On June 26th, 2010 AmericaSpeaks held a National Town Meeting in 58 cities around the United States called Our Budget, Our Economy, where 3,500 Americans discussed possible solutions to America’s long term fiscal challenges.
Originating in Puerto Alegre in 1989, Participatory Budgeting (PB) has been implemented throughout the world. Jarabacoa is not a place known for its strength of civil society or citizen engagement. This pilot program of PB using SMS aims to increase civil society and involve citizens for greater government transparency and accountability. PB is part of a broader better governance intitative of the World Bank Initative and United Nations Development Program. PB has been regarded as a "best practice" for open and more effective governance.
The purpose of this document is to summarize the results of an exercise in small-scale, intensive public consultation regarding the problem of roaming horses on the West side of Okanagan Lake above Penticton. A Delphi approach using iterative web-based surveys was used to elicit and evaluate ideas from a selected panel of approximately 50 residents. The results provide a foundation for an RDOS-initiated horse control strategy for the area.
