FLEXIBLE CITIZENSHIPFLEXIBLE CITIZENSHIPthe project “Water and active citizenship in the the project “Water and active citizenship in the

Cochabamba region”Cochabamba region”

FLEXIBLE CITIZENSHIPFLEXIBLE CITIZENSHIPthe project “Water and active citizenship in the the project “Water and active citizenship in the

Cochabamba region”Cochabamba region”

IP Borders, Mobilities, Identities: European IP Borders, Mobilities, Identities: European educational actioneducational action

Madrid 17Madrid 17thth July 2005 – 30 July 2005 – 30th th July 2005July 2005

Flavia VirgilioFlavia VirgilioUniversity of UdineUniversity of Udine

IP Borders, Mobilities, Identities: European IP Borders, Mobilities, Identities: European educational actioneducational action

Madrid 17Madrid 17thth July 2005 – 30 July 2005 – 30th th July 2005July 2005

Flavia VirgilioFlavia VirgilioUniversity of UdineUniversity of Udine

Where?Where?

Why Bolivia ?Why Bolivia ?

How are educational systems How are educational systems and decentralized cooperation and decentralized cooperation

involved?involved?The project could be a laboratory to The project could be a laboratory to promote neighbourhood trough shared promote neighbourhood trough shared issues as water. It aims to establish issues as water. It aims to establish connessions among different connessions among different educational fields (intercultural, educational fields (intercultural, environmental, environmental, EAS) and different and different agents involved in educational agents involved in educational processes (schools, local authorities, processes (schools, local authorities, associations,…) in different territoriesassociations,…) in different territories

What about comparative What about comparative attitude?attitude?

I am working on a comparative I am working on a comparative approach, which deals with education approach, which deals with education as a dimension articulated across local as a dimension articulated across local and global interwoven dimensions.and global interwoven dimensions.Water is the common issue on which Water is the common issue on which educational actions are organized.educational actions are organized.“…“…all learning in society, not only that all learning in society, not only that witch takes place in formal institutions, witch takes place in formal institutions, is worthy of study.” (Watson, 2001) is worthy of study.” (Watson, 2001)

The context: decentralized The context: decentralized cooperationcooperation

““Decentralized cooperation is at first Decentralized cooperation is at first and foremost a different way of doing and foremost a different way of doing things which seeks to put stakeholders things which seeks to put stakeholders (of every kind) at the centre of the (of every kind) at the centre of the cooperation process and involve them cooperation process and involve them throughout the activity cycle, setting throughout the activity cycle, setting out each party’s role and out each party’s role and responsibilities, in accordance with the responsibilities, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity” (EC 2000).principle of subsidiarity” (EC 2000).

The context: southern The context: southern countries point of viewcountries point of view

““From the point of view of southern From the point of view of southern countries, decentralized cooperation countries, decentralized cooperation gives a new and enriched idea of gives a new and enriched idea of participatory development and makes participatory development and makes local powers more relevant in local local powers more relevant in local development processes”development processes”.(Clong, 2000).(Clong, 2000)

The context: northern The context: northern countries point of viewcountries point of view

““From the European point of view, From the European point of view, decentralised cooperation is a tool decentralised cooperation is a tool for public and private social agents for public and private social agents (Associations, local communities, (Associations, local communities, trade unions, etc.) to build a trade unions, etc.) to build a partnership which can work in a non partnership which can work in a non hierarchical way.hierarchical way.” (Clong, 2000)” (Clong, 2000)

The goalsThe goals

• ParticipationParticipation• Active involvement of the peopleActive involvement of the people• capacity building and institutional capacity building and institutional

development.development.• Sustainable and equitable Sustainable and equitable

development development

MethodologiesMethodologies

• Active involvement of all the various Active involvement of all the various groups of stakeholders/partners;groups of stakeholders/partners;

• The bottom up approachThe bottom up approach• Priority given to capacity building and Priority given to capacity building and

institutional development institutional development

Decentralised cooperation as aDecentralised cooperation as a laboratory of identities in the laboratory of identities in the

global ageglobal ageCommunication, negotiation, facilitation Communication, negotiation, facilitation processes are the arenas where processes are the arenas where northern and southern agents are northern and southern agents are presented as subjects or objects of aid.presented as subjects or objects of aid.

Research hypothesisResearch hypothesis

The hypothesis my work is based on is The hypothesis my work is based on is that the type of educational patterns that the type of educational patterns and anything that facilitates and anything that facilitates communication, both fundamentally communication, both fundamentally important in decentralized cooperation, important in decentralized cooperation, are themselves an influence on the are themselves an influence on the meaning that results.meaning that results.

The points in questionThe points in question

• CooperationCooperation• CitizenshipCitizenship• ParticipationParticipation• IdentityIdentity

The theoretical frameworkThe theoretical framework

• Anthropology of developmentAnthropology of development• Actors oriented approachActors oriented approach• Interdisciplinary elements regarding Interdisciplinary elements regarding

education, training, developmenteducation, training, development

Theoretical problemsTheoretical problems

• «How the meanings, purposes and «How the meanings, purposes and powers associated with differential powers associated with differential modes of human agency intersect to modes of human agency intersect to shape the outcomes of emergent shape the outcomes of emergent social forms ?» (Long 2001)social forms ?» (Long 2001)

• ““Can subaltern speak?” (Spivak Can subaltern speak?” (Spivak 1988).1988).

Methodological approachMethodological approach

Globalization, migration and the media, have Globalization, migration and the media, have inevitable consequences on methodologies of inevitable consequences on methodologies of field research.field research.

Above all it’s necessary to overcome the idea of Above all it’s necessary to overcome the idea of local community as the place of field research local community as the place of field research in favour of more fragmented phenomena. in favour of more fragmented phenomena.

The model of reference which I will use, in The model of reference which I will use, in particular, is the ethnographical particular, is the ethnographical experimentalism, which aims to allow the Other experimentalism, which aims to allow the Other to speak (with all theoretical, ethical and to speak (with all theoretical, ethical and practical problems this might include).practical problems this might include).

SourcesSources

• Projects and laws, useful to piece Projects and laws, useful to piece together discursive formal framework together discursive formal framework of the analyzed activitiesof the analyzed activities

• Interviews and focus groups with key Interviews and focus groups with key actors involved actors involved

• Visual sources used to promote the Visual sources used to promote the projectproject

• Field diaryField diary

Partners involvedPartners involved

• Cevi Centre for International Voluntary work Cevi Centre for International Voluntary work (Udine)(Udine)

I have also been in contact with:I have also been in contact with:

• World Water ContractWorld Water Contract• Cipsi (Coordination of people’s initiatives for Cipsi (Coordination of people’s initiatives for

international solidarity)international solidarity)• Clong (Liason Committee of NGO’s at the EC)Clong (Liason Committee of NGO’s at the EC)• Direction for European Affairs of Friuli Direction for European Affairs of Friuli

Venezia Giulia Region Unit for International Venezia Giulia Region Unit for International Affairs and territorial partnership.Affairs and territorial partnership.

The projectThe project

The project, “Water and active The project, “Water and active citizenship in the Cochabamba region”, citizenship in the Cochabamba region”, promoted by CeVI and funded by the promoted by CeVI and funded by the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia , began in region Friuli-Venezia Giulia , began in October 2004. October 2004.

It is part of a wider programme to It is part of a wider programme to ensure water access to the ensure water access to the Cochabamba region.Cochabamba region.

The project: goalsThe project: goals

• Improve quality and quantity of water Improve quality and quantity of water available available

• Ensure greater participation of citizens Ensure greater participation of citizens in the public management of the in the public management of the territory territory

• Promote basic health education Promote basic health education • Promote synergy between local Promote synergy between local

communities in the Cochabamba and communities in the Cochabamba and Friuli Venezia Giulia regionsFriuli Venezia Giulia regions

The project: fields of workThe project: fields of work

• To build municipal waterworks in To build municipal waterworks in Tapacarì.Tapacarì.

• To promote training in Tapacarì and To promote training in Tapacarì and south Cochabamba on: active south Cochabamba on: active citizenship; methodologies of shared citizenship; methodologies of shared management of territory at local and management of territory at local and national level; water laws in Bolivia.national level; water laws in Bolivia.

• To support the local network involved in To support the local network involved in the management of “servicios basicos”.the management of “servicios basicos”.

• To promote decentralized cooperation To promote decentralized cooperation between local communities, Italian and between local communities, Italian and Bolivian ones.Bolivian ones.

The project: levels of The project: levels of partnershippartnership

• Local partnership, in Italy and Bolivia, Local partnership, in Italy and Bolivia, of actors involved at the different of actors involved at the different levels of the projectlevels of the project

• International partnership between International partnership between agents of similar institutions agents of similar institutions (homologues) involved on water (homologues) involved on water issuesissues

The project: innovative The project: innovative aspectsaspects

This project, and decentralized This project, and decentralized cooperation in general, inverts the cooperation in general, inverts the traditional flow from northern countries traditional flow from northern countries to southern countries, in which the to southern countries, in which the relationship between actors favours relationship between actors favours northern ones because of the greater northern ones because of the greater knowledge of the latter knowledge of the latter

Research planResearch plan

First stageFirst stage: : • finding and finding and

cataloguing laws on cataloguing laws on decentralized decentralized cooperationcooperation

• finding project finding project source materialssource materials

• finding referencesfinding references• analysing sourcesanalysing sources• getting hold of getting hold of

northern and northern and southern key southern key partnerspartners

• participating in participating in special events special events

Second stageSecond stage::• getting hold of getting hold of

partnerspartners• negotiating research negotiating research

planplan• finding case studies finding case studies

and organizing work and organizing work groupsgroups

• participating in participating in project activitiesproject activities

• finding material for finding material for participatory participatory research research

• updating referencesupdating references• participating in participating in

special eventsspecial events• field researchfield research in in

BoliviaBolivia

Third stage:Third stage:• research research

assessment to assessment to confirm hypothesisconfirm hypothesis

• writing research writing research reportreport

• feedback of results feedback of results to agents involved to agents involved and final revision of and final revision of the report.the report.

Organization of the contents: Organization of the contents: first partfirst part

Theoretical frameworkTheoretical framework• Cooperation and otherness: from aid to Cooperation and otherness: from aid to

partnership. A historical reconstructionpartnership. A historical reconstruction• Anthropology of the project: cooperation as Anthropology of the project: cooperation as

a way to build a world visiona way to build a world vision• The role of training and educational The role of training and educational

processes in decentralized cooperation: processes in decentralized cooperation: building possible worlds?building possible worlds?

• Decentralised cooperation and construction Decentralised cooperation and construction of identity and citizenship between the of identity and citizenship between the north and the south of the world.north and the south of the world.

Organisation of the contents: Organisation of the contents: second partsecond part

Ethnography of cooperation: the project “Water Ethnography of cooperation: the project “Water and active citizenship in the Cochabamba region” and active citizenship in the Cochabamba region”

• Genesis of the project: key words and critical Genesis of the project: key words and critical points.points.

• Participation and citizenship: the “Water Participation and citizenship: the “Water table” in the Friuli Venezia Giulia regiontable” in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region

• Participation and citizenship: Bolivian law for Participation and citizenship: Bolivian law for popular participation and the role of “Asica popular participation and the role of “Asica SUR” in the Cochabamba region.SUR” in the Cochabamba region.

• Education and citizenship: ethnography of Education and citizenship: ethnography of training of policy makerstraining of policy makers

• Education and citizenship: ethnography of Education and citizenship: ethnography of transnational exchanges.transnational exchanges.

OpportunitiesOpportunities

• The innovative element in my research lies in The innovative element in my research lies in the fact that the reciprocal and horizontal the fact that the reciprocal and horizontal nature of decentralized cooperation nature of decentralized cooperation processes give new meaning not only to the processes give new meaning not only to the concepts (partnership, identity, citizenship, concepts (partnership, identity, citizenship, participation) which tend to result participation) which tend to result problematic , but also to the identities and problematic , but also to the identities and roles of the actors involved roles of the actors involved

• To work on training processes in To work on training processes in decentralized cooperation means to underline decentralized cooperation means to underline the role of educational systems in the role of educational systems in reconfiguration of identity as “new ethical reconfiguration of identity as “new ethical model of citizenship” (Ong, 2003).model of citizenship” (Ong, 2003).

Interesting linksInteresting links

• www.contrattoacqua.itwww.contrattoacqua.it• www.cevi.coopwww.cevi.coop• http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/it/lvb/rhttp://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/it/lvb/r

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