5 replicable cases of community organizations in Latin America

To launch the transformation of an uncontrolled settlement requires the support and approval of the community. Through an organized community, whether an assembly, a community council of neighbors, or a civil organization, decisions are made collectively to defend and represent the interests of the majority of the inhabitants. 

The Study "Inclusion de habitantes en la ciudadania plena. Experiencias de desarrollo urbano e inclusion social en America Latina" (CAF, 2013) (Inclusion of Inhabitants in Full Citizenship. Experiences in Urban Development and Social Inclusion in Latin America) summarizes some successful experiences to illustrate how these structures are created, and how to maintain them operational. 

La Moran, Caracas, Venezuela:a community organized with more than 17 years of learning, represented by the Community Civil Association Moran-La Silsa. Through its Coordinating Board, it encourages the participation of the community in its activities and in decision making. It was created with the support of FUDEP. 

Catuche, Caracas, Venezuela: The Catuche Civil Association was created to achieve the social and physical improvement of the neighborhoods of the Catuche Gorge, in the Parrish La Pastora. The Association committed to design, coordinate, manage, and lead the execution of all the works in open accounts, practicing new management forms and community organization. This was achieved as a result of the training in management, supervision, and construction of social and physical works, through the transfer of the funds and local power to the civil society. 

Ojo de Agua Baruta, Caracas, Venezuela: this community started its urban transformation process with the training and legal organization of the community to achieve their own management of the pubic services projects and the provision of common areas and infrastructure. To do this, the leaders of the community were called in order to increase the level of participation in the diagnosis and execution stages. 

TAC, Valparaiso, Chile: the community social organization (TAC, for its acronym in Spanish - Community Action Workshop) is located in Cerro Cordillera Valparaiso, Chile, since 1990. Its purpose is the construction of shared values within the community, such as local identity, territorial permanence of its inhabitants, the establishment of worker and port worker organizations, spaces that facilitate meetings, public spaces, urban equipment, and specific operations focused on improving the quality of life. 

Barrios de Verdad, La Paz , Bolivia: interventions are carried out in each area by means of a contest, which commits the participation of the neighbors with a mobilization and agreement process to enter with projects that have been prioritized by the community. It will be the neighborhood that will carry out the necessary procedures and information gathering to comply with the requirements of the contest.  The selection and rating forms are aimed at recovering information form the neighborhood reality: physical-geographic, socio-economic, cultural, organizational, and environmental characteristics, and access to services. Once the contest is won, a signature is required in the Act of Agreement from the Municipal Government, the executors, and neighbors.