CIRD - Center of Information and Resources for Development

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CIRD - Center of Information and Resources for Development

Paraguay
Project Stage:
Scaling
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

The development of civil society in Paraguay has been slowed by decades of military dictatorship and political suppression. To change this reality, Agustín Carrizosa is strengthening Paraguay's citizen organizations by enabling them to better penetrate and impact public policy and facilitate democratic, participatory attitudes among Paraguayan citizens.

About Project

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

Through the consolidation of a system of communitarian health that rests on high levels of citizen participation, Agustín is transforming the healthcare system as well as government-civil society relations in Paraguay. He is strengthening Local Health Councils and ensuring public participation in the management of public resources. Agustín is developing and entrenching avenues for sustained cooperation between citizen organizations (COs) and government that lead to the development, implementation, and monitoring of local action plans. Although this model was initially created to foster citizen participation in the field of health, it is applicable to many other areas of public services, and Agustín is now replicating this approach in the fields of education and youth leadership. The relationship between government and civil society enables the creation of innovative, practical programs for public services. The more citizens are involved in the design and implementation of such programs, the more efficient, relevant, and valuable they will be. This both helps citizens and ensures that government resources are allocated in the best way possible. Agustín works to make civil society more autonomous and to develop projects of common interest, in part through the management of public resources. He implements his idea through a strong citizen organization, the Center for Information and Resources for Development (CIRD), which operates many citizenship programs. With his focus on building cross-sector partnerships, Agustín can use CIRD's reputation to spread his work throughout Paraguay and beyond.
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