The Fuerteventura Island Council, through its Department of Social Action, Diversity, LGTBIQ+, Citizen Participation and Open Government, is moving forward with signing a memorandum of understanding with the island's municipalities within the framework of the project Fuerteventura in the spotlight, with the aim of strengthening citizen participation from a community-based approach at the local level.
The meeting, recently held at the island council and attended by President Dolores García, Councilor Víctor Alonso, municipal representatives, and Vicente Zapata, the academic director of the project led by the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna, served as a forum for coordinating the institutional development of the results of the social listening process carried out across the island. During the session, the conclusions and key findings were shared, and participants worked on comparing them with the specific needs of each municipality, thus advancing their implementation at the local level.
The president of the Island Council highlighted that this process allows them to “transform listening to the citizens into concrete actions that improve people's lives,” while Councilor Víctor Alonso emphasized that the project consolidates a stable, collaborative line of work aligned with the realities of the island. For his part, Vicente Zapata stressed the importance of listening to the people of Fuerteventura as a necessary step before defining and developing any public policy.
In this context, the Island Council and local councils are working on formalizing a memorandum of understanding that will establish a stable framework for institutional cooperation. This instrument aims to facilitate the integration of the results of social outreach into local council planning, strengthening coordination between administrations and consolidating joint work with community organizations.
Furthermore, the agreement will contribute to training in participation, the exchange of experiences, the development of coordinated actions, and the definition of common lines of action across the island. The work carried out with the municipalities has allowed for the identification of priority proposals that will guide future actions.
In Antigua, among the most prominent proposals are improving and diversifying institutional communication channels to facilitate citizen access to information, along with organizing neighborhood meetings focused on debate and shared decision-making. In Betancuria, the feedback process has yielded proposals to advance the creation of formal spaces for participation, such as councils or open forums, as well as strengthening the municipal technical structure by establishing key figures in citizen participation.
In La Oliva, the most prominent lines of work discussed in the discussions focused on consolidating stable channels of communication between the administration and citizens, along with promoting inclusive community initiatives that integrate the municipality's social diversity. Meanwhile, in Pájara, the most requested proposals prioritized improving institutional communication channels and accessibility to participatory processes, as well as strengthening connectivity to facilitate participation throughout the territory.
In Puerto del Rosario, the most frequently mentioned proposals focus on improving and diversifying the administration's communication channels to reach citizens through various means, as well as promoting greater accessibility, closeness, and institutional listening, through stable spaces for participation, regular meetings, and tools that facilitate networking with associations and groups.
Finally, in Tuineje, the emphasis is on improving communication channels between the administration and citizens, as well as the need to facilitate access to participation by improving connectivity and transport.
Next steps
This meeting represents progress in the development of the Fuerteventura Protagonista project and in establishing a shared roadmap between the Island Council and the municipalities. The signing of the memorandum of understanding will allow for a new phase focused on developing the identified proposals and strengthening institutional collaboration regarding citizen participation on the island.
Looking ahead, a community meeting is planned to share the results of the social listening process and further its socialization, since it is essential that the contributions made, once analyzed and systematized, return to the social group.
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