http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/06/12/building-opportunity-for-the-majority-day-one Comments for "Building Opportunity for the Majority: Day One" en http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/06/12/building-opportunity-for-the-majority-day-one#comment-729 Great comments Rob- I agreed with a lot of your thoughts on the conference thus far- great initiative, some important lessons, but a couple of the speakers were off topic. I would be careful with bashing the Cardinal though - you seem to imply that he was out of place here, but keep in mind that he was invited by the IDB, who are well aware of his beliefs, so we as Americans have to consider what his place is here. Keep in mind that the political spectrum is different in Latin America than it is in the US - in recent elections many self-proclaimed socialists and socialist parties have taken seats in governments including Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, and many others (we'll see about Mexico soon). The Cardinals beliefs are popular among much of the masses in Latin America - so much so that he was considered a prime candidate to be the next pope not long ago. Accordingly, he expresses views that are not uncommon in the political chambers and on the street corners of Bogota and Rio. As I recall, he wasn't preaching Marxism, but rather described marxist thought as a legitimate critique on the shortcomings of unregulated capitalism, and he ended up criticizing both systems for lacking a grounding in ethics. While you or I may disagree with his views, it is valuable for Americans like us to see that statements that would be considered taboo in the American poltiical paradigm are accepted in other places, and if Cardinal Maradiaga did not represent the views of the people in that auditorium, he at least represented the views of many of the exact people our initiatives are reaching out to. If we do not consider their fears and beliefs valid, we go from genuinely reaching out to the poor of Latin America to being just another focus group of elites that patronizes the BOP and tells them we know what's best for them rather than engaging them. Just some thoughts there - I agree that de Soto gave the most compelling speech offering a simple but largely unrecognized truth that you can't begin to draw the informal economy into the world market if they are not even legally recognized... I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on today's speeches... <br class="clear" /> Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:25:21 -0400 Derek Newberry comment 729 at http://www.nextbillion.net http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/06/12/building-opportunity-for-the-majority-day-one <p><p style="padding: 5px; float: left;"><a href="http://www.icdf.org.tw/web_org_logo/20020618164209icon_IDB.gif"><img src="http://www.nextbillion.net/files/images/idb_logo_0.gif" alt="" title="" class="image img_assist_custom" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>I attended the Inter-American Development Bank’s “<a href="/node/2787">Building Opportunity for the Majority</a>” conference today – a 2-day event serving as a launching pad for newly-elected Bank president <a href="http://www.iadb.org/aboutus/iv/ma_moreno.cfm?language=English">Luis Alberto Moreno’s</a> personal agenda. If Day One of the conference was any indication, Bank-watchers are in for some major changes under Mr. Moreno’s leadership.</p><p>The conference is being held in the IADB’s version of the “<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/images/20020314-7-1.jpg">Palace of Poverty</a>” – its own conference center. The 3 stories of the building I saw are outfitted in modern hardwood and steel, with soft lighting and two balconies. Especially nice are the booths for simultaneous translators to use – a big help for me and my high-school level Spanish. (Gracias, Senor Moreno.) As attendees filtered in, we were treated to coffee and a looped PowerPoint presentation in both English and Spanish highlighting the six elements underpinning Building Opportunity for the Majority (BOFM): </p><br class="clear" /><p><a href="http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/06/12/building-opportunity-for-the-majority-day-one">read more</a></p> http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/06/12/building-opportunity-for-the-majority-day-one#comment Housing Strategy Successful Models The Policy Agenda Mon, 12 Jun 2006 22:50:51 -0400 Rob Katz 2842 at http://www.nextbillion.net