1913 2013
20 | Centenary of the international municipal movement · Centenaire du mouvement municipal international · Centenario del movimiento municipal internacional
How to evaluate the first decade of UCLG?
The main strengths or successes of UCLG may be described as: • The “social and political heterogeneity or diversity”: bringing together different political views, currents and movements. • The “civilizational and cultural heterogeneity”: moving from a mainly Western / Euro-centric past to a multi-centric, multi-cultural and multi-universal one.
“Doing is the best way of saying.”
• The “non-hierarchical and equal position” of all members.
JOSE MARTI
• The “moral certainity” that main issues confronting humankind and the world at the beginning of the 21st century are brought to the agenda of the organisation. • The “non-state”, “non-partisan” and “independent” character of the organisation from any established power structure (governmental or corporate). • The creation of the possibility of new and solid alliances between the forces of democracy, peace and solidarity in the North, South, East and West, and in the periphery and metropol (the centre). • The provision of continuity within the international municipal movement. • The opportunity of face to face encounters and cross-fertilization, which are essential for any movement. • Enhancement of the capacity of “working together”. • The development of the status and representative capacity and recognition of the organisation within global governance. (Such as holding the majority of seats and chairmanship on the UN Advisory Committee of Local Authorities UNACLA; being recognized as one of the main supporters of the UN Alliance of Civilisations; chairing the Executive Committee of the Cities Alliance; becoming a stakeholder an International Aid Effectiveness; starting direct relations between the UN Secretary General and UCLG President; nomination of UCLG’s President by the UN Sec. Gen. as a member of the Post-Millenium Development Goals High Level Panel of Eminent Persons...) • Creating a “new hope” for a better world. The main problem areas or weaknesses faced so far may be summarized as follows: • The partial inability to convert these strenghts, (and of course others as well) into a sufficient socio-political (not in the sense of narrow party politics) firmness that could effectively influence and change dominant discourses and practices. • A deficiency in the field of economic and financial resources, and lack of a strong strategy for transforming this situation into a realistic alternative.