There are governments that don't like to look in the mirror,
because they don't want to confront the realities of poverty. However, there
are countries like Costa Rica, which continually report about their human resources
development, including its three basic dimensions: life expectancy and health,
education and living standards.
This year, Panama for the first time will formulate such a report,
with the help of the United Nations Development Program. The object is not just
to seek development that generates economic growth, but to look for ways to
equitably distribute the benefits of such advances; to restore the environment
instead of destroying it; to give the poor more power, opportunities and choices;
and to create the conditions for people to participate in decisions that affect
their lives.
"It's development that's for the poor, for nature, for labor,
women and children," according to Paulina Franceschi, the program's coordinator.
The notion of sustainable human development emphasizes the role
of human beings as the subjects of their own development, rather than as the
objects of philanthropic assistance. In this paradigm, the knowledge, skills,
experience, culture, energy and inventiveness of individuals are viewed as a
country's greatest resource, and the people and their traditions are seen as
a society's driving force.
"Only when communities take notice that their development
depends, in the first instance, on themselves, will they fulfill their capacities
and get on the right road to break with the old paternalistic schemes that only
foment dependence," Franceschi said.
She's looking to compile a report that's "from and for society,"
taking into account that there are multiple actors and maintaining a pluralist
and independent viewpoint, one that consults with the various professions and
with the various currents of opinion within each profession. "It must be politically
impartial, so by definition it will be neither pro-government nor anti-government,"
Franceschi explained.
Nevertheless, Panama's first report on sustainable human development
will have as its central theme the nation's poverty and inequality. The consulting
committee that's working on it have established several key points, including
a look at the education of Panama's poorest people; identifying specific concentrations
of poverty and their special needs; and a study of Panama's social spending
and development investments from the point of view of human resources. These
issues will be debated and analyzed by working groups led by distinguished professionals:
Dr. Juan Bosco Bernal in education, Dr. Luisa Turolla in social spending and
investment, and Professor Francisco Beens in the matter of vulnerable groups.
Once a preliminary report has been formulated, it will be presented
to and critiqued by society at large, through a series of workshops and seminars,
and many of the questions that arise will be submitted to statistical studies,
in conjunction with the nation's comptroller general and distinguished academic
researchers.
Many people question the value of yet another study, given all
that have come and gone before. Franceschi argue that this report will give
the public and government a better idea of the most important challenges the
nation faces, identify the key issues about which leaders and institutions should
be held accountable and gather the knowledge necessary to formulate sound public
policies. "It's an important tool to make social investment more efficient,"
Franceschi said.
The project is overseen by a consultative committee that includes
people from the governmental, academic, economic and cultural spheres. The last
word in the project's administration is shared by Economy and Finance Minister
Norberto Delgado and UN representative Elisabeth Fong, but on the day-today
level it is run by Franceschi and the working groups. The final report is expected
to be ready in September.
