The leading role of the Inter-Council Forum in rebuilding social participation.

The 2nd Inter-Council Forum, taking place on August 13th and 14th, has as one of its central themes the "Reconstruction of Social Participation": an essential debate in the current scenario, where the country needs to unite in defense of democracy and national sovereignty. The Forum is an award-winning initiative. United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) of the United Nations (UN) in 2014 and which, since then, has been an international benchmark in participatory public policies. In a context marked by constant attacks on democratic institutions, the policy of social participation needs to be strengthened and expanded, not only to ensure the influence of civil society in the actions of the State, but, above all, to consolidate the institutional maturity of Brazil.

In addition to the reconstruction of social participation, the meeting will discuss social participation in COP 30 and the policy of social participation in the territories. The Forum is an intersectoral collegiate body, within the direct administration of the Federal Government, which brings together representatives of national councils and collegiate bodies with social participation. Created during the elaboration of the Pluriannual Plan (PPA) 2012-2015, it emerged as an innovative initiative to promote qualified and institutionalized debates on social participation and public planning, connecting these elements in the elaboration of the PPA, the Budget Guidelines Law (LDO) and the Annual Budget Law (LOA).

Currently, the Forum's competencies include: promoting intersectoral and cross-cutting participation in public policies; monitoring and tracking the implementation of priority government agendas; and proposing measures to improve social participation at the federal level. The leading role of the Inter-Council Forum in the process of rebuilding social participation is largely due to its institutional maturity – as it has existed since 2011 – and the presence of representatives from civil society, members of national councils and boards, including members of the Social Participation Council (CPS). These characteristics ensure that the Forum is a legitimate and effective space, capable of articulating diverse demands and influencing public policies in a more inclusive and representative way.

In addition to the II Inter-Council Forum, the IX Plenary Meeting of the Council for Social Participation of the Presidency of the Republic is taking place on August 11th and 12th, with agendas related to social participation in COP 30 and the political situation. The CPS is a fundamental body for dialogue between the government and civil society, with the mission of advising the President of the Republic in his interaction with social movements and civil society organizations, as well as promoting dialogue on the implementation of public policies. It is worth highlighting that the CPS, conceived during the 2022 transition, is a space for unity among social movements and, unlike other thematic councils, was not created to discuss a specific area, but rather to debate the policy of social participation as a whole in Lula's third government, representing an important initiative for the mainstreaming of public policies.

Another event this week is emblematic: the national stage of the 4th National Conference on Popular and Solidarity Economy – 4th CONAES, which will take place between August 13th and 16th, with the theme “Popular and Solidarity Economy as Public Policy: Building democratic territories through associative work and cooperation”. CONAES will provide input for the elaboration of the 2nd National Plan for Solidarity Economy, serving as a concrete example of the reconstruction of social participation policy, since its last edition took place in 2014. The 4th CONAES also represents an advance in social participation policy, as it adopts a two-way perspective: in addition to receiving contributions from civil society, the government will provide accountability for ongoing policies. This approach breaks with a historical problem of national conferences: the lack of transparency in feedback to society. Often, conference processes are treated as merely consultative, without feedback on how the proposals were (or were not) incorporated. The 4th CONAES seeks to overcome this limitation, strengthening social control and democratic governance.

Brazil is rebuilding and strengthening its social participation policy, particularly through National Councils and Conferences, enabling a more widespread and capillary presence in the territories through Social Participation Forums and integration with digital networks via the Participatory Brazil Platform. This reconstruction is fundamental in a complex and polarized political landscape, where democratic culture needs constant reaffirmation. Therefore, popular education, as a methodology, is a central element in improving social participation, addressing challenges such as hate culture, misinformation, racism, LGBTphobia, and other forms of discrimination. Furthermore, recent advancements – such as the implementation of two-way communication in conference processes and consistent accountability – demonstrate that participatory policies in Brazil are maturing, becoming more transparent and effective.

The 2nd Inter-Council Forum, the work of the CPS (Council for Social Policy), and the holding of the 4th CONAES (National Conference on Social Participation) are concrete examples that participatory democracy not only resists but reinvents itself. It is in this context of participatory effervescence that, rereading a column by Flávia Oliveira from 2015, I find a quote from Galeano that I bring to the reflection on the role of social participation in society: “What is the word most heard in the world, in almost all languages? The word 'I'. I, I, I. However, a scholar of indigenous languages ​​revealed that the word most used by Mayan communities, which is at the center of their sayings and way of life, is 'we'. In Chiapas, 'we' is pronounced 'tik'. That is why the World Social Forum was born and grew, a universal model of participatory democracy: to say 'we'. Tik, tik, tik.” May this serve as inspiration in the process of reconstructing the politics of social participation.