The World Atlas of Participatory Budgeting will be unveiled in December

After the success of the first edition, launched in 2019, the time has finally come to disclose the most up-to-date data on Participatory Budgeting (PB) in the world.
Designed in a pre-pandemic context, the second Atlas has been rethought in terms of content and production schedule. The coordination team and 100 plus authors network, from 65 countries, have worked over the past two years on a publication that aims to make a difference, produce new knowledge and, once again, challenge the international community on structuring themes.
While talking about the book, the coordination team said that this Atlas addresses two continuity themes and three brand new ones. From the previous edition, are carried over a study of national legislation on Participatory Budgeting, with updated information and the first proposal for typification of these regulatory instruments, as well as the reading of widely recognised international indices aimed at understanding the characteristics of the territories where PB are developed. The following barometers were used for this work: Democracy Index, Corruption Perception Index; Human Development Index, Happiness Index, Peace Index and Terrorism Index.
The impacts of the pandemic analysis, with very comprehensive statistical data and a qualitative study on the trends and models adopted by PB throughout the health crisis, as well as clarifying some of the challenges that these initiatives will face in the coming years, constitute new features of the second edition.
According to the authors, the covid-19 pandemic made clear the existence of a narrow reading of Participatory Budgeting scope of action, so it was decided to go ahead with a proposal for reconceptualization of these processes, which challenges the international community and the promoting entities to review the cycles of decision and projects implementation.
This Atlas also discloses unprecedented work on the so-called "dissemination flows", which enabled the identification of the main influence poles for worldwide PB dissemination over the last three decades. The conclusions of this study provide visual understanding of the numerous cooperation relations established between countries, as well as identifying different "waves of dissemination" of Participatory Budgeting or, in other words, different participation models.
In addition, this publication provides statistical updates on PB worldwide, with detailed information sheets on 65 countries, 12 of which correspond to territories not represented in the first edition.
The unveiling of the Atlas takes place on 10 December, at 2 p.m. in Portugal, and will be made by telematic means. Those interested in participating should pre-register at the following address www.oficina.org.pt/atlas2020.html.
This is a work is coordinated by Oficina Association, edited by Make It Happen, and has the partnership of Enda Ecopop and the support of the Municipality of Cascais (Portugal).