On November 13th, 2008, the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) cosponsored an international conference entitled Social Exclusion and Cohesion in Latin America and the Caribbean at ILAS. Zheng Bingwen, Director of ILAS and Dr. Takeo Shikado, Representative of IDB Office in Asia, made an opening speech respectively.

          Dr. Alberto E. Chong, Principal Economist of IDB, delivered a keynote speech called Outsiders? ---The Changing Patterns of Social Exclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean, in which Dr. Chong fully elaborated the social exclusion’s patterns, characteristics, consequences and its shaping mechanism in Latin America. He also mentioned how public policy promotes social cohesion. In terms of issues on social security, theory and practice of social cohesion, education and social inclusion, scholars from ILAS such as Zheng Bingwen, Liu Jixin and Song Xia, made an extensive analysis of social exclusion and cohesion in Latin America. They also discussed the significance of the theory of social cohesion for China.

          Participants from some Latin America and Caribbean’s Embassies in China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, China Social Security Forum, All China Federation of Trade Unions, People’s Bank of China, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily and Qiushi Journal also shared the discussion.

 

Zheng Bingwen, Director, ILAS, CASS	Alberto E. Chong, Principal Research Economist, IDB
Wu Baiyi, Deputy Director, ILAS, CASS	Takeo Shikado, Representative, IDB Office in Asia
Liu Jixin, Professor, ILAS, CASS	Song Xia, Associate Professor, ILAS, CASS