What is citizen participation?
Citizen Participation is any active intervention, individual or collective, in public affairs based on particular social interests, which represents a democratic response to issues of social, economic, cultural or political life that affect a majority.
In this regard, it is worth noting that it is included in both arts. 9.2 and 23.1 of the Spanish Constitution. It contributes to creating closer, more efficient and higher quality governments, as well as the possibility of collaborating in the construction of a better society.
Art. 9.2 It is the responsibility of the public authorities to promote the conditions for the real and effective freedom and equality of individuals and of the groups of which they are a part; to remove the obstacles that impede or hinder their full realization and to facilitate the participation of all citizens in political, economic, cultural and social life.
Art. 23.1 Citizens have the right to participate in public affairs, directly or through representatives freely elected in periodic elections by universal suffrage.
Participation is an essential human right and a duty of every person.
And social participation, is it the same thing?
No, since this form of participation explicitly implies that it is carried out by groups of people or by civil organizations (platforms, associations, etc.) for the defense, representation and improvement of their respective interests. But this type of participation can and should have an important presence at the municipal level.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION OFFICE
Rojales Town Hall
The Rojales City Council wants to promote mechanisms for democratic culture and participation through a Virtual Office for Citizen Participation, creating an information channel that becomes a reference at provincial and regional level where the population is provided with valuable information on how to participate and assert their different personal needs and interests in municipal matters, and also to be aware at all times of the political initiatives and projects that are intended to be carried out in the municipality through a section on participatory budgets.
Citizen participation as a democratic instrument
Ultimately, the citizen participation that this government team seeks must be an instrument of mobilization and an opportunity to promote open governments, and to achieve this, it is necessary to develop processes through tools and resources that must be made available to each person so that he or she can be the protagonist of the desired change.
Why is citizen participation IMPORTANT?
Develop citizen participation initiatives at the municipal level to improve the ability to understand the desires, concerns and reality of the population.
It causes people to dedicate part of their time to helping others or to developing community projects in an active and involved way.
It generates a stronger relationship with the administration and the population, increasing active listening and bidirectional satisfaction.
They often promote significant savings in local policies, since the detection of important issues for common life is usually carried out “in situ” and generally as a person or group directly or indirectly affected.
It helps to prioritize issues that are truly necessary or relevant to citizens.
Thanks to technology, it is much less expensive and has a great impact.
