ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that research concerning Latin American perceptions is not a priority of the programs being funded. It suggests that for each of the donor countries, agencies and programs for international cooperation are rooted in national legislation and cultural traditions and institutions. Achieving the civic, economic, and social goals of any society is intimately connected with providing adequate basic education for all. The approach to development, when voiced by nations and international agencies in the context of restructuring bilateral aid, offers the promise of a symbiotic relationship between the reduction of poverty, the strengthening of basic education, and human capacity-building. But it is empty rhetoric without educational equity for all groups in society. Looking to the twenty-first century, the donor countries and their agencies are seeking ways of strengthening basic education for the reduction of poverty worldwide. International assistance is a two-way process for donor countries.
