This paper discusses the reform of institutions of justice as a way to eradicate violence in society. The use of violence has long been the method by which numerous societies have resolved disputes. However, the resort to violence only tends to engender more violence. Democratic values and the...

This paper focuses on a rather unexplored dimension to date of the HIV/AIDS epidemic: the resulting stigma and discrimination and its impact on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS programs. It presents a conceptual framework that explains the interplay between stigma, discrimination and human rights....

This technical note presents some policy guidance on main targeting mechanisms for social programs and criteria for their evaluation. Several methods exist to target social programs to the desired population. These should be judged on the basis of three criteria: targeting efficiency, leakage,...

Cluster development programs (CDPs) have been adopted widely in many countries worldwide. Many such programs aim to promote economic development by forming and strengthening inter-organizational networks. Despite their widespread diffusion, we know very little about CDP outputs or the impact...

As part of a collaborative effort between the IDB's Environment Division and the World Resources Institute, this document discusses environmental mainstreaming considerations in the context of the four pillars of the Bank's Institutional Strategy: Modernization of the State, Social Development,...

This publication is the fourth in a series that documents experiences in different dimensions of social development and social policy issues in Latin America, the Caribbean and East and Southeast Asia. This series has been orchestrated by the Inter-American Institute for Social Development...

Although science has unlocked the secrets of the human genome, the causes of social and economic development remain stubbornly enigmatic. Why do some countries adopt new technologies more readily than others? Why does income inequality persist in some regions--even in the face of rapid economic...

Development requires more than financial resources. It also requires pertinent projects and the creation and transfer of knowledge and experiences about the various issues that, together, have an impact on economic, social and political development. This includes traditional areas such as...

This publication reviews IDB activities and operations in Guatemala, providing an individual section for each major development initiative.

The core purpose of social enterprise is to create value for the betterment of society. This aim lies at the center of the framework and is the end toward which all other elements in the framework must contribute. Greater alignment of these elements with the central purpose produces higher...