“Portugal has announced the world’s first participatory budget on a national scale. The project will let people submit ideas for what the government should spend its money on, and then vote on which ideas are adopted.
… Proposals can be made in the areas of science, culture, agriculture and lifelong learning, and there will be more than forty events in the new year for people to present and discuss their ideas.
… The model began in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989, and has become popular around the world in recent years, with more than 1,500 places estimated to have adopted some variation. The largest by funding is in Paris. In 2016, only its third year, the scheme disbursed €100million (some $110million) and it plans to have spent €500million ($550million) by 2020.
… Portugal has allocated only €3million for this first year …”
Outside
“That of course it the very nature of healing - that anything you are holding onto that is less pure than your highet intentions will come to your attention, and as long as you stay conscious, you will move through it. I knew that, but just knowing didn't help.”
Nothing in this Book is True, but it's Exactly How Things Are
Nothing in this Book is True, but it's Exactly How Things Are