The University of La Laguna and the San Miguel de Abona City Council signed a general collaboration agreement yesterday, Thursday, June 20th, through which various training, research, and citizen participation initiatives will be launched to contribute to the social, economic, and cultural development of the municipality. The agreement is valid for the remainder of 2024 and will be automatically renewed annually for up to four additional years.
The agreement was signed by the rector of the academic institution, Francisco García Rodríguez, and the mayor of the southern municipality, Arturo González Hernández, at an event held at the Casa de El Capitán in San Miguel de Abona. Also present were the vice-rector of Culture and Extension, Isabel Karely León Pérez; the councilor for Tourism, Citizen Participation, Protocol, Collaboration and Cooperation, Laura Paiz Acosta; the managing director of the General Foundation of the teaching center, Julio Brito Santana; and the director of “Participa San Miguel”, one of the projects derived from the agreement, Professor Vicente Zapata Hernández.
The rector emphasized that these types of agreements underscore his institution's commitment to local progress. "We are here to serve society, to contribute to the development of all of the Canary Islands to the best of our ability, consolidating and designing new ways to continue being useful." During his remarks, he encouraged those involved in developing the protocol to "work with humility, sound judgment, and by doing things well, step by step." García concluded by thanking them for the trust placed in the academic center. "Thank you for allowing us to continue being ourselves.".
For his part, the mayor recalled the sacrifices made by many residents of the municipality to send their sons and daughters to study at the University of La Laguna. He also highlighted the fact that this was the first visit by a university rector to San Miguel de Abona. “We hope this marks the beginning of a significant collaboration in many areas, both in research and project development.” González Hernández also emphasized the importance of beginning the planned work by conducting a comprehensive consultation process with the residents of the municipality.
The first project launched through this agreement is “Participa San Miguel,” which aims to encourage community participation in the municipality, based on the premise that people should play a more active role in improving their lives, especially collectively and in conjunction with institutions. It includes a series of integrated actions designed to create a framework conducive to participation throughout the municipality, considering its various areas and starting with a comprehensive process of listening to the community.
In parallel, knowledge of the associative network in San Miguel de Abona will be updated, and participatory experiences that have made significant contributions to the municipal development process will be identified. This also includes a community training component, all thanks to a team of specialized technical staff, with management support from the General Foundation.
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