Brasilia

After a long and sweaty night I arrived in Brasilia somewhat dishevelled. My apparent inability to converse with anybody in coherent Portuguese meant that I spent over an hour trying to establish where I needed to be. I had read in guide books that Brasilia is not quite like any other city and it really did feel like waking up in a parallel universe. It was built quickly in the late 50s as part of a grand master plan to create a new capital for the country. The immediacy of the motor car, vast lawns and imposing tower blocks created the image of a city similar to that of computer games I used to play on my Sega Master System in the early 90s. The nerve centre of the country's federal government and where better to probe further the origin and spread of PB than the University of Brasilia's Political Science Department and Professor Rebecca Abers, who has spent much of her career devoted to issues of participatory democracy in Brazil.

Rebecca was able to provide both a thorough and insightful account of the Brazilian context. Rebecca mentioned that whilst PB is one of the tools used as part of this process it is not obligatory, although successive PT administrations across cities and states have used PT because they feel they ought to (owing to the original success of Porto Alegre). Infact it appears that federal laws demand forms of participation in order to release funds to local municipalities. There are literally thousands of community councils throughout cities across Brazil. Participation is now engrained in the national psyche as a way of "getting things done", opposed to previous "backroom"  negotiations associated with the clientelism and corruption of the past. A community leader knows that if she/he wants to instigate change they need to mobilise others to attend public forums. For Rebecca, PB has been successful because it's tangible and can deliver immediate outcomes. Rebecca has spent the past 10 years looking at the plight of rural communities around the North-East's water basins in terms of participatory democracy. The high levels of participation are not quite so evident in these examples because
a) the forums for participation created do not match the social communities participants live in,
and
b) the strategic and policy decisions debated are complex and not immediate. They therefore lack the tangibility that PB provides.

The meeting with Rebecca was both insightful and enlightening. Rebecca was reserved about the applicability of PB in a British setting, given the specific political circumstances in Brazil and certainly rejected the notion that PB should be something undertaken at an "ATM machine" - the essence of participatory democracy is about collaboration and deliberation. Rebecca also invited me to an inaugral PB meeting happening in her neighbourhood (the PT have just taken control of Brasilia).

As this fellowship is progressing I am really learning that the Porto Alegre example is one which is heavily branded and publicised internationally because of it's success in terms of turnout and delivery. But it's success was not about opening up a public budget for public decision, it was about a far wider set of political processes pertinent to that city and that moment in time. Therefore  it would be naive to expect the Porto Alegre model of PB to work in any global setting (or indeed any Brazilian setting as the varying levels of success at implementing PB across the country have shown). What seems to be important is the "culture of participation" and the "development of governance practice" which enable citizens to have far more control over the decisions taken by the state which affect them, if PB is part of this wider process it seems to be far more successful.

Perhaps I'm already getting too philosophical... right, time to attempt to cross the 6 lane side road and get some food.
Ate amanha Brasilia!

Recife: "The City of Contrasts"

Recife is the capital of the north-eastern state of Pernambuco with a city population of about 1.5 million. Known as the "City of Contrasts" a multi-million pound tourism industry complete with thousands of high rise, secure apartment blocks for the middle classes sits cheek by jowl with some of the poorest favelas in the country. There is a common expression in Recife that you are never more than "1km from a slum". Even when lounging on the never ending  beach at Boa Viagem, some 400 favelas sit only a few blocks behind the central promenade. The favelas are dispersed across the city, some perched on hill-sides at risk of sudden landslides and some on low-lying land at risk of floods - being a sub tropical environment both of these occurrences are common. Several favelas spent much of last week under water, not helped by a hugely inadequate sanitation system resulting in gallons of raw sewerage pouring onto the streets.

Much of my time in Recife has been spent understanding the context of life here, speaking to organisations working on various civil society programmes and engaging in part of community life (most notably those involving food). I have also collected a range of literature, photographs and charts (mainly in Portuguese) to help map out the PB process and the role of civil society organisations across the city. My Portuguese has had to improve rapidly as very little English is spoken in the city. I also benefited from some support with some of the interviews with a local interpreter- Leonardo.

I felt a very slight sense of de ja vu yesterday as I visited a youth programme "A juventude e Ação Política" aimed at increasing political awareness and civic literacy for 15-30 year olds. Colleagues in Great Yarmouth will recall our hugely successful "Take Part" programme- dealing with many of the same issues. Whilst the contextual issues for young people in these communities are different- the notion that in both countries this age group is the most disengaged from political processes highlights some of the challenges we face in ensuring democratic processes evolve to meet the needs of future generations. What is certainly clear in both the Brazilian and British context- is that programmes such as these provide the gateway into more formalised processes such as participatory budgeting.

Participatory Budgeting emerged in a different context in Recife compared to Porto Alegre. The PT did not take control of Recife until 2000 and the blue print model of PB was not implemented in Recife until that time. Recife did however, already have a very strong culture of participation and community mobilisation through an existing capacity building programme which brought together forms of PB within a wider programme of civil society. Unfortunately it seems this programme was disregarded by the new PT administration who wanted to implement a high profile PB process- which would attract thousands of participants and demonstrate the "participatory" nature to the new regime. And true to it's word the PT administration has continued to run PB (although it is not a legal requirement in Recife like it is in Porto Alegre, meaning it could be withdrawn should there be a change of leadership). Over 120,000 residents engaged in PB in 2009- a phenomenally high figure, similar to the turn out in Porto Alegre. I have spent some time today with 2 NGO's: Etapas and Fase probing more about the evidently high levels of engagement in civil society.
From both these and the Porto Alegre interviews some observations are becoming clear:

1. PB seems to be one of the only vehicles through which funds are allocated to poor neighbourhoods - therefore there seems to be a real sense that "if we don't participate we will miss out" on things like having a decent sanitation system on our street, having a road without pot holes, accessing basic education, leisure and healthcare etc.
2. PB has its risks - Brazilian political culture is still fraught with corruption and manipulation- PB is often used as a vehicle by politicians to deliver pet projects and programmes. There is also a sense that PB doesn't always allow a strategic dialogue- often people don't know why they are participating- just that if they don't they will miss out. This inevitably puts communities at odds with one another and in competition for scarce resources. Unsurprisingly there is not an equal distribution of resource across neighbourhoods. As seems to be clear in the Recife example, those communities with the most complex and compounded problems are the ones with the greatest challenges in terms of community mobilisation. The dealing of crack has become the lifeblood of some of these communities with children as young as 5 dealing in order to survive. These are the communities which often miss out through the PB process.
3. PB does provide a democratic model of resource allocation- of particular significance given the historical and political context of Brazil and this had resulted in a number of improvements. Unlike the UK- people tend to know how they can participate and the structures of participation are open and well promoted.
4. Whilst PB appears to be successful because it is part of a wider process of administration, with neighbourhood councils in Porto Alegre and the Mayor's City Hall in the Neighbourhood Programme in Recife participatory approaches don't appear to have encompassed all aspects of public administration. Recife also struggles with approaches to urban planning and the resettlement of the poor and has struggled with attempts to consolidate the role of the private sector and big corporations.
5. Whilst structures can be created by respective local governments- communities must be given the resources to mobilise and address their own concerns - this requires support, capacity building and investment. In Brazil much of this support comes from NGO's often funded by international aid agencies.

Both organisations I have spoken to today are having funds cut by international aid agencies because Brazil is no longer recognised as a "developing" nation. They were both resolute in their response to this - "to say the country has benefitted from economic development does not mean to say there has been an automatic reduction in inequality". The challenges will certainly remain in Recife - participatory budgeting appears to be one way of addressing these- although community mobilisation will be essential to make this work for the people who need it the most.

I hope to upload some pictures of the Recife experience soon. I head to Brasilia in the early hours of tomorrow morning where I will be meeting Professor Rebecca Abers - a leading academic light in participatory politics in Brazil...

NB: Pics from Recife Below:

Solidarity and Survival

Solidariedade is a NGO working across Porto Alegre, but focusing primarily on the district of Cristal.
http://ong.portoweb.com.br/ongsolidariedade/default.php?p_secao=13&PHPSESSID=b7662beecd42219ad139dd3ce5f63b47
The volunteer-led organisation developed as a NGO is 2001 to support community mobilisation and participation, particularly in the PB process. Upon finding their premises - a large corrugated iron shed in a residential neighbourhood it was immediately apparent at the grassroots nature of their work. The co-ordinator Sergio talked me through some of their activities ranging from community capacity building workshops to help groups of residents participate in the PB process, to more directive community-based programmes such as training courses and vocational programmes. The organisation also facilitated the publication of a book on the PB process in 2003 told from the viewpoint of participants, outlining levels of involvement for ordinary residents across the city. The book also provided a critique of the PB process at that time.

When asked if he could explain the reason for the evident high turnout at Monday night's assembly Sergio suggested that in his view it was about collective consciousness as a means of asserting community needs- some of which he explained are taken for granted in the UK and Europe,  or also indeed across more affluent communities in Brazil. Issues such as sanitation, basic access to healthcare and childcare and education are often priorities for the PB process. For Brazil's working classes PB becomes a vehicle for addressing acute and substantial needs, which may or may not be otherwise addressed by the state.

This is not to say, however, that the PB process delivers the necessary outcomes identified by communities. Solidariedade is still waiting to receive funds to deliver a project, voted for during the 2004 PB process, along with many other projects voted on by local communities. The administration of the PB process appears bureaucratic and fraught with challenges- particularly in terms of appropriate feedback and levels of ongoing dialogue (issues familiar for those involved in community work in the UK). What does appear strong however, is the spirit of participation embedded in the ethos of governance in Porto Alegre. This ethos has passed from the previous Workers Party (PT) administration to the current Workers Democratic Party (TDP), demonstrating the commitment across party politics to a form of co-produced "governance" rather than "government" at a local level in Rio Grand do Sul.

On Thursday afternoon I went to visit "Chocolatao" - the vila due for demolition as part of the redevelopment of the area. Community leaders had been on local radio stations earlier in the day condemning City Hall for undertaking a gentrification programme and moving the poorest communities several miles out of the city, to an area where there was little infrastructure and no work. Many of those living in Chocolatao were "Papaleiros" (rubbish collectors) and depended on the refuse generated across the city centre to survive. The scene was somewhat sorrowful with both federal and military police clearing the site- a neighbouring plot of land already a construction site, and the few remaining residents loading their limited possession onto trucks before being transported to a new life - out of sight. It would be useful to interview the City Hall on its participatory approach to urban planning- but unfortunately I was unable to meet anybody from that department and so it is probably unfair of me to speculate.      

Porto Alegre - Birthplace of the Participatory Budget

So having orientated myself in Porto Alegre I have spent the last few days in meetings and events associated with "Orcamento Participativo". I aso got to visit a local High School (where my host Angela teaches) and talk to some of the students about life in the UK. My friend Marika has been tremendous and has helped with translating some of the more technical terms used at the "Assemblia" last night and with the scheduing of meetings in general.

One of yesterday´s meetings was with Cidade- a local NGO, who have led research and seminars on PB in Porto Alegre for over 20 years. It is clear that the political and socio-economic context in Porto Alegre has changed over that time. Today, PB appears to mean different things in the city. Cidade has also looked at different methods of moiblisation to support poor communities. Their most current campaign is to support the mobilisation of residents in a local favela "Chocolatao" who are due to be evicted this Thursday. This is all part of the urban planning programme to utilise downtown real estate for development linked to the 2014 World Cup in Rio. As a result the affected communities have established World Cup Popular Committees and are employing a range of strategies to challenge City Hall on their land regularisation policies.

This plight is a stark contrast to the image of co-production and participation evident last night at the first of a month long series of thematic "Assemblias" as part of the participatory budgeting process. Last night saw around 500 residents attend the "educacao assemblia" and determine priorities for City Hall education expenditure over the coming year. The overwhelming impression this event gave was one of huge energy and excitement. Participants ranged in age and background and it appeared as much of a social event as part of a political process. A large auditorium provided an imposing venue but the style was relaxed and engaging. Indeed, it was particularly refreshing to see members of Porto Alegre´s deaf community take to the stage to criticise the Assembly for no longer providing sign language to support their engagement.

Paticipation and reocgnition appear to be something people fight for in Porto Alegre.
It became clear in today´s smaller meeting with City Hall representatives that "participation and solidarity" remain central to the ethos of the municipality and participatory budgeting is only one such method employed. As a consequence significant resource is invested into the process of participation from publicity to outreach and engagement work, to administrative and financial staff dedicated to the process. Whilst over R 2,000,000 is invested in programmes annually via PB, I managed to deduce that over R 300,000 is invested in the faciliation of assemblies both at neighbourhood and city level and in addition it is supported by over 50 dedicated staff.

Tomorrow, I plan to visit another NGO- Soliderade working specifically in an outer city neighbourhood - Cristal. I hope to spend some time getting a feel for the impact PB has "on the ground" and what difference it makes to the lives of some of the poorest residents in the city. 

Just landed at Sao Paulo Guarulhos after a gruelling 16 hour flight via New York. Have been pondering my research question over a double-expresso and have come up with the following:

"In what ways do structures of participation and strategies of mobilisation enable those furthest away from decision-making to influence change?" 

My fieldwork will focus upon two emerging concepts in current debates in the UK around increasing community participation to grow the Big Society. Both of these concepts originate in the Americas - namely:

• Particpatory Budgeting in Brazil
• Community Organising in the USA

My interviews start in Porto Alegre on Monday where I will be spending some time with the City Municipality and a number of Non-Governmental Orgnaisations who have been involved in PB since its inception in 1989.

Right, off to complete the final leg of my journey. Am looking forward to a Capirinha in Porto Alegre this evening. Hopefully, I'll be there in time for the Saturday night festivities. Often the best site for any fieldwork!!!

City of God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADMRpwfPHww&feature=related

Watch this space...

The adventure begins 07.05.11...