Democracy and Civil Society in Latin America and the Caribbean in a Time of Change

Goals of the 11th Annual ISTR Regional Conference include bringing together a diverse, pluralistic and international group of researchers who are focused on Latin America and the Caribbean and who are developing knowledge on regional civil society and the non-profit/third sector; disseminating research advances on various aspects of civil society in the region with an emphasis on specific thematic areas; fostering a fruitful dialogue on advances in research and the social, political, economic and cultural processes in the region, with a special emphasis on actions and linkages among civil society sectors in different countries; strengthening community and academic ties between researchers and institutions that study civil society and foster exchanges and cooperation with action-oriented organizations; getting more researchers of the region interested and involved in issues related to civil society while promoting linkages; Promoting the dissemination of research results in an effort to foster actions by various civil society organizations and practitioners; and bolstering participation and analysis of civil society in Ecuador in the context of an election year there in light of the possible institutional and political changes that could affect civil society’s efforts in the country. Continued on page 2 The 11th Annual Latin America and Caribbean Regional Conference of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)