Lecture on Education and Development Presented by Jeffrey Sachs

The economist Jeffrey Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Director of the UN Millennium Project and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, on the Millennium Development Goals, was the guest of the XI Lecture Series of the Americas.

In his presentation, "New Approaches to Economic Directions in Latin America", Mr. Sachs identified the three areas preventing full development
in Latin America and the Caribbean, now that the democratic system is well settled in the region, and how the issues compare with more successful cases, as in Asia or the U.S. and Canada.

Dr. Sachs stressed how the inequality generated by a massive economic stagnation has deterred a much needed development, capable of overcoming the origins of the prevalent inequity funded in the inability to integrate the various indigenous populations, different social classes and
ethnic groups, as well as the consequences of slavery. Dr. Sachs encouraged Latin American countries to shift from a natural resources economy and invest in technology and brain power.

Dr. Sachs also pointed out how the advancement and increase in the quantity and quality of secondary and higher education are possible now that democracy is present in most of the Hemisphere and how investment in human capital, basic health, food and education are the pillar of
development.

The natural hazards affecting the region, permanent victim of natural disasters that, often, transcends the bereavement of the affected population and triggers drastic social and political changes is the third feature of the region as exposed by Dr. Sachs, who sees how the sustainable development of the environment poses a challenge.

He urged those involved to be responsible to the challenges that development is imposing in the environment,
to work in partnerships among public and private sector and civil society and to celebrate and preserve the wealth of cultures of the region.

Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and The Earth Institute are long-time partners of GFDD/FUNGLODE where he has visited several occasions.

As part of GFDD/FUNGLODE commitment to support and publicize the goals and programs of the OAS, this XI Lecture was also broadcast at FUNGLODE, where a large audience enjoyed the presentation
and had the opportunity to debate the topics exposed with the panelists, Mr. Frederic Emam-Zadé, Director of FUNGLODE, and the economist Mr. Bernardo Vega.