Interviews with inhabitants of La Otra Banda (please fallow the link below):
Stakeholders/actors:
NGO T.E.P.E.: the only
non-profit organization that take care of the children in La Otra
Banda. The children can visit and stay at the organization for free.
Their goal is to increase the quality of life for children who come
from poorer families in the neighborhood. The center is open in the
morning hours because it wants to aim children who go to school in
the afternoon (usually a sign of lower class). It has already many
projects that involve not only the children from La Otra Banda but
also their mothers. Once a month they organize meetings for the
mothers, where they can meet each other, talk about their problem,
etc. T.E.P.E. can be found near the train station, in the living room
of La Otra Banda.
Where: Pop up Park in the living room, street art
events for children, local newspaper: topics → Family and
Education, Health and Sexuality, Community Bank
Families (people of La Otra Banda): from the statistic
gather in La Otra Banda, we can tell, that women are in slight
majority in this city quarter. In the living room of La Otra Banda
the proportions between male and females are almost equal, however
women tend to be in slight majority.
The children are huge group of the inhabitants in La Otra Banda. The
citizens in age from 0 to 17 constitute over 65 percent of all
inhabitants in this city quarters. People in productive age (from 18
till 64) constitute only around 20 percent while elderly around 15
percent. From those statistic we can tell that children with their
families (and most important mothers) are very important stakeholders
in the region.
From the statistic we also find out that most of the people in La
Otra Banda (around 60 percent) is working and another 5 percent are
actively looking for a job. Big percent of the inhabitants in La Otra
Banda in the statistics is marked as occupationally inactive (around
35 percent). To this group can belong the elderly who reached their
retainment age and most probably women – mothers, who decided to
become stay home mothers and take care of their children or have
unregistered occupation, e.g. selling newspapers, cleaning cars, etc.
Where: everywhere, elect council of inhabitants for Community
Bank
La Jabonara: design firm which headquarters near the
train station, in the living room of La Otra Banda. They cooperate
with the community and IMPLAN and are witnesses to the slow
transformation the the neighborhood.
Where: Local newspaper of La Otra Banda: topics: Changes and
Events in La Otra Banda, new architectural designs, Community Bank
IMPLAN: the Municipal Institute of Planning of
Queretaro. It is a public organization which describes its aim as
sustainable planning and developing of La Otra Banda, taking into
account economic, environmental and social factors.
Where: new architectural designs
Culture Center La Via: opened in 2012. It offers
variety of free of charge activities, e.g. painting, dancing, yoga
and meditation. Over 350 inhabitants of La Otra Banda are attending
the coursers in La Via.
Where: main actor of local newspaper (coordination): topics →
Changes and Events in La Otra Banda, Community Bank
Train station: because there are no passenger trains to
Queretaro those days, the train station has become museum of the
train transport. Moreover it organizes some activities for locals
like dance lessons on Friday and Saturday evening.
Where: pop up park, street art events, local newspaper: topics →
culture
Schools:
there
are many schools collected around north entrance to La Otra Banda.
The schools include primary and secondary school with many children.
Where:
pop
up park in the north
entrance of La Otra Banda, local
newspaper: topic → Family and Education.
Community Bank in La Otra Banda:
The
goal of the community bank is to promote the development of low
income areas through ensuring
micro-credits for local production and consumption with low interest
rates and no requirements for registration, proof of income, or
guarantor, (the neighbors guarantee the borrower's reliability). Its
mission is also to provide access to banking services to residents of
poorer communities who generally would not otherwise have access to
them in traditional banks, based on lack of credit history or
financial collateral and/or physical distance.
How would the community bank contribute to the development in
La Otra Banda?
The
community bank would contribute to the economical development by
issuing micro credits with low payment
interest rates to business owners and other
inhabitants. The credits could be issued
in official currency of Mexico or local currency (it could be called
e.g.: “Mi Barrio”), which circulates
only within La Otra Banda and only there can be spent. The aim of the
local currency is to make the money circulate in the community,
thereby expanding the power of local commerce, increasing circulating
wealth in the community, and generating both employment and income.
This development
must be autonomous, from within, otherwise, it will not be
sustainable. One unit of local currency would
be equal to one real Mexican
peso, and both currencies could
be exchanged freely at any time. To encourage people to take a loan
in local currency rather then the official one, the micro credits in
local currency could have lower interest rates and more flexible
payment conditions. Moreover there could be
created arrangements with for local
merchants in order to give incentives, e.g.
discounts to consumers who
use the local currency.
By
enabling people to easy credits more business and jobs could be
created around La Otra Banda.
Possible
forms of micro credits:
1. Credit for local businesses
For the improvement or creation of both formal and informal small
businesses in La Otra Banda.
2.
Instant credit
“Instant
credit” allowing the creditor to benefit from the day-to-day
opportunities the community market has to offer.
3.
Credit for home renovation
Instant
credit for the purpose of home renovation.
4.
Environmental micro credi
Credit given to people who want to start with the waste management.
Who would open and run community bank in LOB?
Community bank in La Otra Banda would be managed by community
organizations (associations, councils, forums etc.) and other types
of civil society initiatives that are recognized within the
community, such as unions, NGOs, and churches. With the help of
already existing NGOs and social organizations in La Otra Banda, the
first community bank in La Otra Banda could be created. Its
management would involve components of local social control and
direct democracy. There should exist three councils which would
control and manage the bank.
How to finance the community bank?
The bank could operate on the bases of the real bank. It would be
possible to open an account and the money sored in the accounts could
be used as a loans to the business owners or other inhabitants of La
Otra Banda. The money made from the in the interest rates on loans
re-payments can be use to pay for the building the bank is in and
wages for its employees.
Time
line:
Step
1.: Existing NGOs and organizations in LOB decide to lunch the
community bank.
Step
2.: The organizations make the community meeting, where they inform
the inhabitants about the idea for community bank and explain how it
will work.
Step
3.: Small private donations are collected in order to rent and
renovate the building for the bank.
Step
4.: The councils of inhabitants, small business owners and non-profit
organizations are chosen to manage the community bank.
Step
5.: Inhabitants of La Otra Banda open their bank accounts in the
community bank.
Step
6.: The bank starts giving the micro loans to the people of La Otra
Banda.
Step
7.: Old businesses develop, new ones are created.
Where
would the newspaper operate?
Newspaper
office will be placed in one of the abandoned buildings near train
station and train tracks. This place will be used not only as a
newspaper office but also as a meeting point where people can
exchange their ideas, propose new events and talk about their needs
and wishes.
In
the future in the newspaper building cam be created community library
and rooms for workshops.
The
renovation of the building can be finance from the loan received from
the community bank as well as public donations of the people of La
Otra Banda.
Time
line:
Step
1.: La Via lunches Facebook page
Step
2.: La Via and other organizations in LOB use Facebook and posters to
inform the public about the changes and events in the neighborhood.
Step
3.: Inhabitants start using Facebook page to communicate with each
other and express their opinions and wishes about and for the changes
in the neighborhood.
Step
4.: La Via talks to other organizations in LOB and get them involved
and excited about the idea of lunching local newspaper and website.
The proper steps are being taken in order to receive a credit in the
community bank for renovation of the abandoned building near train
station, which will become the newspaper office.
Step
5.: La Via together with other organizations lunches local newspaper
and website.
Step
6.: Next to Facebook and posters, the newspaper and website are be
used to in inform general public about the changes and events. The
other topics like education, health, environment, etc. become also
the important part of the newspaper. Every inhabitant is informed
that he/she can become the writer for the newspaper. The open letter
section is lunched.
Step
7.: People start using the spaces of the newspaper office as a
meeting and information point. People begin writing for the
newspaper.
No comments:
Post a Comment