WEBVTT 00:00:42.648 --> 00:00:50.879 In a world where cities strive to create inclusive communities and empower their residents, 00:00:50.879 --> 00:00:56.159 a revolutionary concept is transforming the way budgets are decided. 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:02.559 Welcome to the exciting world of participatory budgeting, a groundbreaking approach that puts 00:01:02.559 --> 00:01:08.599 the power of decision making directly into the hands of the community. 00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:15.239 In this video, we will explore how participatory budgeting works and why it is gaining momentum 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:18.599 around the world. 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:24.319 Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:27.679 how to allocate part of a public budget. 00:01:27.679 --> 00:01:35.679 It provides an opportunity for everyone to have a voice in shaping their communities. 00:01:35.679 --> 00:01:41.919 It was first developed in Brazil in the late 1980s as a response to a lack of public trust 00:01:41.919 --> 00:01:48.000 in government and a desire for more citizen involvement in decision making. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:55.120 Since then, it has been adopted in various forms in cities around the world. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:58.165 Our journey today takes us to Helsinki, Finland, 00:01:58.165 --> 00:02:02.480 a city renowned for its innovation and progressive policies. 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:09.000 Here, we are about to meet an expert who has been at the forefront of this movement. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.062 As we ready ourselves for this conversation, we recognize that 00:02:13.062 --> 00:02:19.560 the concept of participatory budgeting is more than just numbers on paper. 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:26.159 It's a collective story, a story of dreams, aspirations and determination to create 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:32.960 a future that reflects the needs and desire of all its citizens. 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:36.600 What are the basic principles of participatory budgeting? 00:02:36.600 --> 00:02:42.640 In Helsinki, we are dividing 8.8 million euros so that citizens can ideate and then 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:46.159 vote how the city is going to use that money. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:50.239 We have been allocating the money for the seven districts according to the amount of 00:02:50.239 --> 00:02:52.799 people living in each area. 00:02:52.799 --> 00:02:59.919 Then we have been also using 20% of that 8.8 million euros for proposals that are connected 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:02.359 to the whole city. 00:03:02.359 --> 00:03:07.239 We have a quite low voting age, 12 years old. 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:13.600 And then, anybody can propose and only the ones who are 12 years old and living in Helsinki 00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:16.120 are able to vote. 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:23.200 In Helsinki, we haven't had any theme so that has been very free for citizens to propose 00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:29.480 all kinds of things that they are interested in are connected to their daily lives. 00:03:29.480 --> 00:03:34.256 We have already heard from the expert in Helsinki about the basic principles of 00:03:34.256 --> 00:03:37.760 participatory budgeting in an urban context. 00:03:37.760 --> 00:03:40.640 But our exploration doesn't stop here. 00:03:40.640 --> 00:03:46.640 We are on our way to Turku, Finland to meet another luminary in the field, one whose experience 00:03:46.640 --> 00:03:50.520 has been instrumental in fostering direct citizen engagement. 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:57.720 Turku, a city renowned for its rich history and its people's commitment to civic involvement. 00:03:57.720 --> 00:04:03.400 We are about to meet with a key figure, an advocate, who has witnessed participatory 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:07.439 budgeting's transformative potential first hand. 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:13.800 Our expert from Turku brings a unique perspective gained from collaborating with diverse groups, 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:20.439 facilitating conversations and igniting the collective imaginations of community eager 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:21.680 for change. 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:25.639 How do you run a successful participatory budgeting? 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:35.839 I think that in our city in Turku, the sum is big enough because we have 3 million euros 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:42.519 and people can propose and develop and vote like every two years. 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:49.479 So it's enough time for this whole process because we tried it in one year and it was 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:58.280 too busy for everybody, mostly for city officials, but also for the people to understand. 00:04:58.280 --> 00:05:11.560 Sum must be large enough and also we need a lot of communication to get people involved. 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:16.439 As we traverse the Finnish landscape, one question beacons: 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:23.133 What lessons we will unearth as we cross the North Sea to Glasgow? 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:33.879 Our path now leads us to Scotland's largest city, where the river Clyde winds its way through 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:37.600 a rich tapestry of history and innovation. 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:42.920 Here we anticipate insights that will further enrich our understanding of participatory 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:46.480 budgeting's global tapestry. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:52.840 With Glasgow's story passed as a backdrop, we are about to embark on an online conversation 00:05:52.840 --> 00:05:58.240 with a seasoned expert who has navigated the landscape of participatory budgeting in this 00:05:58.240 --> 00:05:59.740 Scottish metropolis. 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:06.000 What are the basic conditions necessary to implement participatory budgeting in a country 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.480 like Scotland or in a municipality like Glasgow? 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:13.640 Right, that's a good question. 00:06:13.640 --> 00:06:20.120 To start off with, I'm guessing the basic conditions are there's got to be a commitment 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:28.080 to participatory budgeting from policy makers at both a national and local level, as well 00:06:28.080 --> 00:06:34.680 as obviously the availability of funds to allocate through participatory budgeting processes. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:44.280 I think we find that participatory budgeting works best where there's already good community 00:06:44.280 --> 00:06:51.280 engagement, a public involvement happening, and rather than it being trying to be introduced 00:06:51.280 --> 00:06:57.000 in that kind of vacuum if you will, where there's not happening already. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:05.439 So we think we see good PB helping to develop community engagement to another level in terms 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:11.000 of direct decision making over resources and budgets, rather than just being consulted 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.000 on one those as well. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:16.000 So I think that will be our kind of basic pre-conditions. 00:07:20.219 --> 00:07:28.000 Each city has woven a unique tapestry of citizen engagement, but the thread that unites them all 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:36.253 is the commitment to giving power back to the people, the very essence of participatory budgeting. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:43.675 Now our journey takes us to Lucerne, Switzerland, where another expert awaits, 00:07:43.675 --> 00:07:48.000 ready to share their insights and experience. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:53.000 In this digital age, geography knows no bounds. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:00.000 Through the marvels of technology, we connect with a seasoned practitioner from the enchanting 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.000 city of Lucerne. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:08.000 What did you achieve using participatory budgeting? 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:15.000 First I think we have been able to launch projects, real projects, and we were able to improve, 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.000 I think, identification with the new neighborhood. 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:24.000 For a new area like Lucerne North, this is a very important thing. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:32.438 And last, we are able to make many people or citizens visible with a lot of power, 00:08:32.438 --> 00:08:40.000 different communities, and with our project, it is visible now. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:50.000 Their experiences are set to expand our understanding of participatory budgeting, 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:57.000 shedding lights on the challenges and triumphs faced in different cultural contexts. 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:04.000 Lucerne, like the cities before it, holds a treasure trove of wisdom, born from the collaboration 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:09.000 between citizens and their governing bodies. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:16.000 The challenges they have faced and the solutions they have devised will serve as a testament 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:21.000 to the power of collective decision making. 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:24.000 But our exploration doesn't end here. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:30.000 Today we embark on the next chapter of our journey, reaching out to an expert from 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:39.000 Participation Factory, a consultancy in this space who is assisting cities with this process. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:49.000 As we connect with our expert, we bring with us insight from Helsinki, Turku, Glasgow, and Lucerne. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:58.000 The experiences of these cities will serve as a foundation for our conversation, allowing us to compare strategies, 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:03.000 celebrate successes, and tackle challenges collectively. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:06.000 Who benefits from participatory budgeting? 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:10.000 Actually, there are multiple target groups that benefit from it. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:19.000 Obviously, it depends on how the PB is designed, what goals are set up to be fulfilled, 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:24.000 basically the vision, the value, the seek value for the PB. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:28.000 And as you probably know, there are so many variants on how it could be done. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:35.000 But generally, I would say those who are defined as a target group for the PBs, 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:41.000 it can be citizens, it can be different citizen groups or different communities, it depends. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:50.000 But maybe what I would like to stress is the value that comes out of the participatory budgeting for the organizer itself. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:55.000 In this case, probably we are talking most about municipalities or maybe even regional governments. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:06.000 And it's definitely a way to not just to get kind of feedback or maybe say like a feeling or understanding 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.000 what the communities are dealing with, what they see as problems. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.000 But also, it's a great learning experience. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:24.000 It's a great learning experience for not just politicians, but city officials and employees of these institutions as well, 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:34.000 because they're exposed to a dialogue, they're exposed to dealing with more or less happy or unhappy citizens. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:43.000 And that's definitely a key takeaway, which serves sort of a long term benefit. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:49.000 If the PB is done, designed and implemented in the right way. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:59.000 The journey continues as we bridge distances and cultures coming together to unravel the universal story of participatory budgeting, 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:09.000 a story of democracy in action, of voices being heard and cities transformed from ground up. 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:19.000 Join us as we embark on this cross-continental exploration, driven by the belief that when citizens have a stake in their city's decisions, 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:23.000 the possibilities are limitless.