Democracy Beyond Paper: Quality of Life, Social Policy, POZE, and Democracy for Social Transformation

Growing up during one of the most brutal Latin American dictatorship of the XXth Century, I developed an interest and love for democracy. Aware of injustice and inequities around me, I was ignited to do something about them. However, first, I had to understand how societies function. Thus, I studied economics and political science. My work is focused on socio-economic policies addressing poverty and inequalities among children and their families – elements which contribute to quality of life for all and cannot be separated from struggles for human rights and democracy. Democracy (like capitalism) takes many shapes – there is a continuum of democracy. Democracy does not guarantee “good” outcomes. It is a tool/process to regulate social change. Moreover, democracy is constantly evolving. Based on the theoretical understanding of democracy and my own personal and professional experience, practical examples of expanding democracy to be more participatory and inclusive are presented. While focusing on the macro-social level, connections with other levels (from schools to the private sector) are briefly described too as they impact social policies, social change, and quality of life.