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Participation as an Essential Element of an Active Civil Society
consequently, generate more income.
Crafts circuit
: Craftsmen and the local university signed an agreement
that would generate internships, tourism students would fulfill their
academic practicums at the workshops of local craftsmen, becoming
familiar with their products and the explanations of such products
(including technique and history). These students would also work
as tourist guides at the workshops, which would be open to visiting
tourists. In addition, the municipal government agreed to promote the
crafts circuit.
Municipal smelting oven
: The municipality built a smelting oven
exclusively for craftsmen in order to give them an incentive and reduce
their production costs.
Alliances
: The primary objective of the roundtables was achieved given
alliances were generated between public and private entities and the
university.
Coroico is a small town located a short distance from La Paz that
receives many tourists because of the beauty of its landscape. This
municipality was characterized by a fairly inactive civil society and a
powerful coca growers association which controlled the socio-political
agenda. The alliance roundtables gathered members of the association
of the municipal market, the president of the association of tour guides,
elementary school teachers, the president of the association of local
restaurants and representatives of the municipal government.
The local problem identified by the participating actors was an
abundance of trash in the municipality, which was affecting public
health and tourism in the city. Through the previously mentioned
methodology, the roundtable achieved the following results:
Permanent waste commission
: Members of the roundtable formed
a permanent committee that would deal with the issue of trash. This
committee meets periodically to conduct new initiatives that allow for
