Abstract
In cities such as São Paulo, the periphery is the locus of social exclusion, segregation, disarray, and vulnerability. Programs of inclusion seek to empower local actors to work in coordinated fashion toward improvements in the quality of life. Successful experiments show that programs to foster cooperation between local actors, NGOs, community organizations, and municipal governments have very positive effects. The challenge of these programs is to increase social capital available to poor urban dwellers by creating and reinforcing dense networks of intermediate organizations—civil associations, churches, community groups, schools, professional associations—to cushion against social decomposition. The dynamic practices reviewed here—digital inclusion, social entrepreneurship, income generation, educational subsidies, and job training—offer different ways of reducing social exclusion. All depend significantly on local organizational capacities and potential individual mobilization. Important changes occur when practices are implemented cooperatively by local actors, government officials, and professionals within organized civil society.