February 11, 2005
Social Charter of the Americas - VI Summit of Social Debt Celebrated in Caracas, February 2005

"For a new economical and social order in Latin America and the Caribbean"

Produced by the Latin American Parliament (Venezuelan Parliamentary Group)

"Motivation: Latin America and the Caribbean are now involved in a fast integration process that will leave behind decades of exclusion and social isolation.

The region is in urgent need of socio-economic development models that comply with its particular socio-cultural roots. This way, models will be accepted by the population, guaranteeing legitimacy, effectiveness and results.

Constant economical, social and political crisis has shaken the region and has provoked interesting reactions in the public sector, as well as productive and technological ideas in society and local organisations. If these initiatives are seen as a whole, they represent solutions different from the conventional ones offered by other governments and international organisations.

Many of these reactions are still difficult to understand in the region, due to a theoretical and ideological void that, up until now, allowed only one way of thinking. This has a perfect explanation, given the fact that economical science was committed to financial development, impeding any significant social transformation. We are now living the consequences of such financial and cultural hegemony and need to establish new models in order to go forward, but in a different direction.

In order to do so, we need strategic proposals that give results in the long run and that are conceived globally, because this is not an individual problem and has to be dealt with considering world transformations.

The search is being done through different ways, boosted by a reflective and systematic environment. The social charter issued by the Organisation of American States as requested by Venezuela, gives us the opportunity to settle the huge social debt that exists around the continent".

Programme
CARACAS HILTON HOTEL

• Friday 25
  8:30 am OPENING CEREMONY
  9:30 am PRESENTATION OF OBJECTIVES AND METHODICAL STRATEGIES
  10:00 am FIRST FORUM: THE MILLENNIUM GOALS
  12:30 pm Recess
  2:00 pm SECOND FORUM PLENARY: SOCIAL CHARTER OF THE AMERICAS AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE INTEGRATION 2:00 pm THIRD FORUM: PRESENT / FUTURE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
  3:30 pm Recess
  4:00 pm Audience participation
  
• Saturday 26
  8:30 am THE CRISIS OF FINANCIAL HEGEMONY
  10:00 am Recess
  10.30 am FOURTH FORUM: ENDOGENOUS DEVELOPMENT. STRATEGIES TO BUILD A SOLIDARITY SOCIETY
  10:30 am FIFTH FORUM: THE ALBA AND THE NEW PROPOSALS OF INTEGRATION IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
  12:30 pm Recess
  2:00 pm SIXTH FORUM: THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ECONOMIC ORDER - ENVIRONMENTAL
  2:00 pm SEVENTH FORUM: NEW SOLUTIONS TO THE EXTERNAL DEBT
  4:00 pm Recess
  4:30 pm Audience participation
  6:00 pm CONCLUSIONS
  
• Sunday 27 Day of the People of Caracas
  10.00 am CULTURAL ACT
  12:00 m COMMITMENT OF CARACAS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
  12.30 pm CLOSING CEREMONY