SPAIN: Participatory Budgeting Advances

New methodology to improve participatory democracy

nächste Meldung 07.11.2008
Source: http://www.innovationsreport.de/html/berichte/informationstechnologie/methodology_improve_participatory_democracy_121862.html

Researchers from the Decision Analysis and Statistics Group within the Department of Artificial Intelligence at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid’s School of Computing have developed a methodology for improving participatory democracy that could be ready for the Spain’s next local elections due to be held in 2011.

Over 240 Spanish municipalities had a go at participatory budgeting in 2004, and it is estimated that by 2010 citizens will be helping to decide how to allocate 10% of the municipal budget. Until now, though, these participatory budgeting experiences have been carried through without the software to gather citizens’ opinions in real time and then clearly display their preferences as charts on politicians’ computers.

Organizing opinion via the Internet

The School of Computing’s research group, composed of computer scientists, mathematicians and statisticians, has developed this methodology using new technologies, particularly the Internet, as support for organizing and optimizing citizen participation. The methodology is now two-thirds complete and could be applied on the scale of either a municipality or a whole country.

The aim of this methodology is to add citizens’ preferences to political decision-making processes. This it does by establishing a number of questions that citizens answer over the Internet. Duly converted to statistical values, these responses indicate citizens’ opinions on the decision to be taken by politicians in the shape of a chart. A code system prevents people not on the electoral roll from participating.

The methodology represents participants’ beliefs and preferences, evaluating the different budget alternatives based on Dempster and Shafer’s evidential reasoning and ranking the alternatives using a notion of distance from maximum and minimum utility.

Participatory Democracy

Participatory budgeting is shifting the idea of democracy from representation, where citizens’ preferences are taken into account at election time only, to direct participation and discussion. This is an attempt at giving citizens a say in the decision on how to spend part of their municipality’s budget.

The Decision Analysis and Statistics Research Group has collaborated and is now actively participating in several research projects focusing on the development of software tools targeting e-democracy and, especially, participatory budgeting.

They include TED: Towards Electronic Democracy, funded by the European Science Foundation (2003/06); eDemocracia: Apoyo a la Toma de Decisiones Complejas Basadas en Internet (e-Democracy: Internet-based Complex Decision-Making Support), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (2004/07); Conceptos y Sistemas de Apoyo a la Democracia Electrónica (Electronic Democracy Concepts and Support Systems), funded through Madrid Regional Government’s IV PRICIT (2006/09); and Toma de Decisiones en Grupo con Imprecisión (Imprecise Group Decision Making), funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (2008/2011).

ESPAÑA: Presupuestos Participativos en Telde

España está aprendiendo algo muy importante a traves de la democrácia participativa que en Latinoamérica ya se ha experimentado hace muchos años en la practica. El movimiento por el presupuesto participativo que nació en Porto Alegre, Brasil ahora está echando raices en muchos municipalidades de España. Este artículo demuestra una perspectiva muy interesante respecto al crecimiento del fenómeno en España y el rol del país como uno de los lideres del movimiento en Europa . -Editor

Presupuestos participativos en Telde

Antonio Hernández Lobo

Fuente: http://www.teldeactualidad.com/noticias_secciones.php?seccion=opinion&id=1910

Desde que en el año 1988 llega el Partido de los Trabajadores de Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva a la alcaldía de la ciudad de Puerto Alegro al sur de Brasil, hemos venido escuchando hablar de las experiencias de presupuestos participativos en numerosas localidades brasileñas y americanas. Localidades grandes, medianas y pequeñas, todas con una apuesta clara por la Democracia Participativa como camino alternativo a la deriva de deterioro institucional y de ciudadanía que conlleva el proceso de globalización.

Posteriormente esta metodología de presupuestos diferentes y participativos fueron exportados al resto del mundo. Concretamente en el Estado Español, encontramos hoy poblaciones de todos los colores políticos –con mayor preponderancia es municipios gobernados por la izquierda-, que han cogido el testimonio de Porto Alegre, entendiendo que el desarrollo de la Democracia Participativa es un proceso construcción de ciudadanía activa, y dando pie a procesos donde los presupuestos participativos se conviertan en un instrumento articulador de los otros mecanismos de planificación participativa. Hablamos de Getafe, Donosti, Sevilla, Tudela, Puerto Real, Elche, Albacete, Jerez, etc. La mayor parte de estas ciudades han apostado recientemente por emprender proyectos de planes estratégicos en dichas ciudades. Por lo tanto, presupuestos participativos y planes estratégicos vienen de la mano en muchos casos, demostrando y entendiendo que la ciudadanía está en disposición a iniciar un proceso de elaboración de un presupuesto participativo, interactuando y/o dinamizándolo un todo su conjunto hasta quedar plasmado en una realidad tangible.

En la Ciudad de Telde, que en la última semana ha dado pasos de gigante en la visión estratégica del futuro de la ciudad, a través de la presentación y aprobación posterior por el pleno municipal, del Plan Estratégico, Telde 2015, se apuesta también por una participación ciudadana activa y comprometida con su entorno. Se hace a través de una propuesta de participación, para comenzar, de los reglamentos de participación ciudadana y juntas de distrito o tagorores municipales. En este sentido, encontramos a un ayuntamiento de progreso que apuesta por la potenciación de una democracia participativa que abra a la ciudadanía el proceso de toma de decisiones. Hasta aquí todo bien, como no podía ser menos de un gobierno de centro izquierda nacionalista, el gobierno del tripartito CCN-PSC-NC.

Lo que llama la atención de forma poderosa es la negativa del mayor dirigente municipal, el Sr. Santiago Castellano, a considerar la opción de los presupuestos participativos para la Ciudad de Telde, dejándonos a todos los ciudadanos y ciudadanas convocados en el Teatro Municipal Juan Ramón Jiménez boquiabiertos. Y no sólo a la ciudadanía, sino a algún que otro compañero de mesa también. No se daba crédito a lo que se escuchaba. Sus intenciones se contradecían con todo lo anteriormente expresado. Es decir, se desdeña la potenciación de la participación “directa” de la población en la elaboración y la ejecución del presupuesto municipal, al menos, diría yo, dando prioridad en un primer momento a los programas a presupuestar desde las necesidades directas de la ciudadanía y relacionadas directamente con la puesta en marcha de los tagorores municipales.

Al margen de los tiempos convulsos por los que hemos pasado recientemente, creo que no sería descabellado aprovechar que la ciudadanía esta con su ayuntamiento, y así lo está demostrando, para potenciar lo que vendríamos a denominar como una ciudadanía responsable y comprometida a partir de un claro componente pedagógico y movilizador, vinculando el ámbito público y privado con la vida política y consolidando una nueva relación entre el poder político y la población. Relación esta totalmente deteriorada por mor de los malos hábitos que han ido tomando los gestores municipales. Consecuencia de lo anterior, estoy completamente seguro que la apertura y consolidación de foros de debate y socialización contribuirían a superar las limitaciones de la democracia representativa a través de instituciones de democracia directa.

A modo de conclusión, desde la Asociación Plan Estratégica Ciudad de Telde, queremos seguir aprendiendo del Sur, de Porto Alegre. Una experiencia que ha cruzado el Atlántico y que queremos que haga escala en Gran Canaria, en la Ciudad de Telde. Aquí nos merecemos también esos mecanismos que permitan que ciudadanos y ciudadanas de Telde, individualmente o a través de entidades, decidan de manera directa a qué se destina el dinero público o, incluso, cómo se recauda.

Hasta ahora, la gente sólo podía decidir sobre su gobierno ejerciendo su derecho al voto o cuando se manifestaba en contra. Pero profundizar en la Democracia quiere decir otorgar más poder a la ciudadanía. ¿O no, Sr. Santiago Castellano?

Antonio Hernández Lobo es presidente de la Asociación Plan Estratégico Ciudad de Telde

ESPAÑA: Democracia Participativa en Murcia

La democracia participativa y el presupeusto participativo siguen avancando en muchos paises Europeños, y acá vemos un ejemplo que viene de Murcia, España. - Editor

San Pedro del Pinatar / Más de setecientas personas han colaborado en la elaboración del reglamento de participación ciudadana

31/07/2008 Ayuntamiento WEBMURCIA.COM

Fuente: http://www.webmurcia.com/region/san-pedro-del-pinatar/aprobado-reglamento-participacion-ciudadana-8467.html

Aprobado el Reglamento de Participación Ciudadana que regulará los derechos de la ciudadanía, los órganos de participación, la promoción y el desarrollo de la participación ciudadana en el municipio, las entidades ciudadanas y el fomento del asociacionismo.

El Pleno del Ayuntamiento de San Pedro del Pinatar, ha aprobado el Reglamento de Participación Ciudadana que regulará los derechos de la ciudadanía, los órganos de participación, la promoción y el desarrollo de la participación ciudadana en el municipio, las entidades ciudadanas y el fomento del asociacionismo. Esto supone un paso más en el impulso de la democracia participativa.

Durante varios meses, se ha llevado a cabo un trabajo exhaustivo promovido por la concejalía de participación ciudadana.

La edil de participación, María José Albaladejo, lamenta que el PP haya votado en contra de esta herramienta de modernización democrática que, según ha explicado, “era una apuesta del Alcalde”, José García Ruiz, y señala que “el equipo de Gobierno se siente muy orgulloso, ya que es el primer reglamento que se elabora con las opiniones de los vecinos”.

El proceso ha tenido varias fases:

Fase formativa:

En la que se ha tratado de dar respuesta a las preguntas y sugerencias de la ciudadanía, mediante la celebración de diversas jornadas formativas conducidas por especialistas en temas participativos de toda la geografía española y de reconocido prestigio académico.

Debate del reglamento de participación:

Mediante reuniones a título individual y asociaciones, para explicar las bases fundamentales de un reglamento de participación ciudadana y recoger unos cuestionarios básicos para integrar la opinión ciudadana y hacer cómplices a los pinatarenses.

Valoración:

De todas las consultas recibidas, tanto por mail como de forma presencial, se han integrado aquéllos aspectos que los vecinos han considerado fundamentales para el desarrollo del reglamento.
Durante tres meses y siguiendo el formato de audiencias públicas, se ha informado, debatido y recogido más de cien aportaciones.
El índice de participación ha superado la cifra de setecientas personas.

Exposición pública:

Tras la aprobación en el pleno, tan solo queda el plazo de exposición pública en el BORM para su entrada en vigor.

Desde ahora, San Pedro del Pinatar se suma a los municipios donde se gobierna con la ciudadanía y se fomenta la democracia participativa que redunda en la transparencia de la gestión municipal, en el fortalecimiento de la sociedad civil, el aumento del asociacionismo y voluntariado, la obtención de una atención ciudadana de calidad y la fluidez administrativa.

Spain: Participatory Budgeting in Cordoba

Participatory Budget: A Wager for the Future of Cordoba

Source: http://www.re-public.gr/en/?p=57

Are there any prospects for greater transparency and accountability in local government and the political system in general? How is it possible to inform the public in a more balanced manner on issues of their concern and enhance public participation in politics (especially the participation of marginalized inhabitants)? Participatory budgeting is a timely project that directly faces those decisive challenges. Since 1989, when it was firstly implemented in the city of Porto Alegre, it has spread rapidly: until today, similar experiments have been realized in almost 1000 cities throughout the word and 80 in Europe. The following text comes from Cordova, the first European city to adopt participatory budgeting.

The text is written by the delegation on citizens’ participation - Municipality of Cordoba

In 2001, the municipality of Cordova decided to implement the program of participatory budgets in order to open up the democratic horizons of the city. We chose this political process as to encourage the gradual participation of social movements in the development of the city and to promote the ideas of co-management and co-responsibility.

Participatory budgeting, like any other political process, is constituted within the context of a historical itinerary: the city of Cordova has been a pioneer in writing and establishing the first Regulation of Citizens’ Participation in Spain. Later, in 1986, this Regulation was enlarged to include the functioning of Local and Sectional Councils, the creation of a Committee of Citizens’ Movements, which became a primary municipal partner, it represented local neighborhoods, and it has enabled the participation of members of the latter in municipal organizations. This process has been enriched through the founding in 1991 of a Local Network of Citizens’ Centers that have contributed to the enlargement of social and cultural networks in the city.

What do participatory budgets offer?

Participatory budgeting was born out of a double conjuncture: the demand of the citizens of Cordova and the political will of the collective leadership of the Municipality. Since the beginning of their implementation, participatory budgets were a tool for citizens’ intervention in public decision-making, in particular with regards to expenditure and economic funds during the planning of the municipal budget.

For the Cordovan local authorities, though, participatory budgeting has become a tool that guarantees greater transparency in the management and control of public economic funds, while it also contributes to the creation of new forms of citizen responsibility through the dissemination of information on public issues and the democratization of political decisions.

Participatory budgeting brings citizens closer to the local government, by placing politics in the public sphere. The debate on participatory budgets is a debate about politics in the broader sense of the word; it is a debate about the democratization of the city; it is a debate about the open socialization of the tools of decision-making. Participatory budgeting also poses pressing questions on the most effective ways in which citizens’ participation can be strengthened, and on the capabilities of the local sphere to transform existing social, political and economic relations.

Prospects and challenges

The process of drafting local budgets takes place in an environment characterized by limited funds and constant conflicts of interest. In other words, there are significant difficulties involved in the implementation of participatory budgeting: it provokes resistances and insecurity and it has to overcome serious limitations and impediments. Therefore, while it is useful to learn from the successes of this project, it is much more important to consider the difficulties that we encountered during the course of this initiative:

1. From a political perspective, participatory budgeting requires the intermingling of the mechanisms of representative and direct democracy. The central local authorities grant power to the citizens without relinquishing though their political responsibility for implementing the political program on the basis of which they were elected.
   


2. From a technical perspective, municipal planning is determined by the decisions and priorities of the citizens themselves. Since local authorities lose the privilege of centralized planning, they are pressed to explore discovering different courses of action.
   


3. From an administrative perspective, implementing participatory budgeting presents a challenge for the development of new administrative practices. In particular, it becomes necessary to ensure intensive co-ordination amongst the various administrative sectors and to place more emphasis on the relationship between citizens and local organizations.
   


4. From the perspective of social participation, participatory budgeting requires the establishment of a system of equal representation. It is crucial, therefore, to confront clientelistic practices that might characterize local communities. In addition, local authorities should guarantee that decisions are debated and taken through a collective dialogic process. For Cordoba, the participation of neighborhood associations and other collective organizations is thus strategically invaluable for the success of this initiative.
   

It seems like a paradox: whereas the implementation of participatory budgeting signifies a concession of political power on the part of local authorities, it presupposes simultaneously a strong central political will for its realization.

Participatory budgeting is an innovative tool that has enabled Cordoba to become a sustainable and open city. Our goal is to promote new practices through which citizens can experience direct democracy. Cities and provinces cannot improve as long as they do not offer citizens, men and women, direct mechanisms of political intervention in the decisions that affect their lives. It is necessary for our urban-local politics (social, economic, urban planning, environmental, cultural etc.) to be decided upon and implemented through the largest possible participation of the population. Without doubt, this is the longest and most difficult path one has to tread, but ultimately the worse kinds of politics are those that exclude the participation of the people who are affected by them.

Further links:

Cordoba- delegation on citizens’ participation
Participatory budgeting - resources

Direct Democracy vs Parliamentary Democracy: The Spanish Revolution

The following article discusses direct democracy from an anarchist's viewpoint in the historical context of the Spanish Civil War and the direct democracy and collectivism instituted in republican controlled areas of Spain. The successes of this movement in Spain in the 1930's is pointed to as an example of a successful model of direct democracy that unfortunately was robbed of the opportunity to continue and flourish by the fascist forces of Franco. - Editor







Parliament or Democracy?

Source: http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/once/pd_chap9.html

Throughout history there has been an alternative idea of democracy - this is the idea of direct democracy. It surfaced during the Paris Commune (in 1871), it surfaced in Russia during the early part of the revolution there, and it was put into large-scale practice in Spain between 1936-37. It is the method often used by workers in a strike; it is the method that often arises 'spontaneously' when people confront the State or the bosses. Direct democracy is the democracy that anarchists advocate.

Direct democracy is different to parliamentary democracy in a number of important ways:

1.Direct democracy is about 'originating' ideas as much as it is about 'approving' them. In parliamentary democracy, people are never asked for their own ideas - they are only asked to 'approve' or 'disapprove' of ideas already prepared for them. Direct democracy is radically different in that way. Direct democracy is based on the realistic notion that 'people know best how to look after their own situation'. We don't need specialists to tell us how to run our places of work or our communities. Anarchists argue that we are quite capable of doing this ourselves. All we need are the resources and the right to do this. Direct democracy is the method.

2.Direct democracy is based on delegation not representation. The crucial difference between delegation and representation is that delegates are only elected to implement specific decisions. Delegates do not have the right (like TDs or MPs) to change a decision previously made by an assembly of people. Delegates (unlike representatives) can be immediately recalled and dismissed from their mandate if they don't carry out the specific function allotted to them.

3.Direct democracy is as much about the workplace as it is about the community. In parliamentary democracy, the workplace is 'immune' to democracy (save what rights workers have won through their unions). In direct democracy, the operation of a factory or a plant or an office will be via a general assembly of all workers. This body will decide on conditions of work, will elect re-callable managers, and will organise how work is done. It will also elect people (as delegates) who will co-ordinate with the other places of work and with the broader community. Regional organisation will be managed through a federation of workplaces using a delegate structure.

Could such a form of democracy work and what would it be like? As mentioned earlier, Spain provides one of the best examples of how far we can go in organising a new type of society. The collectives that were built by the workers of Spain between 1936-37 were highly democratic. But they also showed the massive potential that we have if freed from the constraints of capitalism. It seems obvious (though it is impossible under capitalism) that we should all have a say over the work we do, how we do it, when and in what way. When we do have these rights, the quality and nature of our work changes enormously - and this is one of the things that was achieved in Spain.

Democracy and work should always go together - and it is one of the singular failures of parliamentary democracy that this has never occurred - nor is it ever likely to occur because of the threat it poses to capitalism and the rule of the boss... To read the full article click HERE

España: Los Presupuestos Participativos se Expanden por Andalucía

Los Presupuestos Participativos se expanden por Andalucía

Localidades como Algeciras, Gines y Fuentes de Andalucía están programando el comienzo de los presupuestos participativos para sus municipios. Algeciras y Fuentes de Andalucía van a comenzar con un diagnóstico participado para el estudio de la implantación de los presupuestos participativos. El caso de Gines, pueblo metropolitano del Aljarafe, es diferente pues ya tiene previsto un gasto a decidir por la ciudadanía en materia de arreglos y propuestas de urbanismo. Prepara para dentro de poco unas jornadas iniciales del proceso y contará con la ayuda metodológica del curso Derecho a la Ciudad de la universidad Pablo de Olavide. Otros municipios están todavía definiendo cómo y cuándo empezar. Así el municipio de Torredonjimeno (Jaén) organizó el día 8 y 9 de febrero unas jornadas sobre participación donde estuvo presente el Presupuesto Participativo de Sevilla. La experiencia de Sevilla es muy importante para estos municipios, que ven cómo se ha desarrollado en una ciudad grande un proceso que activa a l@s ciudadan@s y los hace más críticos y conscientes de su ciudad. Así también ha estado presente la experiencia de Sevilla en otras jornadas como las desarrolladas en un encuentro de cargos públicos de Portugal , celebrado en Lisboa, o las más recientes de la FAMP en Jaén ciudad.

Fuente:presparsevilla.org.es/prespar/index.php

France's Ségolène Royal: What Might Have Been...and What May Be

Ségolène Royal, the socialist candidate in last year's general election in France campaigned in large part on a platform of expanding participatory democracy within France. Early in her campaign she launched an internet based e-consultation through her website "désirs d'avenir" which allowed citizens to contribute thier input into her platform. She had plans to institute systems of participatory governance and budgeting throughout France. Unfortunately she lost the presidential election to her conservative rival Nicolas Zarkozy. This has not deterred her in her push for participatory democracy however, and she has introduced participatory budgeting in her home region of Poitou-Charentes, which even allows student participation in school budgeting. Now, with the cooperation of the regions of Tuscany, Italy and Catalonia, Spain, she has launched the European Foundation for Participatory Democracy in order to promote participatory democracy throughout Europe. If the initiative continues it's current success, perhaps people in France will take a closer look at her policies and if she runs again, sieze upon the opportunity to expand democracy and governance in France down into the grassroots level where it belongs. - Editor


EUROPE: 'Participatory Democracy Can Resolve Crisis'

With participatory budgeting, one of the most widespread mechanisms, citizens decide on allocation of public funds. Such budgeting was developed at the end of the 1980s in the Brazilian town Porto Alegre, and is now implemented in over 50 cities in Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Portugal and Poland. --Stefania Milan

By Stefania Milan

(Source: http://www.worldproutassembly.org/archives/2007/10/europe_particip.html)

FLORENCE, Oct 19 (IPS) - "Participatory democracy can be the answer to the European crisis," says Ségolène Royal, Socialist candidate in the last general election in France.

Since 2004 Royal has been president of Poitou-Charentes, a region on the west coast of France 400 kilometres from Paris. She heads the local Socialist government.

Royal was in Florence to launch the European Foundation for Participatory Democracy, in cooperation with the Tuscany region of Italy and Catalonia in Spain. The foundation aims to promote participatory democracy in Europe through cooperation and exchange of best practices.

"Including participatory mechanisms in the daily practices of the European Union could promote more proximity of the Union to its citizens, and more transparency," president of the Tuscany region Claudio Martini said.

Participatory democracy devices such as a referendum, participatory budgeting, e-consultations and citizens' juries are intended to include citizens' voices in decision-making processes. They can be consultative, or imply a real transfer of decision-making power from politicians to citizens.

With participatory budgeting, one of the most widespread mechanisms, citizens decide on allocation of public funds. Such budgeting was developed at the end of the 1980s in the Brazilian town Porto Alegre, and is now implemented in over 50 cities in Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Portugal and Poland.

"Participatory democracy is often seen in opposition to representative democracy," Royal said. "But we believe that if citizens do not participate in political decisions, decisions are not understood and shared by the population. Decisions are strongest if authorities agree to put themselves under discussion."

Royal's region, Poitou-Charentes, is in the forefront of implementation of participatory democracy mechanisms. Since 2005, high school students have been invited to have a say in allocation of the 10 percent of the regional budget for education.

Ninety-three schools participate in distribution of 10 million euro per year. Students, parents and teachers are consulted on a regular basis, make concrete proposals, and vote their favourite project. The regional council then distributes funds. So far 706 projects have been financed this way.

Poitou-Charentes is a largely rural region. Many students live in boarding schools and have been lamenting poor living conditions, and lack of services and cultural initiatives.

"There was a lot of criticism that students would finance just anything. But they have expressed a need for cultural enrichment: more music and arts in the schools but also easier access to outside initiatives, including the institution of a cultural facilitator," Royal told IPS.

Participatory budgeting in high schools is also financing driving licence courses for young people at professional schools. In 2008 Poitou-Charentes will set up a citizens jury to evaluate the environmental impact of regional policies.

The relationship between institutions and citizens has changed since introduction of participatory budgeting, says Anja Röcke, consultant to the Poitou-Charentes region.

"The regional school administration has become more transparent and open towards users. The person in charge goes to the meeting with the school community. People understand why decisions are taken, and what the region is doing," Röcke told IPS.

However, participatory budgeting is not a simple process. "Some schools are very active, they seem to understand better what democracy means. In other places the process is still quite top-down, and no one is coming to the meetings. But overall it is a positive dynamic, it is going in the right direction," Röcke said.

Tuscany region has taken the French experience as a model for its own regional law on citizens' participation, adopted in July 2007 following consultations with citizens. Citizens will have six months to give their opinion on matters such as creation of high-impact infrastructure. But "the final decision is still in the hands of institutions," said Martini.

In November Massa Carrara town in Tuscany will host the second 'Electronic Town Meeting' in which 300 randomly selected citizens will use new technologies to allocate the regional health budget, and decide who should pay for certain health services, and to what extent.

Tuscany and Poitou-Charentes are also partners in a European project on e-participation, promoting citizens' participation through new technologies and the Internet.

European Foundation for Participatory Democracy: http://www.demo-part.org/ (Under Construction)

Poitou-Charentes participatory school budgeting site: http://www.democratie-participative.fr/