- About the Lecture
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About the Lecture
Alejandro Toledo has remained a passionate advocate of reform since departing the presidency of Peru in 2006. In his home country, he embodied the possibility of transformation, having risen from poverty in an Andean village to top political power, where he initiated a process of economic and social change for Peru. Now he serves as a kind of roving ambassador on behalf of the most deprived populations in Latin America.
Toledo is advancing a particular initiative, the “Social Agenda for Democracy in Latin America,” which asserts an inextricable link between effective, inclusive political institutions, and economic justice. “If we’re not able to reduce high levels of poverty, inequality and social exclusion, then… poverty can conspire against democracy,” says Toledo. Natural resources are not a solution, but actually a burden, he believes. Many nations rich in mineral or agricultural wealth, including Peru, have very low standards of living. Inequitable foreign exchange and trade, buttressed by corrupt leaders, often robs these nations of their treasure, and of any chance for investing in development at home. The poor remain poor and, with no way of achieving a decent income or meeting their basic needs, hopeless. They “lose faith in democracy,” says Toledo.
The path out of poverty and corruption represents an opportunity and challenge for Latin America, says Toledo. Citizens must demand that their institutions be accountable, and political leaders must provide a plan for economic development that incorporates “explicit social policies that go beyond trickle down.” Topping Toledo’s agenda is quality education. Investing in the minds of people is a long-term proposition, acknowledges Toledo, and many politicians “don’t have the patience, when they know the return will take 18 to 20 years before the kid turns out to be an engineer.” But only education can “bring a family, a region, a nation, into a world of opportunity.” Educated populations create citizens “with a sense of solidarity,” who can work their way out of indigence and engage meaningfully in a democracy.
Toledo also wants sustainable development in Latin America, so future generations can enjoy clean water and healthy forests. He is a fan of microfinance as well: “You give me $1 to invest in a poor woman ... and we begin changing the face of the world.” He encourages fellow Latin Americans in the audience to return: “Latin America is a promising continent, but ... it will only play a crucial role in the world economy and democracy if you are there.”Related Videos
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- About the Speaker
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About the Speaker
Alejandro Toledo
President of Peru, 2001-2006 President, Global Center for Development and Democracy
Alejandro Toledo was born in a remote village in the Peruvian Andes, one of 16 brothers and sisters from a family of extreme poverty. At the age of six, he worked as a shoe shiner and sold newspapers. By chance, he had access to a decent education, and went on to earn a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from the University of San Francisco, and two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in the Economics of Human Resources, all from Stanford University.
He worked as the Director of Peru’s Economic Development Institute, and in positions at the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, and the United Nations in New York before running for president of Peru.
After his presidential term, Toledo left Peru and served as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University from 2006 to 2008. During this period, he was also a Payne Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a CDDRL (Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law) Visiting Scholar. More recently, Toledo was a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., and also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution.
Toledo founded and continues to serve as the President of the Global Center for Development and Democracy, which is based in Latin America, the United States, and the European Union. - About the Host
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About the Host
Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship
The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship was founded on the belief that economic progress and good governance in low-income countries emerge from entrepreneurship and innovations that empower ordinary citizens. The Center was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007 through a structured gift of $50 million from Legatum, a global investment firm. The Center administers programs and convenes events that promote and shape discourse on bottom-up development. Led by Iqbal Z. Quadir, founder of GrameenPhone and Emergence BioEnergy, the Center runs a highly competitive fellowship program for MIT graduate students who intend to launch enterprises in low-income countries. In addition, the Center convenes an annual conference, hosts lectures, and supports teams of enterprising men and women at MIT who are passionate about starting viable businesses in the developing world.
Video Player
The Interaction Between Poverty, Growth and Democracy
- Alejandro Toledo
- May 3, 2010
- Running Time: 1:34:40
