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Participation as an Essential Element of an Active Civil Society
a sustainable and coherent policy. As a first initiative, the committee
drafted an agreement with a soft drink company that would provide
trash cans throughout the entire city. In exchange, the company would
be allowed to post advertisements on every trash bin. Additionally,
the commission has worked with waste management experts to create
opportunities for recycling.
Educational campaigns
: Discussions to launch awareness campaigns
at schools took place for the first time.
Collaborative urban-rural tourism planning
: The municipal
government conducted meetings with the associations of urban and
rural workers to create a coordinated tourist plan.
Re-activating civil society associations and local leaders
: Both the
alliance roundtable and the permanent waste commission incorporated
other civil society associations into their planning process which had
been dormant for a long time, due to the social control exerted by
the coca growers’ unions. This platform also allowed for a member of
the roundtable to enlist as a candidate for councilor in the municipal
elections.
Conclusions
Through citizen participation we find the key to strengthen and further
consolidate the democracies of countries in Latin America. Political
democracy, where citizen’s participation is limited to the exercise of
voting, requires deep changes. By no means though, should changes
be aimed at reducing or eliminating democracy. These changes should
not disguise ulterior motives in the name of a new democracy. Rather
these are constant changes to improve and perfect the best system of
government that mankind has ever seen.
With the noble spirit and sizeable mission that our societies entrust us,
we must determine what is understood as participation. One must not
abuse the term to establish demagoguery and unattainable goals. In
