.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..
An article from La Prensa Grafica
About 25 municipalities, belonging to the departments of San Vicente, Cuscatlán and Cabañas, participated in a training workshop organized by the Corporations of the Republic of El Salvador (COMURES) in Cojutepeque (Cuscatlán), with the objective of strengthening the role of municipal governments in the prevention of violence and their capacities to respond to the problems that are currently affecting the country.
The activity, which is part of the national day that COMURES develops from July 18 to August 29, 2017, at the scale of the 14 Departmental Councils of Municipalities (CDA), is carried out in coordination with the Secretariat of Governance of the Presidency, with the participation of the Legislative Assembly and the accompaniment of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
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How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?
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The purpose is to facilitate coordination between municipalities with various instances, such as public security, mainly to carry out actions and initiatives to prevent violence and crime in the territory.
Carlos Roberto Pinto Guardado, executive director of COMURES, explained that because of their impact on economic and social development, citizen security and violence prevention are issues that have been prioritized by municipal governments in the National Congresses of Municipalities, and incorporated In the permanent agenda promoted by the corporation.
“The approach of the theme seeks to strengthen a strategy that allows strengthening the leadership and role of municipal governments, for the construction of a sustained culture of peace with the participation of communities,” COMURES said in a statement.
“This is important,” said Pinto Guardado, “since municipal councils, as the first state authority in the municipalities, know the most sensitive needs and problems of the population, invest resources and implement policies and actions that are coordinated, organized and planned to reduce the factors that generate social violence in the territory.
Along these lines, COMURES with the support of cooperation agencies has created different instruments and tools.
(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)