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Latin America Today - Introduction |
Only 28 percent of people polled in 17 Latin American countries said they were satisfied with democracy. All of the statistics of the region reflect increasing inequality. The connections between economic well-being and democracy are well established. In the relationship between the two lies Latin Americas future. Throughout the 1970s and 80s and into the last decade, Latin America stood at center stage for church and solidarity groups in the United States and figured prominently in U.S. foreign policy. Yet as the regions civil wars and dictatorships came to an end and crises arose elsewhere on the planet, interest in Latin America waned. The perception grew that the newly democratic, market-oriented Latin America had been fixed.
The picture isnt totally bleak. Many community, grass-roots and church groups are rising to the challenges facing their countries; indigenous peoples are making their voices heard (and occasionally overthrowing presidents); and the growth of cross-border solidarity is challenging the worst ravages of globalization. In this series, journalists Paul Jeffrey and Barbara Fraser explore these trends and the people behind them, uncovering both persistent, long-term problems and emerging changes. They interviewed more than 100 people -- including theologians, sociologists, economists, educators, women, children, church workers, indigenous leaders, politicians, bishops, experts on international policy, and grass-roots activists -- in 16 countries. They looked particularly for new voices, people who offered fresh perspectives on the forces shaping life throughout Latin America today. What follows is a view of Latin America and where it is headed through primarily Latin American eyes. |
About the writers | |
Barbara Fraser worked in Peru for 14 years as a Maryknoll lay missioner, including five years as director and editor of Latinamerica Press. She now lives in Peru as a freelance writer, mainly covering social and environmental issues. Besides NCR, her work has appeared in EcoAmericas, The Lancet, Catholic News Service, Sierra magazine, PANOS Features, Latinamerica Press, Gemini News Service and other publications. | Paul Jeffrey is a United Methodist missionary journalist who has lived in Central America for two decades. Hes filed stories from more than 35 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and has won several photography and writing awards, including Catholic Relief Services Eileen Egan Award in 2002. He lives outside Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with his wife and two teenage children. |
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