Local Name: Fundacion Cambio Democrático
Director: Eliana Spadoni
# of Staff: 5S
Center since: 1998
Contact Information:
Luis Saenz Peña 310, 3º - C1110AAH Buenos Aires – Argentina
Tel/Fax: (54 11) 4382-4074 / 8498
Email: fundacion@cambiodemocratico.org
Web: www.cambiodemocratico.org

Partners-Argentina was founded in 1998 as Partners’ initial Center to promote change and conflict management in Latin America. Since then, Partners-Argentina has worked with representatives of all sectors and implemented innovative models of citizen participation to address complex social and economic issues and public policy. The Center specializes in utilizing Partners’ cooperative planning methodology to engage all stakeholders in implementing and improving upon ineffective public policies, on issues including the environment, public safety, and youth leadership.

Highlights from Partners-Argentina’s programs include:

Environmental Conservation. Partners-Argentina recently mobilized in response to an environmental crisis in San Pedro, where a species of endangered trees was threatened. The Center conducted a cooperative planning process that included the mayor, the Minister of Ecology, the Chamber of Commerce, environmental groups, the fire department, teachers, park rangers and residents. Partners facilitated discussions as the group worked through the contentious issues and then developed legislative amendments that would preserve remaining Araucarias trees, while simultaneously ensuring the security of community members and their homes. At the conclusion of the long process, these resolutions were finalized by a government decree and incorporated into provincial legal statutes. Click here for a case study.

Public Safety. Partners-Argentina responded to an increase in violent crime in Buenos Aires Province and the creation of 322 citizen-run neighborhood security forums (Public Security Provincial Act 12154), with a participatory program that included citizens and local government in public policy promotion and maintaining public safety. Through training and facilitated dialogue, Partners-Argentina and community members introduced change management skills to the forums, developed a series of public policy recommendations on Act 12154, and laid the foundation for establishing community support groups that combat the root causes of conflict. Click here for a case study.

Social Change. Partners and Partners-Argentina co-conducted a Latin America Regional Training program for social change leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The training centered on participatory processes around gender, environmental, health, human rights, education and governance issues, and strengthened participants’ ability to implement public policy and conflict management initiatives in their home communities. For example, the Foundation for Sustainable Development (TERRAM) is using its conflict management skills to convene a confederation of local fishermen with local officials, environmental groups and fishing industry representatives to reform Chilean fishing statutes and the depletion of fishing resources.

Youth Development. In response to the constitution of Buenos Aires guarantee of the right of youth to participate in local decision-making, Partners-Argentina worked with La Mesa de Concertación Juvenil to draft a bill for the creation of the Youth Council of Buenos Aires. In addition to trainings and cooperative planning, Partners-Argentina and La Mesa developed an advocacy and public relations campaign to mobilize support for the establishment of the Youth Council, and transformed La Mesa into a leading consensus-based youth coalition poised to promote change in youth policies in Argentina. Click here for a case study.

Access to Justice. To work towards the equal representation and access to justice for underprivileged persons, Partners-Argentina designed a program to implement public policy that decentralizes Buenos Aires Province’s legal system (Act 12061 of the Public Ministry of Justice) through localized Houses of Justice. Partners-Argentina will train these Houses to provide legal consultation and dispute resolution services to the underprivileged on cases such as domestic violence, housing and property disputes, divorce, child custody, and substance abuse. In addition, the Center will draft legislative recommendations and statutes on the continued decentralization of the judicial system in the Province.