diversity at the IDB Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in March 2006. This seminar is also part of a larger IDB initiative on Advancing Equity for African descendant populations with financial sponsorship by the Social Inclusion Trust Fund.
The Inter-American Foundation, meanwhile, has been supporting, since its inception, the inclusion of marginalized and excluded populations in the social and economic life of communities and societies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the past five years, the Inter-American Foundation has increased its support of African descendants, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities and this program is part of that effort.
For further information, please refer to the attached draft agenda or contact Claire Nelson (202) 623-2588, CLAIREN@iadb.org; or Zakiya Carr Johnson, (202) 623-1995, ZAKIYAA@iadb.org.
To RSVP, please contact Anna Nill, (202) 623-2741, ANNAN@iadb.org.
We hope you can join us!
IAF Special Note: Invitation to Advancing Equity Forum at IADB Dec. 6
