“It is a reality that contrasts with a city with significant productive movement, which has enormous potential and a matrix that is increasingly diversifying,” stated the mayor of Concordia within the framework of the MUNA (United Municipalities for Childhood and Adolescence) inter-municipal meeting held by the Provincial Ministry of Human Development and UNICEF.
On Tuesday morning, with the presence of Mayor Azcué and the Provincial Minister of Human Development, Verónica Berisso, the MUNA (United Municipalities for Childhood and Adolescence) Inter-municipal Meeting was held, an initiative by UNICEF, which works with municipal governments to place childhood at the center of their priorities and commit to improving the lives of children and adolescents.
Currently, more than 100 municipalities from 9 provinces are adapted to MUNA, among which are 5 from Entre Ríos: Concordia, Concepción del Uruguay, Gualaguaychú, Nogoyá and Villaguay, who were present in our city.
Among the objectives of the meeting was to present guidelines and concrete tools that can be useful for municipalities that want to develop actions regarding comprehensive strategies in early childhood, healthy environments, and the promotion of the rights of children and adolescents with disabilities.
In addition, to promote the exchange of good practices on the aforementioned topics, resuming the trajectory carried out in MUNA by the adhering municipalities, as well as strengthening the local network in Entre Ríos as a community of coordinated practices.
DIAGNOSIS, APPROACH AND COORDINATED ACTIONS
When taking the floor, Azcué recalled that the management axes that he duly submitted for the consideration of the residents of Concordia revolve around three pillars: productive development, institutional order, and human development.
In that context, the mayor highlighted the joint work being carried out with UNICEF and the government of the Province of Entre Ríos: “From the first day, we have been investing resources in having a present State, and today, when there is so much talk about freedom, we join that fight, but it is very difficult for our people to have freedom when they cannot access the basics to develop a life project.”
In effect, he argued, “the first thing we do, then, is to put the problems on the table,” and he detailed that “in this city, there is 69.2% child poverty,” with the contrast that “we are a wealthy city, where there is tremendous productive movement, which has enormous potential and a matrix that is increasingly diversifying.”
However, he remarked, “7 out of 10 children in this city live below the poverty line; it is an objective, scientific fact. We do not hide it because the first step to solving it is to put it on the table, and from there we start.”
Azcué cited that among the multiple current strategies to combat the scourge is the “Relevar” Project through the Secretariat of Human Development, making it clear that “it is not an approach for the photo, but rather it places the core of primordial human development, which is the family, at the center of the scene.”
In that context, he questioned the constant application “of welfare-based public policies,” which were carried out “for years in Concordia and which led to the current situation. Where the State withdrew, the parallel State arrived, that is to say, narco-criminal organizations, and for us, those who sell drugs are our enemies; we want to drive them out, we want nothing to do with them.”
Finally, Azcué said that “that is why we need you, that is why we believe in MUNA, we believe in UNICEF and in this way of working,” with scientific methods that allow addressing varied problems.
CHILDHOOD AS A PRIORITY
The coordinator of the UNICEF initiative, Fernanda Potenza, explained that MUNA is an initiative that “for the first time in its history decided to work with municipalities on a large scale, systematically, in the medium term, covering areas such as Education, Health, Communication, and the private sector.”
“In the province of Entre Ríos, it has been implemented since 2021, and currently there are five municipalities that have joined this initiative,” stressing that the idea is “to plan actions to face or reverse those situations that were identified, always with the ultimate purpose of being able to place childhood and adolescence at the center of the priorities of the policies that municipal governments carry out.”
POLICIES THAT TRANSCEND
For her part, Minister Berisso advocated for the policies that are applied to “transcend administrations, since it would be terrible if today we established something regarding childhood and it was not applied during the next administration.”
“Today we are in a very difficult context, and I believe that priorities are fundamental,” highlighting that “from the provincial government, our governor Rogelio Frigerio has his focus on this, and, as the mayor also said, it has to be with the truth on the table.”
Finally, the Secretary of Human Development, Sebastián Arístide, stated that the objective of the meeting is to share “the experience that we have and what we are going to do in the coming years,” seeking to reinforce “the possibility of allying ourselves with a structure and an organization as well-known as UNICEF, to learn from their experience and their methodology.”
On Tuesday morning, with the presence of Mayor Azcué and the Provincial Minister of Human Development, Verónica Berisso, the MUNA (United Municipalities for Childhood and Adolescence) Inter-municipal Meeting was held, an initiative by UNICEF, which works with municipal governments to place childhood at the center of their priorities and commit to improving the lives of children and adolescents.
Currently, more than 100 municipalities from 9 provinces are adapted to MUNA, among which are 5 from Entre Ríos: Concordia, Concepción del Uruguay, Gualaguaychú, Nogoyá and Villaguay, who were present in our city.
Among the objectives of the meeting was to present guidelines and concrete tools that can be useful for municipalities that want to develop actions regarding comprehensive strategies in early childhood, healthy environments, and the promotion of the rights of children and adolescents with disabilities.
In addition, to promote the exchange of good practices on the aforementioned topics, resuming the trajectory carried out in MUNA by the adhering municipalities, as well as strengthening the local network in Entre Ríos as a community of coordinated practices.
DIAGNOSIS, APPROACH AND COORDINATED ACTIONS
When taking the floor, Azcué recalled that the management axes that he duly submitted for the consideration of the residents of Concordia revolve around three pillars: productive development, institutional order, and human development.
In that context, the mayor highlighted the joint work being carried out with UNICEF and the government of the Province of Entre Ríos: “From the first day, we have been investing resources in having a present State, and today, when there is so much talk about freedom, we join that fight, but it is very difficult for our people to have freedom when they cannot access the basics to develop a life project.”
In effect, he argued, “the first thing we do, then, is to put the problems on the table,” and he detailed that “in this city, there is 69.2% child poverty,” with the contrast that “we are a wealthy city, where there is tremendous productive movement, which has enormous potential and a matrix that is increasingly diversifying.”
However, he remarked, “7 out of 10 children in this city live below the poverty line; it is an objective, scientific fact. We do not hide it because the first step to solving it is to put it on the table, and from there we start.”
Azcué cited that among the multiple current strategies to combat the scourge is the “Relevar” Project through the Secretariat of Human Development, making it clear that “it is not an approach for the photo, but rather it places the core of primordial human development, which is the family, at the center of the scene.”
In that context, he questioned the constant application “of welfare-based public policies,” which were carried out “for years in Concordia and which led to the current situation. Where the State withdrew, the parallel State arrived, that is to say, narco-criminal organizations, and for us, those who sell drugs are our enemies; we want to drive them out, we want nothing to do with them.”
Finally, Azcué said that “that is why we need you, that is why we believe in MUNA, we believe in UNICEF and in this way of working,” with scientific methods that allow addressing varied problems.
CHILDHOOD AS A PRIORITY
The coordinator of the UNICEF initiative, Fernanda Potenza, explained that MUNA is an initiative that “for the first time in its history decided to work with municipalities on a large scale, systematically, in the medium term, covering areas such as Education, Health, Communication, and the private sector.”
“In the province of Entre Ríos, it has been implemented since 2021, and currently there are five municipalities that have joined this initiative,” stressing that the idea is “to plan actions to face or reverse those situations that were identified, always with the ultimate purpose of being able to place childhood and adolescence at the center of the priorities of the policies that municipal governments carry out.”
POLICIES THAT TRANSCEND
For her part, Minister Berisso advocated for the policies that are applied to “transcend administrations, since it would be terrible if today we established something regarding childhood and it was not applied during the next administration.”
“Today we are in a very difficult context, and I believe that priorities are fundamental,” highlighting that “from the provincial government, our governor Rogelio Frigerio has his focus on this, and, as the mayor also said, it has to be with the truth on the table.”
Finally, the Secretary of Human Development, Sebastián Arístide, stated that the objective of the meeting is to share “the experience that we have and what we are going to do in the coming years,” seeking to reinforce “the possibility of allying ourselves with a structure and an organization as well-known as UNICEF, to learn from their experience and their methodology.”