Synopsis: The OIDP has contributed a special study titled “Local Democratic Innovations Expanding the Notion of Care: Participatory Budgeting as an Enabler of Care-Based Local Development.”
The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP) is proud to share its contribution to GOLD VII – the flagship report of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) on Local Democracy and Decentralization. This latest edition of the report, titled “Economies of Equality and Care,” explores existing approaches to care from UCLG, the feminist municipalist movement, or the work on human rights cities. The ultimate goal is to uncover common values and principles that can serve as a foundation for building shared caring systems.
As part of the GOLD VII Strategic Coalition, which gathered more than 50 contributions, OIDP has contributed a special study titled “Local Democratic Innovations Expanding the Notion of Care: Participatory Budgeting as an Enabler of Care-Based Local Development.” This piece was authored by the late Yves Cabannes, a long-time supporter of democratic innovation and a dear collaborator of the OIDP.
The contribution explores how Participatory Budgeting (PB) can be more than a governance tool — a vehicle for care. It unveils that PB fosters inclusive, transparent, and community-driven processes that allow communities to co-create local priorities, many of which center on social and environmental well-being.
Drawing on over 50 PB cases submitted to the OIDP Award in 2022 and 2023, the study reveals how participatory practices are helping to:
Expand access to care-based public services.
Address inequalities through inclusive budgeting.
Promote solidarity and shared responsibility among communities.
Bring to life the principles of feminist municipalism, the social and solidarity economy, and human rights-based approaches.
With nearly 60 million people involved worldwide, the cases demonstrate the transformative potential of PB and democratic mechanisms as an engine of care-based development.
Click here to explore the full OIDP contribution to GOLD VII
Click here to read the Executive Summary
Click here to learn more about GOLD VII and the Strategic Coalition
OIDP joins forces with the UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Human Rights and Participatory Democracy to continue supporting this exploration through knowledge-sharing activities. Join us in our upcoming webinar:
“Empowering Citizen Participation to Build Caring and Inclusive Cities” – 9 April 2025
This publication is also a tribute to Yves Cabannes, whose vision and work continue to inspire us. His legacy lives on in every democratic innovation that puts people and care at the center.
Thank you, Yves.
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