Civil Society and Social Movements: Building Sustainable Democracies in Latin America Title: Sociedad civil y movimientos sociales: Construyendo democracias sostenibles en América Latina

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have become an important way to mobilize the energies of those who have been historically unrepresented or underrepresented. The eleven case studies in this book present a wide-ranging view of CSOs in Latin America and their impact on the political and social climate. Civil Society and Social Movements explores how the actions of CSOs in the region have fostered more effective democratic institutions. It examines three distinct political environments in the region: under current or recent dictatorships, where CSOs are seeking to achieve democracy; in emerging democracies, where civil organizations are in the process of consolidating democracy; and in effective, working democracies, where CSOs are trying to deepen democracy by promoting wider political, social and economic participation.Abstract: En este libro se reúnen distintos análisis de las experiencias vividas por ciudadanos organizados de América Latina y el Caribe, y se estudia cómo y en qué medida sus actividades han contribuido a fomentar, expandir, fortalecer y profundizar la democracia. Los 11 estudios de casos de este libro presentan una óptica amplia y variada de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil en América Latina, cuyas repercusiones se analizan en el contexto político todavía fluctuante de la región.