927.3
Local Development Agencies
In order to fight the origins of generational poverty, the Mexican government has promoted the joint participation of the benefitted communities, fostering a culture of co-responsibility.
The Social Development Ministry (SEDESOL) designed the Productive Options Program, the support modes are: Local Development Agencies; Integrating Funds; Mentor Networks, and the Joint Financing Fund. These Agencies focus on developing the skills and abilities of individuals, families, social groups and POs (producers’ organizations) that live in areas classified as critical, such as native zones in the rural milieu, which are marginalized and made up of settlements or towns of up to 14,999 inhabitants.
The purpose of this study is to analyze Local Development Agencies as social policy instruments to fight poverty from the micro-regional standpoint.
The structure and legal framework of the Agencies in question correspond to that of a civil society organization, whose challenge is to foster micro-regional development.
This model involved a cut in the budget for social policy and a reformulation of the objectives and scope thereof. From the mid-90’s to date, programs to overcome poverty have become income transfer instruments to invest in human capital.
The neoliberal proposal set forth by Milton Friedman, crystallizes on how the State has to face the problem of poverty. That is, it aims to let society know how much it costs to support the poor. Through the Programs designed to alleviate poverty, the Mexican government assumes that the poor are ready and able to overcome the generational poverty status. However, the government is only investing in improving the labor force.