Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
Articles Information
Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol.1, No.5, Nov. 2015, Pub. Date: Sep. 14, 2015
The Municipalities' Decentralized Cooperation: The Case of the Basque Country
Pages: 470-479 Views: 4533 Downloads: 1239
Authors
[01] Koldo Unceta, Hegoa Institute, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.
[02] Unai Villena, Hegoa Institute, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.
[03] Irati Labaien, Hegoa Institute, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of the development cooperation driven by local authorities of the Basque Country. The study’s starting point is the increase of the decentralized cooperation observed in recent decades in Europe, and the role played by municipalities in cooperation in different countries. The debates on the advantages and limitations of local cooperation existing in the literature are taken into account, as well as the need to compare them with reality. Given all this, the case study - focused on the Basque Country - aims to examine such cooperation in practice and the full extent of its compliance with the assumptions made by the theory. A sample of 31 Basque municipalities was selected in basis of their geographical location, size, social and economic structure. On the one hand, interviews to technical staff and political representatives were the main source of information, and on the other hand, strategic plans and doctrinal documents published by these local entities were also analized. Basque municipalities, in general terms, are committed financially to development cooperation issues, which reflects the consciousness of solidarity of the society. However, there is a lack of reflection about the role that the municipalities can play, especially in two of the main potential sector, such as the strengthening of local institutions and awareness raising and development education.
Keywords
Development, Development Cooperation, Decentralized Cooperation, Local Cooperation, Municipal Cooperation
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