5) Description of initiative: The central topic of this proposal is building a new way of living democracy in Bolivia, turning formal political representation into direct popular participation in order to construct the state and sustain democracy. Conflicts do not disappear, they take a different direction: citizens and political representatives share the responsibility in a democracy. Political representatives really represent their citizens when they are transparent, when there is direct access to politics, when there is civic participation and citizens are aware of public policies, and when the vision of the country and the policies designed to achieve this vision are created collectively. I am the National Coordinator of Training and Communication for the Presidential Representation of the Constituent Assembly, and I have been developing this proposal to promote the encounter between Assembly members and citizens from different districts of Bolivia. The beneficiaries are all Bolivians because the new constitution is the channel that will drive the initiatives to consolidate a new way of building democracy in a conflict context. Actually, the most benefited will be those excluded from formal democracy.

6) Description of innovation: The circumstances in Bolivia are unique. The exclusion of indigenous people from fundamental decisions has resulted in enormous social differences, and a elite has been exploiting the natural resources of the country for their own profit. In order to end with the exclusion, the change needs to be created collectively. We have positioned ourselves along with the constituents in the way to build alternatives. Firstly in the constituent program of the Catholic Church and then in the executive power. This allows us to negotiate with other agents that want to participate in the process, namely NGOs and international development agencies. We have a privileged a relationship with the constituents; we develop training programs with them and we assist territorial forums to make sure that citizens proposals are considered. Moreover, we are creating a democratic and transparent consultation protocol to reduce the space between state and citizens.

7) Delivery model: I have been part of this consultation process to create proposals for two years. It started with regional and district forums with the Catholic Church and now we are organizing meetings between the constituents and the leaders of the forums to exchange information, and sometimes create thematic proposals for the Constituent Assembly. Although now we do not have enough resources, we have demonstrated experience organizing district teams that interact with social organizations to design and spread out proposals. We also want to institutionalize this consultation process and, thanks to our work, the regulations for the Constituent Assembly debates declare that this form of democracy building is obligatory.

8) Key operational partnerships: Our organization depends on the executive power. Nevertheless, our framework goes beyond the government and this allows us to have enough autonomy for decision making. Development agencies are interested in participating in the process and many NGOs have opened offices to offer support. However, the Constituent Assembly does not allow NGOs to participate directly because the Assembly cannot depend on external funding. At the moment, our organization is trying to find the best channels to take advantage of this support.

9) Financial model: We have a direct relationship with the constituents and through them with organizations from 70 districts across the country that help us with funding to cover the expenses of the process: transportation, accommodation etc. We do not have enough funding or staff, but we operate according to our possibilities and the resources brought by each cooperation. Although more resources would be necessary, we have managed to reduce expenses in order to make the process auto sustainable. We use our own vehicles, we walk, we pay our own food etc. The process should not be sustained by the possibility of receiving, but by the possibility of contributing to democracy.

          • Costs as percentage of income: -

          • Financing: The main resources come from international cooperation, and in part from the state. Of course, the process does not generate economic profits but it does generate historical profits for the investment in democracy. The self sustainability comes from the ownership developed by the participants, in the process of building this new way of understanding power. However, the state needs to take into consideration that the civic power is sustained by these forms of participation that, once institutionalized, will need enough resources to operate.

10) Effectiveness

          • Project outcomes: We have participated in almost 30 territorial forums with audiences between 200 and 300 people. The result is the construction of a democratic habit with a consultation protocol for the creation of proposals.

          • Number of clients in past year: In the first year we have organized more than 80 territorial meetings for the creation of proposals. In the second year (with our new institution) the meetings have been organized mainly to design pre-constituent proposals with more than 10,000 people from all over Bolivia.

11) Scaling up strategy

          • Stage of the initiative: Scaling Up stage.

          • Expansion plan: Institutionalized this process and make this mechanism a natural democratic mechanism to solve conflicts through civic participation and consensus building. We want to minimize disagreements while believing that in a democracy different opinions need to have their space and always be respected. The Constituent Assembly will conclude its work in one year. However, the institutionalized implementation of this democratic consultation process is a long term project and we hope to contribute to the civic habit of democratic participation.

12) Origin of the initiative: : It is a collective project that starts inside the communities that already solve their conflicts in assembly facing their representatives. Normally they do not vote, they try to find consensus and this is a attribute that we want to institutionalize in the new state. I believe that my team and I have contributed to the recognition of this attribute and have made possible its institutionalization.

Contact Information:
Juan Carlos  Pinto
Ashoka Fellow
Coordinador
Representación Presidencial para la Asamblea Constituyente
(Programa de gobierno)
Bolivia