FLEXIBLE CITIZENSHIP the project “Water and active citizenship in the Cochabamba region” IP Borders, Mobilities, Identities: European educational action Madrid 17 th July 2005 – 30 th July 2005 Flavia Virgilio University of Udine IP Borders, Mobilities, Identities: European educational action Madrid 17 th July 2005 – 30 th July 2005 Flavia Virgilio University of Udine

Where?

Why Bolivia ?

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

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

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

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

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

The goals Participation Participation Active involvement of the people Active involvement of the people capacity building and institutional development. capacity building and institutional development. Sustainable and equitable development Sustainable and equitable development

Methodologies Active involvement of all the various groups of stakeholders/partners; Active involvement of all the various groups of stakeholders/partners; The bottom up approach The bottom up approach Priority given to capacity building and institutional development Priority given to capacity building and institutional development

Decentralised cooperation as a laboratory of identities in the global age Communication, negotiation, facilitation processes are the arenas where northern and southern agents are presented as subjects or objects of aid.

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

The points in question Cooperation Cooperation Citizenship Citizenship Participation Participation Identity Identity

The theoretical framework Anthropology of development Anthropology of development Actors oriented approach Actors oriented approach Interdisciplinary elements regarding education, training, development Interdisciplinary elements regarding education, training, development

Theoretical problems «How the meanings, purposes and powers associated with differential modes of human agency intersect to shape the outcomes of emergent social forms ?» (Long 2001) «How the meanings, purposes and powers associated with differential modes of human agency intersect to shape the outcomes of emergent social forms ?» (Long 2001) “Can subaltern speak?” (Spivak 1988). “Can subaltern speak?” (Spivak 1988).

Methodological approach Globalization, migration and the media, have inevitable consequences on methodologies of field research. Above all it’s necessary to overcome the idea of local community as the place of field research in favour of more fragmented phenomena. The model of reference which I will use, in particular, is the ethnographical experimentalism, which aims to allow the Other to speak (with all theoretical, ethical and practical problems this might include).

Sources Projects and laws, useful to piece together discursive formal framework of the analyzed activities Projects and laws, useful to piece together discursive formal framework of the analyzed activities Interviews and focus groups with key actors involved Interviews and focus groups with key actors involved Visual sources used to promote the project Visual sources used to promote the project Field diary Field diary

Partners involved Cevi Centre for International Voluntary work (Udine) Cevi Centre for International Voluntary work (Udine) I have also been in contact with: World Water Contract World Water Contract Cipsi (Coordination of people’s initiatives for international solidarity) Cipsi (Coordination of people’s initiatives for 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 Venezia Giulia Region Unit for International Affairs and territorial partnership. Direction for European Affairs of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Unit for International Affairs and territorial partnership.

The project The project, “Water and active citizenship in the Cochabamba region”, promoted by CeVI and funded by the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, began in October It is part of a wider programme to ensure water access to the Cochabamba region.

The project: goals Improve quality and quantity of water available Improve quality and quantity of water available Ensure greater participation of citizens in the public management of the territory Ensure greater participation of citizens in the public management of the territory Promote basic health education Promote basic health education Promote synergy between local communities in the Cochabamba and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions Promote synergy between local communities in the Cochabamba and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions

The project: fields of work To build municipal waterworks in Tapacarì. To build municipal waterworks in Tapacarì. To promote training in Tapacarì and south Cochabamba on: active citizenship; methodologies of shared management of territory at local and national level; water laws in Bolivia. To promote training in Tapacarì and south Cochabamba on: active citizenship; methodologies of shared management of territory at local and national level; water laws in Bolivia. To support the local network involved in the management of “servicios basicos”. To support the local network involved in the management of “servicios basicos”. To promote decentralized cooperation between local communities, Italian and Bolivian ones. To promote decentralized cooperation between local communities, Italian and Bolivian ones.

The project: levels of partnership Local partnership, in Italy and Bolivia, of actors involved at the different levels of the project Local partnership, in Italy and Bolivia, of actors involved at the different levels of the project International partnership between agents of similar institutions (homologues) involved on water issues International partnership between agents of similar institutions (homologues) involved on water issues

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

Research plan First stage : finding and cataloguing laws on decentralized cooperation finding and cataloguing laws on decentralized cooperation finding project source materials finding project source materials finding references finding references analysing sources analysing sources getting hold of northern and southern key partners getting hold of northern and southern key partners participating in special events participating in special events Second stage : getting hold of partners getting hold of partners negotiating research plan negotiating research plan finding case studies and organizing work groups finding case studies and organizing work groups participating in project activities participating in project activities finding material for participatory research finding material for participatory research updating references updating references participating in special events participating in special events field research in Bolivia field research in Bolivia Third stage: research assessment to confirm hypothesis research assessment to confirm hypothesis writing research report writing research report feedback of results to agents involved and final revision of the report. feedback of results to agents involved and final revision of the report.

Organization of the contents: first part Theoretical framework Cooperation and otherness: from aid to partnership. A historical reconstruction Cooperation and otherness: from aid to partnership. A historical reconstruction Anthropology of the project: cooperation as a way to build a world vision Anthropology of the project: cooperation as a way to build a world vision The role of training and educational processes in decentralized cooperation: building possible worlds? The role of training and educational processes in decentralized cooperation: building possible worlds? Decentralised cooperation and construction of identity and citizenship between the north and the south of the world. Decentralised cooperation and construction of identity and citizenship between the north and the south of the world.

Organisation of the contents: second part Ethnography of cooperation: the project “Water and active citizenship in the Cochabamba region” Genesis of the project: key words and critical points. Genesis of the project: key words and critical points. Participation and citizenship: the “Water table” in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region Participation and citizenship: the “Water table” in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region Participation and citizenship: Bolivian law for popular participation and the role of “Asica SUR” in the Cochabamba region. Participation and citizenship: Bolivian law for popular participation and the role of “Asica SUR” in the Cochabamba region. Education and citizenship: ethnography of training of policy makers Education and citizenship: ethnography of training of policy makers Education and citizenship: ethnography of transnational exchanges. Education and citizenship: ethnography of transnational exchanges.

Opportunities The innovative element in my research lies in the fact that the reciprocal and horizontal nature of decentralized cooperation processes give new meaning not only to the concepts (partnership, identity, citizenship, participation) which tend to result problematic, but also to the identities and roles of the actors involved The innovative element in my research lies in the fact that the reciprocal and horizontal nature of decentralized cooperation processes give new meaning not only to the concepts (partnership, identity, citizenship, participation) which tend to result problematic, but also to the identities and roles of the actors involved To work on training processes in decentralized cooperation means to underline the role of educational systems in reconfiguration of identity as “new ethical model of citizenship” (Ong, 2003). To work on training processes in decentralized cooperation means to underline the role of educational systems in reconfiguration of identity as “new ethical model of citizenship” (Ong, 2003).

Interesting links htm 4.htm 4.htm 4.htm