The Negative Side of International Development Highlighted in New Book

Arlington, VA, April 1, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Large-scale infrastructure projects contribute to economic development, but oftentimes they also create negative impacts. Projects likely to displace families from their homes, degrade the living conditions of indigenous peoples, or intensify social conflicts at local levels, are not uncommon. Social safeguards are intended to prevent these and other unintended impacts, and when they cannot be averted, to develop appropriate measures to mitigate them. The practical implementation of social safeguards, however, is plagued with a series of structural problems. Understanding these challenges is crucial in the current context, in which leading organizations are making substantial changes to their safeguard policies and procedures.

These issues are addressed in a new book entitled Social Safeguards: Avoiding the Unintended Impacts of Development, authored by Rodolfo Tello (ISBN 978-1-63387-011-6, hardcover, 8.5 x 5.5 inches, 134 pages, distributed by Ingram). The book, released this week by Amakella Publishing, analyzes the unintended social impacts of development projects in developing countries, and points out the need to carry out significant improvements in the way international financial institutions implement their safeguard policies. The collection of stories from the field presented in this book illustrate in a unique way the principles and application of social safeguards, in the context of projects funded by multilateral financial organizations, identifying key challenges in their implementation and exploring paths to overcome those limitations.

"A book that should be read by all of us in the development industry. It illustrates in simple, highly accessible language why we have social safeguards … to insure that the least among us have the opportunity to participate in the development process."

William Partridge, Consultant in international development and former lead anthropologist with the World Bank

Rodolfo Tello, the author, was responsible for supervising the implementation of the social safeguard policies of a large multilateral bank, particularly on issues related to involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, public consultation, and sustainable development. He worked in different countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and has authored books on indigenous peoples and environmental conservation. He holds a PhD in anthropology from American University and has a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Amakella Publishing is an independent book publishing company registered in Arlington, Virginia. To request a review copy, contact the author, or obtain additional information about the book, please contact Amakella Publishing at info@amakella.com or by phone at (202) 239-8381. Further details can be found at www.amakella.com.

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