This book addresses the electoral actors and people interested in study of the value technologies and their impact in democracies. It aims to address both the benefits and limitations of ICTs on electoral projects or citizen participation, based on the study of specific cases and the different professional perspectives: electoral authorities, UNDP officials, academics, representatives of civil society experts on elections and election campaigns.


The Regional Seminar on Local Governments and Indigenous Peoples was organized because of the common interest and joint effort by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Mexico, the UNDP Democratic Governance Practice Area of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, the UNDP Regional Service Centre in Panama and UNDP's Bureau for Development Policies (BDP/DGG). The objective was to make better known the various initiatives in the region on issues concerning local governments and indigenous peoples. The seminar offered an opportunity to know, share and systematize lessons learned, progress made, obstacles encountered, and initiatives proposed in the region. In Latin America reflection about democracy and local governance has a central place. This is a key reason to strengthen channels for reflection and provide spaces where different local realities can be discussed. Doing so will give more elements to tackle the region's historic challenges in national settings that are marked by a distancing between citizens and politics and its actors.
It will also enable us to confront the emergence or intensification of social phenomena that impede human development due to marginalization, inequality, discrimination, insecurity and increasing violence.