Abstract:Participatory Budgets are an ideal tool for widely held democratic processes, as they allow the integration of marginalized populations from government decisions. Its innovative character has transcended in a span of 30 years. It emerged in
Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989 and is currently implemented in more than 2,500 municipalities around the world. Its success resides in versatility, the strengthening of citizenship-state relations, the inclusion of diverse populations and the possibility of oversight over the use of public resources.
Contemporary digital spaces within the framework of the web 3.0 v 4.0 are aimed at promoting experiences, access to services, information, communication, creation, configuration of new geographies and strengthening of communities thanks to virtuality. Digital spaces offer a panorama that enhances the scope of participatory budgets and the logic of dialogue and democratization of decisions around public money.
The digital transformation has found an accelerated field of development in the pandemic that began in 2020. In this context, and as a result of multiple factors, the opportunity arises to create the digital platform Bogotá Participa with three clusters: Citizen Causes, Citizen Consultations and Participatory Budgets, for the
city of Bogotá, Colombia.
This paper points out the experience of building the platform from social perspectives, graphic design and software development, with an emphasis on the participatory budgeting module. This document sets out the fundamentals, challenges and potential that a digital tool can contribute to the development of democratic processes. |