Santiago: “New Covenant in building social cohesion in Latin American cities”

25th - 26th November 2008

Organisers: SUR Org & Urban and Territorial Studies Institute

Alfredo Rodríguez arsur[a]sitiosur.cl (SUR ONG),

Carlos de Mattos cdmattos[a]uc.cl (Urban and Territorial Studies Institute)

The second workshop was held on 25th and 26th of November in Santiago de Chile and dealt with a “New Covenant in building social cohesion in Latin American cities”. With almost 30 participants the workshop firstly aimed at building up a network of academics, public, private and grassroots actors as an incentive for the creation of new pacts in the generation of social cohesion within Latin American cities. Secondly it offered a new perspective on social cohesion based on the reality and experiences of Latin America. A range of major issues have been addressed:

  • The importance of global socio-economic and political conditions (social inequalities, fractures in the labour market, concentration of economic power by private corporations and holdings not constrained by any political accountability obligation)
  • The problem of security in particular in public spaces and its effects on social and physical segregation and consequently on social cohesion
  • The effects of the transformation of the labour market on vulnerable social groups (young people, Indians, migrants, young people etc.)
  • The new forms of organisation and new solidarities that arise at the local level as a response to rising social and urban inequalities
  • The importance of recognising these local urban movements as well as their actions (notably mobilising and protecting locally based social memories and identities)

pdf  Agenda de investigacion - Santiago Workshop
pdf  Final report in Spanish - full version
pdf  Final report in English - summary