What if you could help decide how the government spends public funds? | Shari Davis

Translator: Alba Gil Vicente

My name is Shari Davis,

Chámome Shari Davis

and let's be honest,

e para ser honesta

I'm a recovering government employee.

son funcionaria en vías de rehabilitación.

And I say that with a huge shout-out to the folks that work in government

E digo isto co máximo respecto para quen traballa na función pública

and on systems change.

e no cambio sistémico.

It's hard.

É difícil.

It can be isolating.

Pode resultar solitario.

And the work can feel impossible.

O traballo pode semellar imposible.

But government is the people that show up.

Mais o goberno é a xente que se presenta.

Really, it's the people that can show up

De verdade, é a xente que se presenta

and are committed to the promise that public service offers:

e cumpre o cometido da función pública:

service to people,

servizo ó pobo,

democracy

democracia

and fixing the problems that community members face.

e resolver os problemas da comunidade.

Seventeen years ago,

Hai 17 anos

I walked through city hall for the first time as a staff member.

paseei por primeira vez polo concello como traballadora.

And that walk revealed something to me.

Esa acción reveloume algo.

I was a unicorn.

Eu era un unicornio.

There weren't many people who looked like me

Non había moita xente traballando naquel sitio

that worked in the building.

que se parecese a min.

And yet, there were folks committed to addressing hundreds of years

E aínda así había xente traballando para corrixir centos de anos

of systemic inequity

de desigualdade sistémica,

that left some behind and many ignored.

que esqueceu a uns e ignorou a outros.

Where there was promise,

Onde había unha promesa

tamén había un gran problema.

there was a huge problem.

You see, democracy, as it was originally designed,

O deseño orixinal da democracia

had a fatal flaw.

tiña un defecto fatídico.

It only laid pipeline for rich white men to progress.

Só asentou as bases para o progreso do home branco e rico.

And now, if you're a smart rich white man,

Se es un home branco, rico e intelixente,

you understand why I say that's a problem.

entendes por que iso é un problema.

Massive talent has been left off the field.

Deixamos moito talento fóra de xogo.

Our moral imaginations have grown anemic.

A nosa imaxinación moral está anémica.

Our highest offices are plagued by corruption.

A corrupción infesta os altos cargos.

We're on the brink of a sort of apathetic apocalypse,

Estamos ó bordo dunha apocalipse apática,

and it's not OK.

e iso non está ben.

We've got to open the doors

Temos que abrir moito as portas

to city halls and schools

dos concellos e das escolas

so wide that people can't help but walk in.

para que a xente non poida evitar entrar.

We've got to throw out the old top-down processes

Desfacernos dos obsoletos procesos que van "de arriba a abaixo"

that got us into this mess,

e que nos meteron nesta lea,

and start over,

e comezar de novo,

with new faces around the table,

con novas caras na mesa,

new voices in the mix,

novas voces no grupo,

and we have to welcome new perspectives every step of the way.

e debemos apreciar os novos puntos de vista sempre.

Not because it's the right thing to do --

Non por que estea ben facelo

although it is --

--que o está--

but because that's the only way for us to all succeed together.

senón porque é o único xeito de prosperar xuntos.

And here's the best news of all.

E o mellor de todo

I know how to do it.

é que sei como facelo.

The answer -- well, an answer,

A resposta --ou máis ben unha resposta--,

is participatory budgeting.

son os orzamentos participativos.

That's right.

Escoitastes ben.

Participatory budgeting, or "PB" for short.

Os orzamentos participativos, ou "OP" para abreviar.

PB is a process that brings community and government together

Os OP permiten que a comunidade e o goberno

to ideate, develop concrete proposals

creen e desenvolvan en conxunto propostas concretas

and vote on projects that solve real problems in community.

e voten os proxectos que atenden problemas reais da comunidade.

Now I realize that people don't get up and dance

Xa sei que a xente non monta unha festa

when I start talking about public budgets.

cando falo dos orzamentos públicos.

But participatory budgeting

Pero os orzamentos participativos

is actually about collective, radical imagination.

van sobre a imaxinación radical colectiva.

Everyone has a role to play in PB,

Todos xogamos un papel nos OP,

and it works,

e funcionan,

because it allows community members to craft real solutions

porque permiten que os membros da comunidade elaboren solucións reais

to real problems

a problemas reais

and provides the infrastructure for the promise of government.

e proporcionan as infraestruturas sobre as que construír goberno.

And honestly,

E, sendo sincera,

it's how I saw a democracy actually work for the first time.

así vin funcionar unha democracia, de verdade, por primeira vez.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Recórdoo coma se fose onte.

It was 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts,

Foi no 2014 en Boston, Massachusetts,

and mayor Menino asked me

e o alcalde Menino pediume

to launch the country's first youth-focused PB effort

que puxese en marcha os primeiros OP dirixidos á mocidade

with one million dollars of city funds.

financiados cun millón de dólares de fondos públicos.

Now, we didn't start with line items and limits

Non comezamos polos límites de gasto, partidas orzamentarias,

or spreadsheets and formulas.

follas de cálculo nin fórmulas.

We started with people.

Comezamos pola xente.

We wanted to make sure that everyone was listened to.

Queríamos asegurarnos de que escoitabamos a todo o mundo.

So we brought in young people

Así que trouxemos xente nova

from historically and traditionally marginalized neighborhoods,

de barrios histórica e tradicionalmente marxinalizados,

members of the queer community

membros da comunidade queer

and youth that were formerly incarcerated,

e mocidade ex-reclusa,

and together, often with pizza and a sugar-free beverage,

e xuntos, normalmente cunha pizza e unha bebida sen azucre,

we talked about how to make Boston better.

falabamos de como mellorar Boston.

And we designed a process that we called "Youth Lead the Change."

E creamos un proceso que chamamos "A Mocidade Lidera o Cambio".

We imagined a Boston

Imaxinamos un Boston

where young people could access the information

no que a mocidade tivese acceso á información

that they need to thrive.

que necesita para prosperar.

Where they could feel safe in their communities,

No que estean seguros nas súas comunidades

and where they can transform public spaces into real hubs of life

e no que poder converter os lugares públicos en espazos vivos

for all people.

para toda a xente.

And that's exactly what they did.

E iso é exactamente o que fixeron.

In the first year,

O primeiro ano,

young people allocated 90,000 dollars to increase technology access

a mocidade destinou 90.000 dólares para mellorar o acceso á tecnoloxía

for Boston public high school students,

do alumnado dos institutos públicos,

by delivering laptops right to Boston public high schools,

e entregou ordenadores portátiles ós institutos públicos de Boston,

so that students could thrive inside and outside of the classroom.

para que o alumnado puidese prosperar dentro e fóra das clases.

They allocated 60,000 dollars to creating art walls

Destinaron 60.000 dólares á creación de murais

that literally and figuratively brightened up public spaces.

que, literal e figuradamente, iluminaron os espazos públicos.

But they addressed a more important problem.

E isto atendeu un problema moito máis importante:

Young people were being criminalized and pulled into the justice system

a mocidade era criminalizada e atrapada no sistema xudicial

for putting their art on walls.

por poñer o seu arte nas paredes.

So this gave them a safe space to practice their craft.

Esta solución ofreceulles un espazo seguro para practicar a súa arte.

They allocated 400,000 dollars to renovating parks,

Destinaron 400.000 dólares á renovación de parques,

to make them more accessible for all people of all bodies.

para facelos máis accesibles a todas as persoas e tipos de corpos

Now, admittedly,

Agora ben, admito

this didn't go as smoothly as we had planned.

que isto non saíu exactamente como o tiñamos planeado.

Right before we broke ground on the park,

Xusto antes de que comezásemos co parque,

we actually found out that it was on top of an archaeological site

descubrimos que estaba situado nun xacemento arqueolóxico

and had to halt construction.

e tivemos que deter a construción.

I thought I broke PB.

Pensei que rebentara os OP.

But because the city was so committed to the project,

Pero grazas a que a cidade estaba moi comprometida co proxecto

that's not what happened.

pasou algo ben distinto.

They invited community in to do a dig,

Invitaron á comunidade a facer unha escavación,

protected the site,

protexeron o sitio,

found artifacts,

atoparon obxectos,

extended Boston's history

ampliaron a historia de Boston

and then moved forward with the renovation.

e logo procederon coa renovación.

If that isn't a reflection of radical imagination in government,

Se isto non é reflexo da imaxinación radical do goberno,

I don't know what is.

non sei que pode ser.

What sounds simple

Algo tan simple

is actually transformational for the people and communities involved.

supón unha transformación para o pobo e para as comunidades implicadas.

I'm seeing community members shape transportation access,

Vexo os membros da comunidade moldeando o acceso ó transporte,

improve their schools

mellorando as súas escolas

and even transform government buildings,

e mesmo transformando edificios gobernamentais,

so that there is space inside of them for them.

para teren cabida eles mesmos.

Before we had PB,

Antes de termos OP,

I would see people who look like me

podía ver xente coma min

and come from where I come from

que viña do mesmo sitio ca min

walk in to government buildings for this new initiative

e entraba nos edificios do goberno por unha nova iniciativa

or that new working group,

ou por un novo grupo de traballo,

and then I'd watch them walk right back out.

e víaos marchar case inmediatamente.

Sometimes I wouldn't see them again.

Algunhas veces non volvían aparecer.

It's because their expertise was being unvalued.

Porque non se valoraba a súa experiencia.

They weren't truly being engaged in the process.

Non os implicaban de verdade no proceso.

Put PB is different.

Mais os OP son diferentes.

When we started doing PB,

Cando comezamos cos OP,

I met amazing young leaders across the city.

coñecín a líderes novos e incribles por toda a cidade.

One in particular, a rock star, Malachi Hernandez,

Un en concreto, unha estrela, Malachi Hernández,

15 years old,

15 anos de idade,

came into a community meeting --

veu a unha asemblea comunitaria

shy, curious, a little quiet.

--vergoñento, curioso, algo reservado.

Stuck around

Quedou con nós

and became one of the young people hoping to lead the project.

e converteuse nun dos mozos ó liderado do proxecto.

Now fast-forward a couple of years.

Avancemos un par de anos,

Malachi was the first in his family to attend college.

Malachi foi o primeiro da súa familia en ir á universidade.

A couple of weeks ago,

Hai un par de semanas,

he was the first in his family to graduate.

foi o primeiro da súa familia en graduarse.

Malachi has appeared

Malachi acudiu varias veces

in the Obama White House several times

á Casa Blanca de Obama

as part of the My Brother's Keeper initiative.

como membro da iniciativa "Gardián do meu Irmán".

President Obama even quotes Malachi in interviews.

O Presidente Obama mesmo cita a Malachi nas súas intervencións.

It's true, you can look it up.

É certo, podes buscalo.

Malachi got engaged, stayed engaged,

Malachi comprometeuse, e segue comprometido,

and is out here changing the way we think about community leadership

e está a cambiar a nosa percepción do liderado comunitario

and potential.

e do seu potencial.

Or my friend Maria Hadden,

Ou a miña amiga Maria Hadden,

who was involved in the first PB process in Chicago.

implicada no primeiro proceso de OP en Chicago.

Then went on to become a founding

Que se converteu en membro fundador

participatory budgeting project board member,

do comité de proxecto dos OP,

eventually a staff member,

converteuse co tempo en axente,

and then unseated a 28-year incumbent,

e despois desbancou a un cargo de 28 anos de antigüidade

becoming the first queer Black alderperson

e converteuse na primeira concelleira negra e queer

in Chicago's history.

na historia de Chicago.

That's real engagement.

Iso é implicación real.

That's being taken seriously.

Iso é que te tomen en serio.

That's building out and building on community leadership.

É ampliar e desenvolver o liderado comunitario.

That's system change.

É cambiar o sistema.

And it's not just in the US either.

E non pasa só nos Estados Unidos.

After starting 30 years ago in Brazil,

Despois de comezar hai 30 anos en Brasil,

PB has spread to over 7,000 cities across the globe.

os OP chegaron a máis de 7.000 cidades por todo o mundo.

In Paris, France,

En París, Francia,

the mayor puts up five percent of her budget,

a alcaldía destina o 5% dos seus fondos,

over 100 million euros,

máis de 100 millóns de euros,

for community members to decide on and shape their city.

para que os membros da comunidade decidan como mellorar a súa cidade.

Globally, PB has been shown to improve public health,

Mundialmente, os OP axudaron a mellorar a sanidade pública,

reduce corruption

reducir a corrupción

and increase trust in government.

e aumentar a confianza no goberno.

Now we know the challenges that we face in today's society.

Coñecemos os desafíos da sociedade actual.

How can we expect people to feel motivated,

Como pretendemos que a xente estea motivada,

que participen nas eleccións

to show up to the polls

when they can't trust that government is run by and for the people.

cando non confían en que o goberno é da xente e para a xente?

I argue that we haven't actually experienced

Coido que aínda non experimentamos

true participatory democracy

a verdadeira democracia participativa

in these United States of America just yet.

nestes Estados Unidos.

But democracy is a living, breathing thing.

Mais a democracia é un elemento vivo e palpitante.

And it's still our birthright.

É o noso dereito de nacemento.

It's time to renew trust, and that's not going to come easy.

É hora de que renovemos a confianza, e non vai ser algo doado.

We have to build new ways of thinking,

Debemos construír novos modos de pensar,

of talking, of working, of dreaming, of planning

de falar, de traballar, de soñar, de planificar

in its place.

no seu lugar.

What would America look like if everyone had a seat at the table?

Como sería America se todos tivésemos un sitio na mesa?

If we took the time to reimagine what's possible,

Se tomásemos o tempo de reimaxinar as posibilidades,

and then ask, "How do we get there?"

e logo preguntásemos "como podemos nós chegar até aí?"

My favorite author, Octavia Butler, says it best.

A miña autora favorita, Octavia Butler, explícao mellor.

In "Parable of the Sower," basically my Bible, she says,

N'A Parábola do Sementador, basicamente a miña biblia, di:

"All that you touch You Change.

"Todo o que tocas Cámbialo.

All that you Change Changes you.

Todo o que Cambias Cámbiate.

The only lasting truth Is Change.

A única verdade eterna É o cambio.

God Is Change."

Deus É Cambio."

It's time for these 50 states to change.

É hora de que estes 50 estados cambien.

What got us here sure as hell won't get us there.

O que nos trouxo até aquí non nos levará até onde queremos.

We've got to kick the walls of power down

Debemos derrubar as paredes do poder

and plant gardens of genuine democracy in their place.

e no seu lugar plantar xardíns de auténtica democracia.

That's how we change systems.

Así cambiamos os sistemas.

By opening doors so wide

Abrindo tanto as portas

that people can't help but walk in.

que a xente non pode evitar entrar.

So what's stopping you

Logo, que che impide a ti

from bringing participatory budgeting to your community?

levar os Orzamentos Participativos á túa comunidade?