News

News from the Field: Opening dialogue spaces between political parties and civil society in MERCOSUR

In MERCOSUR countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela – UNDEF is supporting a 2 year project implemented by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Center of Studies in Rio de Janeiro, reinforcing the capacity of political parties and civil society organizations (CSOs) to develop democratic cooperation and dialogue.

The two-fold objective of the project aims to:

• Enhance mutual understanding between political parties and civil society and interaction between them to advance the democratic agenda;


• Create democratic spaces of dialogue at regional and national levels.

Started in January 2007, the project has made significant progress: young leaders coming from political parties and civil society organizations have been provided with customized educational training and coaching to reinforce their capacities and to enhance their cooperation.

Phase 1: Building a cooperation spirit at regional level
The first phase consists in assembling young leaders from political parties and CSOs to participate in an introductory course. 86 participants were selected with considerations for the gender, geographic and sector of activity balance.
They took part in one-week courses conducted in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 24-30 June 2007 and in Buenos Aires (Argentina), 5-11 August 2007.

Conferences and workshops addressed three main issues:

• Democracy promotion in Latin America at regional and country levels;


• Specificity and complementarities of political parties and civil society organizations to advance the democratic agenda;


• Political projects' strategic planning.

Speakers included actors from the civil society, involved either in global organizations or in local NGOs, regional academics, parliamentarians, governmental representatives and a member of UNDEF.

At the end of the regional courses, participants were encouraged to keep in touch through the interactive internet portal, www.dialogomercosur.org, maintained by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation - Brazil.

Phase 2: Developing leadership and dialogue projects at country level
Once back in their home country, participants have one year to present to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation their individual project aimed at creating spaces for dialogues in their own country.

Country monitors
Participants are supported in their work by monitors based in their country and to whom they report regularly on their project status.
The team of 10 country monitors accompanies and advises young leaders in designing and realizing their projects. For each country, two monitors were selected, one coming from the political arena and the other representing the civil society sector. The monitors training seminar, held in Rio de Janeiro, 29 March to 1st April 2007, prepared them for this mission by providing them with opportunities to deepen their knowledge and discuss democracy promotion in Latin America and the appropriate tools to reinforce collaboration between political parties and CSOs.

National follow-up seminars
Moreover, to help participants and to reinforce the follow-up process, a series of three-day national seminars were launched contributing to the enhancement of their technical skills for project design and management.
39 participants attended the first seminar which took place in Asunción (Paraguay) in 25-27 October 2007. The second was organized for 34 participants from Brazil in Sao Paulo, in 10-11 December 2007.
Beneficiaries of follow-up seminars include project promoters and their local partners. Training workshops focus on project planning and strategic communication. Most of the participants have confirmed that they gained useful knowledge for the realization of their individual projects and they were able to exchange information and build partnerships with each other.

National seminars will soon also take place in Uruguay, Argentina and in Venezuela.

 

^ Back to top

Return to homepage