Regional integration and the fight against poverty
International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)
No.4, 2013
Regional integration and the fight against poverty
(Abstract)
Tullo Vigevani and Juliano Akira de Souza Aragusuku
In theory, forming regional integration blocs is a possible path for mitigating inequalities. The strengthening of the regional integration process among the countries that make up the Mercosul could play an important role in reducing poverty and social inequalities. The study discusses how the intensification of regional integration can contribute to the fight against poverty in the context of Mercosul, considering experiences of greater or lesser success in the European Union. Firstly, the authors contextualize what we understand by poverty and observe the situation of the countries of which the Mercosul is comprised. Secondly, they discuss the coordinated means to fight poverty and inequalities at an international level. Then, they observe the migration flows in Mercosul, and point out that the role of the remittances sent by migrants to their countries of origin are contradictory. They think the Mercosul Structural Convergence Fund (FOCEM) is a potentially efficient channel for mitigating the existing asymmetries in the region’s countries, generating positive effects for reducing poverty and social inequality.