,

The province of Cordoba in decline: implementation of electronic voting

On December 21, a draft law presented by the executive seeking the implementation of electronic voting was approved in the legislature of Córdoba. It is important to point out the dangers of such a system for our democracy.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

On December 21, the Cordovan legislature approved a controversial bill that calls for reform of the provincial voting system. Although at the national level this initiative seems to be ruled out, the provincial executive presented a project that was approved without difficulties.

Much has been debated in recent weeks, and we believe it is very important to join the voices that express the dangers of an electronic voting system in. At present, this system is in decline worldwide due to the shortcomings that it implies in the matter of control. The voting process is too central to our way of life to rely on uncontrollable mechanisms.

The approved project does not specify technical issues about the system beyond the implementation of the single electronic ballot; And recognizes the limitations of this system by prohibiting the use of electronic devices within a radius of 300 meters to control. In addition, computer experts have repeatedly expressed the dangers and shortcomings of electronic voting: no one can know for sure what the computer does, it is insecure, it does not guarantee the secrecy of the vote, it is more expensive, it erodes confidence in the Electoral system, limits the right to control elections and limits the capacity to be fiscal (not any citizen can do it).

It is noteworthy that in the province we already have a single paper ticket system that has been recognized as one of the best alternatives for the electoral system; In addition, it is used in the world, in countries like South Korea, Japan, Germany, Australia and Holland among many others. This system avoids the theft of ballots and is transparent to the elector. The change to an electronic system then implies a clear setback.

In this context, there is concern about the speed and lack of discussion in the treatment of a subject of key importance, as well as the lack of answers to the technical and legal objections that have been presented to this proposal.

More information

Contact

Agustina Palencia, agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

,

Participation in the Regional Meeting of Subnational Entities by the Open Government

Last Thursday, November 10, the first meeting of subnational entities framed in the partnership for open government (Open Government Partnership) was held. Organized by the government of the city of Buenos Aires, it was attended by representatives of the OGP, government authorities and representatives of civil society.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

Within the framework of the Subnational Pilot Program of the Open Government Partnership, the government of the City of Buenos Aires together with the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI Mexico); They organized a day that summons both governmental authorities of Argentina and other nations, as well as members representing civil society.

The pilot program allows OGP to drive successful innovations developed at the local level. The driving force of this project is the belief that the closeness that local governments have to citizenship will be able to boost open government initiatives at national levels. In April 2016, the selection of 15 local governments to participate in the program was announced, including the city of Buenos Aires. In the next two years participating governments will work together with local civil society organizations to develop specific commitments to open government.

Throughout the day, different speakers presented experiences, lessons learned and challenges in the future of the implementation of open government policies in local spaces. It was a day that allowed the different social actors to acquire new knowledge and debate about the future of new ways to build a more participatory and equitable democracy.

Contact:

Agustina Palencia – Coordinator of the Democratic Strengthening Area

agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

,

What left the VI Forum Our Cordoba: an agenda for metropolitan area

During the Tuesday November 1 it was held the VI Forum Our Cordoba organized by the Citizen Network Our Cordoba. The event brought together representatives of civil society organizations and government authorities to discuss the issues that the greatest impact on the metropolitan agenda of our city and province.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”
The event organized by the Citizen Network Córdoba Our purpose was to bring together representatives of civil society and government authorities to discuss those issues that have originated in the metropolitan sprawl of the city of Cordoba. With the form of panel discussions, issues relating to land use planning, management of municipal solid waste (MSW) and transport and mobility were discussed. Discussions were more than enlightening, and conclusions will then be amalgamated in a document that will be shared with municipal and provincial authorities.

Since FUNDEPS consider the consequences of the territorial and urban sprawl – metropolization turned-processes – necessarily require good governance and management of cities for social and economic progress. Also, the context is complex and requires coordination between actors to generate enough holistic policies and effective.

The peripheral growth of cities extends the urbanized beyond the limits of the municipal area, generating a great urban space that forces extend infrastructure networks, increases the costs of displacement of people and goods and production costs and maintenance of public services. In scenarios of decentralization to local levels – as has happened in our country – the complex task of transferring functions and resources generally weak institutions, it is bewildered with the problems of interjurisdictional coordination in providing services and managing the development of recent conurbations. These problems manifest themselves in a variety of areas that are crucial for economic development and welfare of the population relevance. Many of them were discussed in the day on November 1.

Discussions about the axis of land management resulted in the identification of urgency to achieve a concrete determination of municipal ejidos and plan urban expansion of the city. Also it joined the discussion an edge environmental court where the need to mitigate the impacts of the expansion, safeguard heritage (native forests) and establish clear regulations regarding the disposal of soils was detected.

As for the management of urban solid waste, complexity for interjurisdictional and intersectoral coordination was emphasized, while it is necessary to regulate the regulations regarding the RSU.

The results of the debate have been the mirror of the concerns of civil society around the management of the city of Cordoba and its metropolitan area. Urban planning and sustainable development of cities go hand in hand, and in line with it, good quality infrastructure and basic services becomes crucial.

More information:

– More discussions on the real estate project “Arts District” in the former Battalion 141 – FUNDEPS

– Participation in discussions on the legal framework of forest in Córdoba – FUNDEPS

– He began the work of trunk pipelines in Cordoba – FUNDEPS

Contact:

Agustina Palencia – Coordinator of the Democratic Strengthening

agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

, ,

Exchange of views around the Bajo Grande project

On June 9, FUNDEPS together with the organization Las Omas del Barrio Chacras de la Merced met in the Directorate of Networks and Sanitary Works of the Municipality of Córdoba, with the deputy director Daniel Bardagi and the owner of the plant Gualberto Pozo Arce the purpose of asking some questions regarding the operation of the Bajo Grande Sewage Treatment Plant.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

Since February 2016, the environment axis of the Human Rights Area and the Democratic Strengthening Area of ​​FUNDEPS have been working together with the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) in the Chacras de la Merced District of the Province of Córdoba , in particular with the Las Omas women’s organization. The project seeks to promote the development and implementation of strategies linked to the incidence and monitoring of public policies in the Chacra de la Merced community, in order to support the work of the Las Omas women’s organization in the strengthening of social and environmental rights damaged due to the poor functioning of the Bajo Grande sewage treatment plant.

In this framework, FUNDEPS requested a meeting with the Directorate of Networks and Sanitary Works of the Municipality of Córdoba. The meeting was enriching for both parties. From the Directorate of Networks could explain how the plant currently works, the quantity and quality of the liquid that deals with days of week and end of weeks, funds with which the Municipality has to do maintenance works, problems that identify them that can contribute to the malfunction, among others.

On the other hand, we express our concern regarding the harmful effects that the plant is generating in its current situation, the environment in general and the community of La Chacra in particular since their social, economic and environmental rights are constantly being violated.

They also explained that the construction of a new treatment plant will double the amount of fluid treatment and its implications for the city. However, when we asked for information about possible environmental remediation policies in the area with the construction of the new plant, we did not receive a response.

It is important to point out that within the framework of this project, four requests for information were made to different public departments of the Municipality, among which one was made to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, which depends on the direction of Networks, where we made the following orders of information for reporting on: a) the current operating status of the Bajo Grande WWTP plant; b) if there are repair works for the faults and problems in the correct operation of the plant; c) if there are plans for environmental remediation in Barrio Chacras de la Merced; d) What works are being implemented in the sewage treatment plant? ; e) what mitigation measures of the environmental impact were designed and implemented after being declared a sanitary emergency zone; f) what controls are executed in the Plant, detailing the days and hours in which they are implemented and g) what days and times the plant works, detail the processes and their direct effects on the environment and the nearby population, and what methods of treatment use.

From FUNDEPS we will continue working with the organization Las Omas in the monitoring of the bidding process and implementation of the work of the new plant, and visibilizing the problems in terms of environment and health the current sewage treatment plant WWTP.

Contact

Carolina Juaneda – Area of ​​Democratic Strengthening and Institutional Quality

carojuaneda@fundeps.org

, ,

Requests for public information by the Bajo Grande plant

Yesterday, FUNDEPS with the Organization Las Omas represented by Alida and Ester Weht presented four requests for information in the Municipality of Córdoba, two requests to the Province of Córdoba and two requests to the company Coniferal de Transporte.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

Since the beginning of this year, the environment axis of the Human Rights Area and the Democratic Strengthening Area of ​​FUNDEPS have been working together with the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) in the Chacras de la Merced District of the Province of Córdoba, in particular with the Las Omas women’s organization. Two workshops were carried out by these organizations in order to identify socio-political problems that affect the community of La Chacra and based on what was identified, an advocacy action proposal was defined to work in the year. Likewise, access to information tools and strategies for monitoring public policies were worked on.

The work seeks to promote the development and implementation of strategies linked to the monitoring and advocacy of public policies in the Chacra de la Merced community, in order to support the work of the Las Omas women’s organization in the strengthening of social and environmental rights violated product of the malfunction of the Bajo Grande sewage treatment plant.

In this context, on Monday, May 30, representatives of the OMAs and members of FUNDEPS presented four requests for public information in different departments of the Municipality of Córdoba (Ministry of Health, Undersecretary of the Environment, Undersecretary of Transportation and the Liquids Treatment Station) Residuals) of the Province of Córdoba (Ministry of Investment and Financing and Secretariat of Environment) and in the company Coniferal SACIF. The purpose of these orders is to have official information on the status and operation of the sewage treatment plant and the environmental and health situation of the area affected by the contamination.

The requests for information submitted are made within the framework of the right to request and receive information, Art. 16 et seq. of Law 25,675, Art. 41 of the National Constitution, Art. 13.1 of the American Convention on Human Rights, Art. XXIV of the American Declaration of Rights and Duties of Man, instruments incorporated into the National Constitution, through its articles 75 inc . 22, Art. 19 inc. 10. Likewise, the Environmental Policy Act of Cordoba prescribes in article 61 that:

All requests for information required under the terms of this Law must be satisfied within a period not exceeding ten (10) business days. The term may be extended exceptionally for another ten (10) business days in the event of circumstances that make it difficult to obtain the information requested, and the requested body must communicate – before the expiration of the ten (10) day period – the reasons for the which makes use of the exceptional extension …

And finally, in accordance with the regulation of Law No. 8803 Right to Access to Knowledge of State Acts, which also provides a period of ten (10) working days to answer the information requested.

We hope to obtain a response to the requested information within the framework of the explicit deadlines, and thus continue fighting in pursuit of demanding and protecting the economic, social, cultural and environmental rights that are being violated, due to the malfunctioning of the liquid treatment plant. Cloacal of Bajo Grande.

Contact

Carolina Juaneda – Area of ​​Democratic Strengthening and Institutional Quality

carojuaneda@fundeps.org