Last Thursday, December 1, the Fourth Meeting of the Civil Society of Ecuador, organized by the Forum of Networks of Social Organizations of Guayas and the Regional Board of Cooperation for Development. This event addressed the complex scenario that the country is experiencing in terms of security and citizen coexistence.
Held in the Aula Magna of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, the event was attended by various social organizations, academia, the business sector, representatives of international cooperation and local governments and citizens.
“Now our main objective as authorities, businessmen, academia, communities, is that drug trafficking does not continue recruiting more boys, girls and adolescents for contract killings and micro-trafficking. It is the only thing that should interest us all”, warned Juan Sebastián Bustamante, a Colombian expert invited to this event and who in his speech called “Urbanism and social change: the experience of Medellín”.
Sociologist Javier Gutiérrez, director of Ecuador’s Norwegian Alliance Mission and spokesperson for the Meeting, stressed that “This is the moment to listen and learn what other countries have already experienced.”
In addition, a Fair of projects of social organizations in the communities and parallel sessions were held with topics such as: “Coexistence and urban security (culture of peace”, “Citizenship and social organizations”, “Cooperation and development” and “Entrepreneurship and solidarity economy ”; and the Cooperation Fair of NGOs and social services in which each of the strategic allies of the event made known their field of action to strengthen civil society organizations.
Conclusions of the meeting
- Try to rescue collaborative work in territory, articulating and achieving objectives that change lives and realities.
- Dump the action at collaborative alliancesactively involving communities that have been excluded, giving priority to the situation they are facing to include them in the overall development of cities.
- Establish prevention mechanisms and attention to groups that are in a situation of extreme violence.
- Seek first-hand information through the observatories. In addition, to involve municipalities, universities and social organizations.
- Coordinate with universities on the initiatives it has so that social organizations get involved. It is important to involve the local government in working with the communities, which must be articulated with civil society organizations.
- Through understanding, excluded community organizations must join the ventures.
- From the Iztapalapa experience, it is important to develop strong local government leadership to bet on the transformation of public spaces. Bet on innovation by improving infrastructure.
- From Medellín, transformative change is learned through collaboration when the local government fails.
These findings will be included in a final document that civil society will deliver to the candidates for the 2023 sectional elections and national authorities. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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