2025 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

The Local Committee of the Caminho Legal Program was an innovative community management practice carried out on Rua and Largo Fernando de São Paulo, in the Doron neighborhood of Salvador, Brazil. The project aimed to revitalize public spaces and promote social inclusion, with a special focus on the empowerment of early childhood children. The practice was based on participatory diagnostics, playful workshops, and collective planning, resulting in the creation of an autonomous and inclusive Local Committee, with children's involvement being central to the transformation of the area.

Children from the Olga Benário Municipal Early Childhood Education Center played an active role, not only as beneficiaries but also as agents of change. They participated in creative workshops, such as painting and playful activities, expressing their ideas for transforming the spaces. This empowerment was essential for creating spaces that met the needs of childhood, promoting a safer, more welcoming, and stimulating environment. Mothers and caregivers were also included, offering perspectives on the needs of families, while community leaders mobilized and coordinated the actions.

The revitalization directly impacted around 500 people, with the Local Committee, made up of 12 members (7 residents of the area and 5 professionals from the local health clinic and schools), establishing itself as an autonomous management entity. This committee integrated the community into the process of monitoring and continuous improvement, ensuring the active participation of residents in the follow-up actions and improvements of the project. The co-creation process, along with the active involvement of children, ensured that the interventions were inclusive and sustainable. The Committee represented a step forward in the institutionalization of participatory democracy in the neighborhood, offering an urban and social management model that respects local dynamics. The practice demonstrates how the active participation of communities can lead to structural changes, respecting local autonomy and fostering the construction of citizenship spaces. This process has the potential to be replicated in other communities, creating a model of social and urban transformation that takes into account the needs of residents and children.

For more information: Here (External link)