Conselhos de fato e conselhos no papel: poderes locais e práticas de participação

Abstract

Practices seen as participative activities in the State of Ceara were implemented under the auspices of the 1988 Constitution, and are shown according to a double registry: in the one hand, a record that was foreseen in national official policies that took for granted the existence of councils as a regulation claim from public policies, and in the other hand experiences that became notorious, going beyond legality and serving as an example to be followed. This article evaluates the participative theme based on different articulating experiences between associative entities and local power representatives from municipalities in the State of Ceara (Sobral and Santana do Acarau cities). The unfolding of guiding issues for the research is based on different meanings and actions attached to participation and enrollment of associative organizations in the local power structure. Two conflicting interlocutory models we have found in municipalities in the State of Ceara are used as reference to the research: an administrative proposal based on strong presence of councils in decision-making municipal configurations, and one other form of articulation where participation mechanisms which are not so evident.