Quarterly Report: Municipal Governance Program AID 524 -10 - 00006

Component 1: Local Governance focused on citizen participation, with a range of activities undertaken during the review period to achieve this objective. These activities included the creation of videos by CoMAJ groups to follow up on youth projects in their communities, as well as the updating of the University in the Field project (UNICAM) to incorporate suggestions from the Muelle de los Bueyes CDM Youth Commission social audit. Citizen participation in municipal budget consultations, accountability committee sessions, and other civic actions was also a key area of focus. During the review period, 102 of 213 proposals (48%) presented by CDMs, CoMAJ, and Citizen Networks were approved and included in 2018 municipal budgets. This represents a significant increase in citizen participation in the municipal budgeting process. Training and capacity-building activities were also a major component of the program. These included trainings, workshops, and meetings focused on civic education and activism, gender, and youth. For example, 41 leaders and activists from 27 communities of Boaco and Camoapa increased their capacities for digital security and activism, while 378 youth and adolescents participated in workshops on gender equity and new masculinities. The program also placed a strong emphasis on promoting the rights of Afrodescendent and indigenous peoples. During the review period, 120 people in the communities of Bluefields, El Bluff, Kukra Hill, and El Rama were trained on the rights and history of the Caribbean Coast, and a user-friendly version of law 445 and law 28 on the rights of Afrodescendent and indigenous peoples was published. Additionally, 262 leaders from 4 territorial governments participated in 4 workshops held in indigenous RACCN territories to produce regulations governing communal property, natural resource rights, and conflict mediation. The Municipal Governance Program has made significant progress in promoting citizen participation, civic education, and the rights of Afrodescendent and indigenous peoples. The program's focus on capacity-building and training has helped to increase the capacities of local leaders and communities, and has contributed to a more inclusive and participatory municipal governance process.