International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development
Encyclopedia
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
(North Carolina
North Carolina
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, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) in 1987, the International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development (ICCARD) was a task force composed of thirty-three scholars and leaders (Ford Foundation 1988: 155). The commission published its report, Poverty, Conflict, and Hope: A Turning Point in Central America, in 1989 with principles for promoting peace, genuine democracy and equitable
Equitable
-Companies:*Scottish Equitable, is an investment company located in Edinburgh*Equitable PCI Bank*The Equitable Life Assurance Society, life insurance company in the United Kingdom...
development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Also known as the Sanford Commission Report (after U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Terry Sanford
Terry Sanford
James Terry Sanford was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina , a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator...
, "the principal catalyst of the commission's work") the plan called for immediate action, regional and international cooperation based on learning from history (Zuvekas 2001: 128). With numerous proposals for Central America over the years, the commission built upon past experiences.
The commission’s recommendations represented the deliberations of an international body for regional democracy and development. With brief historical insights, from lessons learned the report's plan of action for a turning point in Central America is an easy to read guide for sustainable development and democracy. The report itself, released "on the eve of the fourth meeting of the Central American Presidents", (Envio 1989) is also a valuable reference for analysis of the region and developments since the time of the commission.
Brief on the history
The report noted that the economic expansion following the Second World War is critical to understanding the historical roots of the crisis that Central America faced during the 1970s and 1980s, after the region’s economy nearly collapsed from the inability to adjust to international structural changes. While the region averaged unprecedented growth from 1950 to 1978, the strengths of the economy in Central America did not outweigh the faults of exclusionary politics, flawed economic structures, decline of intra-regional trade, and external economic setbacks that consequently led to social unrest, violence and civil war. While Zuvekas (2001: 128-120) maintains that the report "does not sufficiently recognize the (admittedly limited) progress" made throughout the 1980s, the commentator on the commission does believe the "ICCARD is fundamentally sound." From the historical detail on the civil strife that uprooted and caused suffering in the region for over ten years, the international commission then provided an immediate plan for action in order to attend to the social impact of the crisis.The plan
The immediate plan to aid those in poverty is followed by a strategy for sustainable developmentSustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
, including the revival of productivity and production, assuring the creation of employment, the development of human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
, fiscal
Fiscal policy
In economics and political science, fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy....
and monetary reform as well as strategy to conserve natural resources. In sequencing the plan, fiscal reform is noted as a fundamental step to finance the recovery of human resource development from positive, real returns of hard-earned profit. With recognition of the difficulties in sustaining democratic governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
in the region, the report then discusses building democracy as inseparable from development. The plan for building democracy consists of broadening participation in civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
, advocating respect for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
with tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
to instill values of democracy and peace.
The international commission report stresses that the fragile institutions representing the interests of those excluded from political processes, the minimal financial resources for mobilizing to provide for the poorest in society, and the perceptions of those who hold power
Power (sociology)
Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to...
are obstacles to progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
reform. At this point, the report as it was presented addressed the developmental needs of the region rather than on a country-by-country basis, allowing for the "development of more comprehensive policies" (Envivo 1989). The plan to promote democracy thus involves strategy for civilian rule and civil-military relations where: “security is not achieved by repression and military dominance of government. Continued withdrawal of the military from the political scene, their training in democratic political values, the rejection of authoritarian doctrines of national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
, and the development of effective mechanisms of civilian political control,” is critical Central American societies (ICCARD 1989: 61). The commission’s plan advises from the need for economic and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
with a strong role in developing democracy through nongovernmental organizations and the support of the media.
For sustainable democracy, the report maintains regional institutions and cooperation are essential, noting The Central American Parliament
Central American Parliament
The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution devoted to the integration of the Central American countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City....
, The Central American Economic and Social Council, as well as The Central American Court of Justice are vital to facilitating regional integration
Regional integration
Regional integration is a process in which states enter into a regional agreement in order to enhance regional cooperation through regional institutions and rules...
. The vision of regional economic planning accordingly "rests on an assumption that political dialogue is the means to resolve both internal and regional conflicts" (Envio 1989). Historical factions related to integration are detailed, including the central challenges to rebuilding the Free Trade Zone
Free trade zone
A free trade zone or export processing zone , also called foreign-trade zone, formerly free port is an area within which goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities...
under the "conditionality" of World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, and the U.S. Agency for International Development structural adjustment programs. The commission suggests that while there are favorable conditions for regional investment and cooperation, the intra-regional debt also remains a major obstacle.
If integration is to be sustainable and successful, regional institutions must be strengthened, particularly the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council. The strengthening of these institutions is essential to achieving economic cooperation – or "acting together internationally" in the words of the report – which requires an institutional coherence that the commission suggests the European Community is, "with it long experience in developing regional structures, in an excellent position to provide expertise" (ICCARD 1989: 76). To maintain international cooperation
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
, the report addresses the conditions for any support to promote trade, advance technology in the region and open markets for Central American exports to revive the intra-regional economy. Markets must provide for the modernization of regional technology and financial flows need be devoted to domestic reforms, debt reduction and restructuring. Finally, the report advises for a coordinated diversification of foreign assistance based on performance conditions.
Conclusion
Anticipating a future turning point toward sustainable development and authentic democratic institutions in Central America, the commission concludes with statement that the recommendations documented are drawn from principles of democratic development by understanding problems of the past in light of the recent history of the region. Commentators such as Zuvekas (2001: 125) maintains some of the report (actually, assembled from essays by key Central American scholars) is disappointing, and Envivo (1989) notes issues such as land reform remained untouched. Nonetheless, the report is a reasonable analysis of the difficulties facing the region with authoritative perspectives for the direction domestic governments, international organizations and the overall Central American political economyPolitical economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
need undertake to ensure recovery in the region. The Report of the International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development is a valuable guide for case study
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
and application of theory
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
based upon history with hope for the future of the region.
Developments since
- Esquipulas II: InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
searches, even further scholarly research reveal little. Nonetheless, Envio (1989) reports that following the presentation of the report on the eve of the fourth meeting of Central American presidents, the European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(EEC) responded positively with satisfaction for the peace process undertaken. The summit resulted in the Esquipulas II framework for regional development, peace and cooperation. The report claims that the “Stanford Commission Report, the presidential summit and the EEC meeting have opened a new space in Central American politics” (Envio 1989). While the Esquipulas Peace AgreementEsquipulas Peace AgreementThe Esquipulas Peace Agreement was an initiative in the mid-1980s to settle the military conflicts that had plagued Central America for many years, and in some cases for decades. It built upon groundwork laid by the Contadora Group from 1983 to 1985. The agreement was named for Esquipulas,...
isolates the United States, the EEC continued with its support in Central America by increasing foreign aid with the dismantling and resettling of HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
’ contra troops in February 1989, showing progress for regional diplomacy.
External links
- The Commission for Central American Recovery
- Call to participate in the "Land, Territory and Dignity" Forum
- Latin American Research Review. In particular, Latin American Research Review, Vol. 27, No. 1 (1992), pp. 125–150
Further reading
- Baum, J., Ed. 2005. The Blackwell Companion to Organizations. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
- Germain, R.D., Ed. 2000. Globalization and its critics. New York: St. Martin's Press.
- Keohane, R.O. 1970. "Central American Integration: The Paradox of Success." International Organization, Vol. 24, No. 2, 319-334.
- Keohane, R.O. 1986. Neorealism and its critics. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Mansfield, E.D. 2002. "Democratic Transitions, Institutional Strength, and War. International Organization, Vol. 56, No. 2, pp. 297–337, (also available online).
- Pease, K. 2006. International Organizations: Perspectives on Governance in the Twenty-First Century. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
- Robinson, W.I. 2003. Transnational Conflicts: Central America, Social Change, and Globalization. London: Verso.
- Vaden, H.E. & Prevost, G, Eds. 2005. Politics of Latin America: The Power Game. United States: Oxford University Press.
- Whitman, J. 2005. "Human Systems and Global Governance." Systems Research and Behavioral Science, No. 33, pp. 311–317.
See also
- International DevelopmentInternational developmentInternational development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...