EPA organized a regional workshop in Santiago, Chile, on March 10-11, 2015, that provided a platform for USG trading partners in Latin America and the Caribbean, to share successfully applied tools/techniques in engaging civil society, and to discuss how EPA trainings on public participation and the Guide have helped in environmental decision-making processes.

This exchange of information provided an opportunity to discuss challenges and/or creative approaches for community engagement, especially in underserved communities, that will enhance current public participation practices in the region. In addition, participants spent a day exchanging information on conflict resolution approaches. Participants included Government and NGO representatives from Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

In the "Tools and Approaches Manual for the Latin America and Caribbean Region," partner countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean share successfully applied tools/techniques in engaging civil society, as well as challenges and/or creative approaches for community engagement, especially in underserved communities.  This manual is an attempt to share these approaches in order to help enhance current public participation practices in the region.

Materials from the workshop are available below.

• Agenda (Chile 2015 agenda) – in English (PDF)(3 pp, 520 K)
  from Regional Public Participation Training – Chile – March 2015
• Tools and Approaches Manual for the Latin America and Caribbean Region (English) (PDF)(14 pp, 523 K)
• Taller Regional de Participación Pública: Manual sobre Prácticas Recomendadas, Herramientas y Enfoques (Spanish) (PDF)(15 pp, 300 K)