Cultura cidadã: política pública para uma governança colaborativa em Medellín

Abstract

Citizen Culture is a concept that refers to the awareness and appreciation of the active participation of society in public and political issues, in order to build a more just, equitable, and democratic society. It focuses on education for citizenship, respect for the law, and for diversity, as well as valuing participation and dialogue for conflict resolution. This dissertation analyzes Citizen Culture as a participatory strategy for building inclusive public policies in territories of socioeconomic vulnerability. The case study was Medellín, a Colombian city in the global south that in the last decade has been awarded and internationally recognized for its social, economic, and technological development. The objective is to understand what role Citizen Culture played in the local development that triggered the development of this social innovation ecosystem. To this end, a documentary analysis and qualitative research of semi-structured interviews were conducted with public managers and academics who were responsible for studies or the implementation of public policies focused on promoting Citizen Culture in the city. Among the results obtained we can find the verification that Citizen Culture has gained strength in Medellín because it has made possible for the different actors of the city a channel for the articulation of projects that promote the creation of public spaces, educational and cultural equipment, besides being successful in stimulating critical thinking, making the population aware that this is a possible way to pay off the historical social debt of the city towards its inhabitants in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability. The conclusion is that Citizen Culture is a political project of government and society, a concept that values and promotes citizens' participation and engagement in social, political, and cultural issues, encouraging creativity, tolerance, respect for diversity, and social responsibility.