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The present document, Education for Citizenship and Democracy in a Globalized World: A Comparative Perspective, was developed in response to a request from the members of the Regional Policy Dialogue/Education Network. The studies in this document were presented and discussed during the VII Regional Policy Dialogue meeting held in January 2005 at the Inter-American Development Bank ’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Within the general context of recent economic and political developments in Latin America and the Caribbean, experts regard free market and democracy as the fundamental economic and political paradigm leading to modernization and development in the global market. There is a concern in a number of democratic nation-states about levels of political engagement, particularly among the youths. This is cited as a reason for strengthening citizenship education.

The studies presented in this document discuss Education for Citizenship and Democracy and the role of schools as systematic providers of the civic knowledge and the participatory practices that are the foundation of democracy. Among all of the institutions that facilitate the acquisition and development of skills for democratic participation, the school is the one that provide students with the competencies to effectively participate as citizens in a democracy. There has been an increasing interest in citizenship education both in the national and international contexts. At the national level, the aim is to pursue commitment and political participation, particularly from youth. In the international sphere, the objective is to find answers to the challenges such as immigration, global communications and trade across international borders and to a new level of awareness and appreciation for human rights. By providing a comprehensive overview of progress made by industrialized countries in the field of citizenship education, this study intents to share lessons learnt and effective practices which may be applied in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, this study includes three experiences from Latin American countries (Chile, Colombia and Mexico) that were presented during the VII Regional Policy Dialogue. The three experiences show a practical and positive approach to the feasibility of introducing citizenship education in the schools of the Region. The cases present examples of reforms that evolved from the traditional civic education into an engaging education for citizenship and democracy. The Inter American Development Banks trusts that this publication will contribute to the discussions among member countries and create alternatives for the strengthening of democracy in the Region through education and citizenship.