International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development

Established at Duke University (North Carolina, United States) in 1987, the International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development (ICCARD) was a task force composed of 33 scholars and leaders (Ford Foundation 1988: 155).

The report noted that the economic expansion following the Second World War is critical to understanding the historical roots of the crisis that Central America faced during the 1970s and 1980s, after the region's economy nearly collapsed from the inability to adjust to international structural changes.

From the historical detail on the civil strife that uprooted and caused suffering in the region for over ten years, the international commission then provided an immediate plan for action in order to attend to the social impact of the crisis.

The international commission report stresses that the fragile institutions representing the interests of those excluded from political processes, the minimal financial resources for mobilizing to provide for the poorest in society, and the perceptions of those who hold power are obstacles to progressive reform.

To maintain international cooperation, the report addresses the conditions for any support to promote trade, advance technology in the region and open markets for Central American exports to revive the intra-regional economy.

The Report of the International Commission for Central American Recovery and Development is a valuable guide for case study and application of theory based upon history with hope for the future of the region.