Suchergebnisse

[ES] La participación popular ha sido una permanente invocación del discurso político revolucionario cubano, particularmente en las instancias comunitarias. Este ensayo trata de analizar la evolución de los diseños, instituciones y realidades participativas a partir de su relación con las situaciones políticas y los modelos de reproducción económicos. Por su relevancia, se presta especial atención al sistema municipal cubano. Este fue creado en 1976 y ha experimentado diversas modificaciones, las más importantes de las cuales tuvieron lugar en 1992. Los cambios económicos y sociales que han tenido lugar en Cuba en los últimos diez años imponen a la participación nuevos retos, entre ellos la necesidad de una concepción más autónoma y pluralista del accionar popular en la esfera pública, lo que de alguna manera ya se expresa en algunos esfuerzos oficiales por adecuar los patrones de participación existentes (esencialmente una participación paternalista-clientelista) y en la emergencia de movimientos comunitarios que intentan controlar y transformar las vidas cotidianas en los vecindarios. ; [EN] Popular participation has been a permanent slogan in the political discourse of revolutionary Cuba, particularly at the community level. This article deals with the design and evolution of institutions and participatory realities starting with its relation with the political situation and economic models of reproduction. Special attention is given to the municipal system created in 1976 and modified severa! times from which the most important modification was the one in 1992. The social and economic changes of Cuba during the last ten years have posed new challenges to participation such as the need for a more autonomous and pluralistic conception of "popular praxis" in the public sphere. This is present in the official efforts to adequate existing participatory norms (particularly the paternalistic-clientelistic participation) and it is also present in the emergency of community or popular movements that attempt to control and to transform the dayly life in their neighborhood.

It is a commonplace in contemporary Cuban society that the current crisis can be resolved only through daring measures that take into account the various sectors of Cuban social life. Opinions begin to diverge, however, when the discussion touches on exactly what type of action should be undertaken and what weight should be given to economic as opposed to political factors in the policy mix. A first look would emphasize the economic character of the present crisis. Economic modernization, on the other hand, though clearly indispensable, is insufficient and even counterproductive unless it is accompanied by greater opportunity for popular participation and control. (Lat Am Perspect/DÜI)

Problems related to Cuba's integration into the world economy, and the political and ideological consequences. Advocates creation of a democracy based on a one-party system with a platform of social justice and popular participation; some focus on the informal sector.

Effective community participation can lead to social and personal empowerment, economic development, and sociopolitical transformation. But there are obstacles: the power of central bureaucracies, the lack of local skills and organizational experience, social divisions, and the impact of national and transnational structures. Community Power and Grassroots Democracy is a groundbreaking and insighful book that examines a collection of community initiatives from Latin America. The strengths and weaknesses, limits and potential of these initiatives are analyzed, and the new "social-movements" approach is skilfully married with resource-mobilization theory to produce a more inclusive development model. Community Power and Grassroots Democracy is an insightful book that adeptly combines theoretical sophistication with first-hand, "on-the-job" experience. It will interest researchers, scholars, students, and activists in the areas of development studies, political science, community participation, and human rights

Haroldo Dilla Alfonso lehrte und forschte lange Jahre am Studienzentrum für Amerikaforschung in Havanna. Mitte der neunziger Jahre kritisierte er in zahlreichen Texten die Politik der Regierung von links und trat für Reformen ein. Seir nunmehr drei Jahren lebt der 51-Jährige in der Dominikanischen Republik, wo er an der Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) als Forschungskoordinator tätig ist. (Lat.am Nach/DÜI)

The authors inquire the basis of political culture in Cuba, the extent to which new values lead to participation, and the social configuration in various areas and organizations. They conclude assessing whether these participatory options represent real alternatives for expression and action