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Learning Democracy by Doing Conference - Transformative ...

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CitizenshipParticipationandParticipatory<strong>Democracy</strong> Schugurenskyarrangementsandaninformalciviceducationtoparticipants.Participatorybudgetingisaprocessforallocationsoflocalbudgetsthatisbeingimplementedinover1,000citiesaroundtheworld.WhileIrecognizethatparticipatorybudgetingisnotthemagicwandtosolveallproblemsofdemocracy,andthatwhenitispoorlyimplementedcancausemoreharmthangood,Iarguethatcontributionparticipatorybudgetingcancontributetothedeepeningofdemocracy.Suchcontributionisparticularlyvisibleinsixareas:1)equity,2)statedemocratization,3)solidarityandconcernforthecommongood,4)co‐governance,5)communitymobilization,and6)citizenshiplearning.1)PBhelpstoensureequityintheallocationofmunicipalresources PBrulesspecifythatthosewhoneedmorereceivemore.Forinstance,concerningthelackofservicesorinfrastructure,thegreatertheneed,thehigherthegradeitisassignedintheoverallranking.Becauseofthisequityprinciple,thePBhasplayedakeyroleinredistributingresourcesandimprovingthelivingconditionsofmanypeopleinpoorneighborhoods(Marquetti2009).Moreover,unlikemanyotherexperimentsofparticipatorydemocracy,inmanyPBprocessesthereishighproportionoflowincomeofparticipants.Inamodestway,thePBmakesaconnectionbetweenpoliticaldemocracyandeconomicdemocracy.2)PBhelpstodemocratizethestate,makingitmoretransparent,accountable,efficientandeffectiveinservinglocalcommunities PBhasbecomeapartnershipbetweengovernmentandcivilsociety,atypeofcogovernance.Itismoretransparentbecauseordinarycitizenshaveacleargraspofthebudgetrevenuesandexpenses,andhencethereislessroomforinflatedbudgetsandothercorruptionpractices.Infact,inPortoAlegrecorruptionlevelshavedecreaseddrastically.Itismoreaccountablebecausepeopleareinvestedandempoweredtofollowuponthedecisionsmadeinthebudgetprocess,makingsurethatthequantityandqualityoftheinfrastructureandservicesdeliveredaretheonesagreedupon.Indeed,thefollowupgeneratesanewcultureofaccountabilityingovernmentandcivilsociety.Itismoreefficientandeffectivebecausedecisionsarenotmadeonthebasisofwhatauthoritiesthinkisgoodforthepeople,butonthebasisoftherealneedsanddreamsoforganizedcommunities.3)PBpromotessolidarityandconcernforthecommongood Asapublic,non‐statesphere,PBprovidesaspaceofencounterfordiversepopulationswhootherwisewouldbeunlikelytomeet.Itspluralistnaturecanalsonurturecompassionandsolidarityamonggroups,reinforcesocialties,andpromotethecollectivepursuitofthecommongood.ThePBexperiencedemonstratesthatitispossibletoconstructageneralpopularinterestthatisgroundedinthelocalbutnotlimitedtoanaggregationofparticularlocalinterests.Indeed,atHatcher(2003)notes,thePBdoesn'taimsimplyateachdistrictdeterminingitsownneeds:itforceseachentitytoplaceitsdemandsinrelationtootherstoachieveanagreedbudgetaryprogramforthewholecityorstate.Aparticularlyinterestingpedagogicalstrategytomaketheshiftfromanexclusivefocusonself‐interesttoaspiritofsolidarityisabuscitytourthattakesplaceatthe59

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