Towards the social inclusion of youth: Tools for analysis and policy design

The integration of youth into development processes is crucial in order to advance towards more egalitarian societies. Over the past few years, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has regarded equality as the horizon for development, structural change as the way to achieve it, and policy as the instrument to reach that horizon. Equality is viewed as going beyond the distribution of means, such as monetary income, to include equal opportunities and capacities. This implies understanding equality as the full exercise of citizenship, with dignity and the reciprocal recognition of actors. Progress in this direction requires policies that promote the autonomy of subjects and pay attention to their vulnerabilities.

Introduction .-- 1. Institutional development in the sphere of youth policies .-- 2. Diagnosis of youth social inclusion gaps .-- 3. A comparative look at urban violence in Central America: characteristics of maras and gangs in San Salvador and Managua .-- 4. Perceptions of youth regarding development agenda priorities .-- 5. Basic considerations for the development of youth policies .-- 6. Specific policy recommendations according to social inclusion dimensions .-- 7. Youth Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean (JUVELAC).