With the aim of strengthening democracy, citizen participation, and a culture of peace, the second edition of the School of Electoral Pedagogy and Social Innovation: “Building Democracy and a Culture of Peace” was officially launched on 3rd February 2026. The initiative is promoted by Fundación CONSTRUIR in collaboration with Método CHE from Argentina.
This initiative is implemented within the framework of the project “Observa Bolivia: Citizen Participation and Social Inclusion in Bolivia’s Democracy” and is financially supported by the European Union, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI), and benefits from the technical assistance of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES/CEAE).
The School aims to strengthen the normative and practical knowledge of social actors regarding the main challenges facing democracy and electoral processes in Bolivia, while simultaneously promoting a culture of peace. Through a participatory, inclusive, and innovative methodology, the programme fosters collective reflection, knowledge exchange, and the co-creation of proposals aimed at public advocacy.
The first session was delivered by ECES expert Carolina Floru, who addressed the topic “2026 Subnational Elections: Challenges for Electoral Observation and Informed Voting.” During her presentation, the challenges faced by citizens and the media in ensuring informed electoral decision-making in the upcoming subnational electoral process were analysed. The session also addressed the difficulties and needs faced by Citizen Electoral Observation Missions when planning their activities within a highly complex regulatory framework and a geographically dispersed context.
In her intervention, Floru highlighted the complexity of the subnational context, characterised by the lower visibility of electoral offerings compared to national processes, despite their direct impact on citizens’ daily lives. She also emphasised the importance of strengthening civic capacities to promote responsible, critical, and conscious voting.
The training programme is structured around four core pillars: democracy education and citizen participation across the pre-, during, and post-electoral phases; social cohesion tools, co-creation, and collaborative dialogue; design and implementation of information and advocacy campaigns with an inclusive approach; and innovation and social cohesion laboratories as spaces for practical experimentation.
Through this second edition, Fundación CONSTRUIR, ECES, and their partners reaffirm their commitment to strengthening a more informed, participatory, and peaceful democratic practice in Bolivia by fostering citizens as agents of change and builders of peace.
