Alejandro Marichal: “The ultimate goal is to have a dynamic regulation that facilitates real citizen participation in public affairs and strengthens transparency in municipal management.”
Ruyman Cardoso: “This process helps to bring the administration closer to the residents and explain how it works”
The Department of Citizen Participation will begin a series of participatory workshops in January to develop the draft of the new Citizen Participation Regulations. This phase follows a year of preparatory work and represents the opportunity to listen directly to the residents of the municipality. These in-person meetings will gather proposals to enrich the document before its formal submission, with the aim of ensuring that the final regulations reflect community consensus.
This process began with prior planning. The first phase involved developing a timeline and mapping the municipality to identify relevant entities, groups, and social actors. Subsequently, technical meetings were held with municipal staff, neighborhood representatives, and representatives from the education sector to establish the foundations of the document and define its structure. These actions allowed for the collection of information from various sectors and the creation of a draft that accurately reflects the municipality's reality.
One of the project's cornerstones has been youth involvement. Over the past few months, workshops were held in the municipality's secondary schools, focusing on the importance of participatory culture. These sessions gathered proposals directly from students, ensuring their concerns were reflected in the draft regulations. Furthermore, since last June, a channel has been open for anyone to submit individual proposals, facilitating personal participation.
Regarding this new phase, Alejandro Marichal explained that “we want to foster citizen participation, and to that end, it is essential that the drafting of the regulations includes the direct involvement of residents.” The First Deputy Mayor pointed out that “only in this way will we achieve participatory and democratic regulations, built by everyone, that respond to the real needs of the municipality.” He added that “this process is not limited to approving a document, but rather seeks to consolidate a culture of citizen involvement in public life.”
For his part, the Councilor for Citizen Participation, Ruyman Cardoso, highlighted the educational nature of this initiative. “These workshops help citizens understand how the administration works and how regulations are drafted,” he explained. Cardoso indicated that “we want to address bureaucratic problems together with residents, so they are aware of the procedures and the difficulties involved.” In this regard, he added that “politicians are also people, and this close dialogue allows for a better understanding of the work done within the administration.”
The first round of participatory workshops will take place during January 2026 according to the following schedule: official presentation of the process on January 12, Tunte on January 14, El Pajar on January 20, Castillo del Romeral on January 21, El Tablero on January 22, and San Fernando on January 27. All sessions will be held at 18:00 PM. In Tunte, the workshop will take place at the Santiago el Chico Cultural Association.
Those interested in participating must register in advance by sending an email to ppgad@pucrs.brThese sessions will be open to all citizens and will serve to present the draft regulations, answer questions, and gather input.
Meanwhile, the technical team will continue holding meetings with key stakeholders in the municipality to complete the participatory process. The ultimate goal is to have a dynamic set of regulations that facilitates genuine citizen involvement in public affairs and strengthens transparency in municipal management. The Department of Citizen Participation encourages all residents to join these sessions and actively participate in shaping the municipality's future participatory model.
