Initiatives

_ – Agrichemical-free Vegetable Fairs in Rosario
_ – Riachuelo Guards in the City of Buenos Aires
_ – Coexistence and Security in Rio Negro, ArgentinaAgrichemical-free Vegetable Fairs in Rosario

In order to address the unemployment and social needs of growing layers of the population, as of 2002 an Urban Agriculture Program is being implemented in the city of Rosario. This is a local development strategy that integrates men and women in the creation of social endeavors that produce and market food elaborated on the basis of ecological techniques. The program has enabled to meet the food needs of low income families of the city who produce goods in vacant land –whose possession is safe- and this has improved the local habitat. The goods are commercialized in fairs located in public spaces in strategic areas of the city. They constitute meeting points for producers and consumers, who benefit from the gatherings by generating solidarity networks of production and consumption of healthy food products. Also, they foster coexistence and solidarity values as key tools for social integration. ( [Link->http://habitat.aq.upm.es/bpal/onu04/bp1297.html] )

Riachuelo Guards in the City of Buenos Aires

The initiative is being implemented at a spontaneous settlement in a southern district of the City of Buenos Aires having a very poor habitat, insufficient utilities, open waste dumps, illegal waste dumps on the river’s contaminated banks causing serious health problems to the population. Based on a participatory diagnosis, priority was given to the issue of waste disposal. A door-to-door waste collection program was agreed upon to improve neighbourhood and river bank cleanliness, educate neighbours, and generate employment. The program was first executed at pilot level with 350 families and 4 guards. Then a program extension encompassing 1,000 families and 14 guards was proposed to the City Government. Today, streets and alleys, as well as the Riachuelo river banks, are clean. The most important change is the cultural shift thanks to which the group has become the EcoGuardianes Labor Cooperative. ( [Link->http://www.fundacionciudad.org.ar/guardianes_del_riachuelo.htm#Prog] )

Coexistence and Security in Rio Negro, Argentina

Its aim is to improve public security through citizen participation that is based on associated management and network activity. Public discussion spaces called Citizen Security Local Councils –that include neighbors, local organizations, schools, stores, clubs, the firemen, the police, municipal authorities and representatives of provincial programs in the municipalities- were created. In these gatherings inhabitants participate in the design of inclusive public security policies and thus avoid that this be only an issue of officers and technicians. Measures to prevent violence and crime in local areas were agreed upon, improving the relationship between the police and the community, and integrating children and youth that are socially vulnerable into educational, cultural, spare-time, sports and productive projects. ([ link->http://www.comunicacion.rionegro.gov.ar/desarro_noti.php?cod=3837] )