Harmonization of policies and training systems in Europe for urban development – The Experience of LUDA Project

The work developed in LUDA’s project has clearly showed that, in a European economic and cultural diversified frame, crossed by recent and not so recent historical challenging processes, the issues of the urban affairs certainly have different layouts, but, as a matter of fact, we can assume that in their essence they are common to all regions. Identifying a set of common problems is not difficult: the Luda’s; the disadjustment between people and goods mobility, the difficult articulation between space and development sustainability the fragile features of the urban space in its complexity, the responsible social management of current migrations etc.

Panchayati Raj em Goa

Goa commemorated in 2011 the golden jubilee of the end of colonialism (19 December 1961) and the beginning of its participation in the democratic institutions of India. The administrative decentralization known as Panchayati Raj is an ancient tradition in India, but it suffered dilution and breaks during centuries of Muslim and British domination. During the early years of Independence, the Union government was more worried about security concerns, and hence the policies of centralization. However, the second five-year plan and during the decades of 50 and 60 one could notice greater openness towards decentralization. This was done through Constitution Amendment Act nº 73 (1992) and the inclusion of article 243 in Part IX of the Constitution. The present essay seeks to clarify how the Panchayati Raj is the key to the success of the Indian democracy in the context of its demographic magnitude and ethnic, religious and linguistic diversities. Obviously, the challenges persist, but a country like India would be ungovernable without a democratic functionality at its bottom. It would be interesting to reflect and discover if Portugal has anything to benefit from the democratic experience of India and one of the fast growing emergent economies of the world.

Equidad en la Educación Superior Cubana : Logros y Desafíos

La inclusión social en la educación y particularmente en la educación superior constituye un campo de estudio relevante definido a su significativo impacto sobre el desarrollo económico y social. En el caso de América Latina, es bien conocido el carácter excluyente que han tenido sus universidades como herencia de 300 años de colonialismo, la esclavitud de negros e indígenas y la tradicional discriminación de género. En el caso de Cuba, el Gobierno resultante de la Revolución de 1959 ha realizado notables esfuerzos para promover la inclusión de grupos tradicionalmente vulnerables por razones de género o color de la piel, a pesar de las difíciles condiciones económicas derivadas de la hostilidad del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Los resultados alcanzados demuestran una fuerte tendencia a la equidad, sin embargo, existen otros determinantes de vulnerabilidad como la acumulación de capital cultural, que deben reforzarse en los próximos años debido a la implantación de un sistema de acceso meritocrático, y a los cuales debe prestarse especial atención pues pueden convertirse en factores de exclusión en el largo y mediano plazo. Algunos de estos determinantes como la escolaridad de los padres, la calidad de la enseñanza precedente y el ambiente cultural comunitario son considerados en el presente trabajo.