The meeting was attended by Castellón councillors Francisco Cabañero and Antonio Ortalá, representatives of social and neighborhood organizations, and municipal officials. Zaragoza's Councillor for Citizen Participation and Internal Affairs, Alfonso Mendoza, welcomed them and defended the value of these exchanges as a way to learn from other management models and compare different approaches to their work.
MECHANISMS FOR CHANNELING NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATION
Zaragoza has several mechanisms for channeling neighborhood participation, including the City Council and participation forums in its 15 urban districts and 14 rural neighborhoods. The City Council also supports the work of associations through agreements with neighborhood federations and grants for civic organizations, parent associations and festival committees. Mendoza highlighted the role of this network of associations and stressed that participation does not mean always agreeing with the City Council, but having the opportunity to be heard, disagree and help improve public decisions.
The session combines technical discussions with several activities to discover Zaragoza. After a guided tour of City Hall and the Basilica of the Pillar, participants will take part in the afternoon round table "The Citizens' Agora: Voices of Participation," attended by regional associations, the Neighborhood Union, the Brotherhoods Board and the Merchants' Association. The aim is to strengthen cooperation between the two cities and share ways to bring municipal management closer to citizens.
