Fuerteventura councils discuss new community participation plans in Tuineje

Fuerteventura’s Cabildo and six municipal councils have discussed plans for further training and new community hubs in Puerto del Rosario and La Oliva as part of an island-wide citizen participation project.

Political representatives and technical staff met in Tuineje on 6 November alongside the technical team from the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna. The meeting formed part of Fuerteventura Protagonista, an initiative intended to strengthen cooperation between institutions, community organisations and residents.

Participants shared experiences and considered the challenges councils face when encouraging citizens to take part in local decision-making. Carlos Giménez Romero, professor of social anthropology at the Autonomous University of Madrid, addressed participation from a municipal perspective, as well as mediation and conflict management in public administration.

The Cabildo’s citizen participation councillor, Víctor Alonso, stressed the importance of a shared approach between island and municipal authorities, including support and resources for councils to strengthen their relationships with residents.

The next lines of work discussed include training for people involved in citizen participation and the development of new municipal community hubs in Puerto del Rosario and La Oliva. No dates for those initiatives were given.

Fuerteventura Protagonista is led by the Cabildo’s citizen participation department in collaboration with all six councils and the University of La Laguna, through its General Foundation.