Democratizing Development: Lessons from Hurricane Mitch Reconstruction is a document that examines the roles of civil society in the reconstruction process, identifying the internal and external factors that facilitated or inhibited their ability to participate in and shape policy debates. It also examines the role of international groups (such as non-governmental agencies and private foundations), their relations with their Central American counterparts, and how future collaborative work can be improved.
The paper attempts to evaluate the extent to which national and international non-governmental organizations were able to influence the reconstruction plans and policies of the bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, and, ultimately, the national governments. Last of all, the paper endeavors to define the successes of and lessons learned about civil society engagement with the international donor institutions.
