LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN SPAIN

I.E.S LÓPEZ-NEYRAISABEL ÁNGEL PEDRO BEATRÍZJAVIER MARÍA ADRIÁN EVA

In Spain local democracy is based principally This is the on Municipalities, but it also includes Autonomous Regional Communities and Provinces. Council of There exist a Regional Council in Autonomous Andalusia. Communities where the citizens can participatedirectly in political decisions. Nevertheless, citizens have more chances of being heard in Municipalities. There is a Provincial Council in Provinces where the citizens can also participate in political decisions taking into account the citizens’ initiatives This is the Provincial Council of Córdoba.

LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES AND PROVINCES

Local democracy in Spain is a representative democracy, where people elect their representatives and a mayor, who chooses their government team (their delegates).In Spain there are more than 8,000 municipalities which form a decentralised system of government.

The electoral turnout is very high and the blank ballots which are votes that express a negative to all the political parties, are also a lot.

LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN MUNICIPALITIES

Local democracy in Cordoba is very important because of the different citizens’ initiatives that exist. There are two different citizens’ initiatives: collective and individual initiatives.In Cordoba there are a lot of neighborhood associations, which are collective citizens’ initiatives. They are veryvaluable in the politics of Cordoba. Another collective associations that take part in policy are elderly people and secondary school organisations. The collection of signatures is an useful and common tool to press politicians.

LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN CORDOBA

One example of a citizens’ initiative is their opposition to the removal of La Corredera Market. The City Council Corredera proposed the building of a modern parking instead. Square.Citizens and businessmen from this neighbourhood decided to make a popular referendum in order to know the opinion of the local citizens. There are also some examples of citizens’ initiatives like social urban garden where people grow vegetables, but it also has a social objective.

As it can be seen in this news, local citizens made politicians Corredera Market. change their original project.

RECENT EXAMPLES IN CORDOBA

HISTORY OF URBAN GARDENS

In this video, Paco Mata, a Latin teacher, explain us the beginnings of urban gardens.

ECO-GARDENS IN OUR REGION

To make possible the school vegetable garden, two vegetable gardens that are already been working, were taken as examples. One of them was a citizens’ proposal (Fuensanta) and the other one came from the environment councillor of the municipality of Córdoba (Asomadilla).

In Andalusia there are a lot different allotments, and a good example is La Rinconada urban garden, which is one of the first and biggest allotments in Spain.

URBAN GARDEN AT FUENSANTA

VIDEO DE PACO RIOS EXPLICANDO UN POCO EL HUERTO

It is retrieving a public abandoned site that used to be a cinema.

The principal objective of this urban garden is to give food to poor families and to promote the coexistence among the people from the neighbourhood of Fuensanta (elderly people, young people, workers…)

ASOMADILLA GARDEN This garden is part of Green Climate program, born in 2009. It was built with the help of the botanical garden.This urban garden is the most important in the city of Cordoba because this is the most developed.This garden was a Council’s initiative, which receives support from the neighbourhood association and some experts on biology.

The neighbourhood of Figueroa Park is located in the west of Cordoba.

The neighbourhood was built in the 60s. At the beginning, this neighbourhood was in the suburbs, but nowadays it´s integrated in the city of Cordoba.

LOCATION OF FIGUEROA PARK

The Figueroa Park was built with the idea of a social urbanism neighbourhood. The neighbourhood includes some community swimming pools, two schools (Mediterráneo and Tirso de Molina), a high school called I.E.S López Neyra, and some sports facilities: a football stadium, a handball field and some tennis courts. The neighbourhood also includes a Musical School and a police station. This neighbourhood has won an important architectural prize.

SOCIAL URBANISM IN THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

The I.E.S López-Neyra was built after the creation of the Figueroa Park neighbourhoodbecause of the necessity of a new high school in Cordoba. Nowadays itis an important part in the community. At the beginning, the high school was divided in two parts, for boys and girls and there were more than 1,500 students. This school was one of the first high schools of Cordoba.

I.E.S LÓPEZ-NEYRA

At first, the project was a scholar initiative, but then, with the help of Paco Ventura, a neighbour involved in our school life, the scholar project became a local initiative. In this video appears Christine, the precursor of the project. She explains how she had the idea to do an urban garden in the high school of López-Neyra.

THE ORIGINS OF THE PROJECT

In this video, the head of Fuensanta’s allotmentexplains us the social objective of the eco-garden.

A PROJECT TO DEVELOP CITIZENSHIP

In this video we can see a biology teacher who explains us how an eco-garden can help to educate students with lessons based on practical experience.

A PROJECT FOR DEVELOPING HOLISTIC EDUCATION

Here we can see how Paco Ventura explains us the technical aspects of the plot where the urban garden will be located.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT

We have done a survey about people’s opinion on the eco-garden that will be set up at Figueroa area. The Neighbourhood Association, the IES López-Neyra and the Elderly Association support this initiative.

WHAT ASSOCIATIONS SUPPORT THE ECO-GARDEN?

The first step was the search of support from the people of the neighbourhood. The support came from the Neighbourhood Association, the IES López-Neyra and the Elderly Association. Another support was the collection of 1,003 signatures from citizens of Cordoba.

The next step was to propose the Council to give a piece of plot to the citizens, we have just seen,to start an eco-garden.

FOTO QUE TIENE JUAN IThe last step would be the cultivation of vegetables in case the Council gave the plot.

THE ACTION PLAN

Until now, Paco Ventura has submited

a petition to Cordoba’s Council to

obtain the plot where they will locate

an urban garden. Nevertheless, up to now,

the Councils reply has no arrived.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE UNTIL NOW

In case the Council didn’t provide the right location, there would be two different possibilities: 1.The occupation of the land although it’s not the best option. 2.To find another site near Figueroa neighbourhood.

WHERE WE ARE NOW AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE