Shared societies and economic development

Abstract

One of the main global challenges in the world today is the management of diversity and the creation of socially cohesive societies. The Club de Madrid, through its Shared Societies Project, while underscoring the political and ethical aspects of social inclusion aims at providing current leadership with tested solutions to meet that challenge. Mutual respect, equality of opportunity, absence of discrimination and democracy are some of the basic principles that govern such societies. There is obviously an economic argument for social inclusion which is all too often overlooked although evidence exists that social inclusion pays off in higher economic growth.