The need for participation and democratic institutions in Mexico

One of the greatest shortcomings of the participation of society in their own affairs, ie the society in Mexico has to do with the lack of institutions which link themselves with the Mexican state. There are dissimilar society organizations arising outside the State, and distinguish between those that are recognized by this and those that are not. Both are characterized by having no formal mechanisms for influencing public policy and be staffed by individuals with varied interests and preferences. The organizations recognized by the State are those which are instituted before a notary public and are recognized as NGOs, Foundations (altruistic characteristics) and Civil Partnerships. Organizations recognized by the state may be voluntarily or involuntarily. Recognition is not responding to the exclusion in this text, but the institutional validity that allows part of the same body of the state.

The State permits, but does not, in this first instance of recognition dialogue with a social force that is intended to be inserted in its dynamics, in this case a social organization. The main strength of state recognition to the organization is the possibility of dialogue with a body from which it is part and partner in nation building. The possibility of dialogue is the condition imposed by the state for official recognition of the organized forces of society and that are clearly different from the country's productive forces and have representation through trade unions and business groups. The objectives of an organization or a society movement are different from those of a political party whose main goal is to wield power. In contrast, the social organization seeks to transform the material conditions of life.

I emphasize the possibility of dialogue with the state constitution at the time of recognition because the dialogue is real to the extent that there are real and efficient channels for dialogue and discussion with the State for social organizations. To the extent that these mechanisms also exist and kidnapping to avoid co-optation of the organizations, their addresses and interests by political parties, politicians and / or governments in office. In the absence of full recognition by the Mexican state of society organizations, is privileged and apathy polarization of Mexican society and gives the opportunity for governments to legitimize through simulated recognition of organizations and actors society. This recognition makes simulated society organizations in a sphere of national policy, delinked from state autonomy they enjoyed in principle and through which networks were social transformation from below, according to their interests closer without worry about the interests and iterated game of national politics. Beyond the legitimate use of the public by governments, social disengagement and political transformation of organizations and social actors respond to the lack of mechanisms for dialogue and deliberation of the Mexican state and society.

It is said that the answer to the problems of accountability in Mexican politics are elections. This is a necessary but not sufficient to meet the demands of today's citizens, will have to make efforts for community dialogue to create a society that provides critical and that not only required, we need therefore, direct linking mechanisms between the recognized organizations and unrecognized by the state and the Mexican state to resolve social conflicts of interest locally and nationally. These mechanisms would be civic institutions to avoid the bureaucracy and not subject to the vagaries of the electoral calendar. It would also be spaces for discussion and resolution of conflicts of national interest and that they were an addition to the option offered by the mass media like television or print media.

In Mexico, the civil society co-opted, corrupted, bought and manipulated by governments and political parties. This poses a risk for democracy to monopolize the public and show it to the public as a packaged product through the unification of speech. In Mexico there is a window of opportunity to contribute from civil society to be a cluster of issues affecting the country today, where perhaps the greatest is that of insecurity that threatens the very survival of the Mexican state. These contributions can and have been valuable in our country, but today require efficient mechanisms for influencing public policy making in building a more prosperous Mexico through free and fair exercise of the organization of citizenship. To the extent that the possibility of dialogue, deliberation and debate between the groups and the Mexican State is not real contributions of the first be diluted in the field of national politics fueling social polarization, citizen apathy and the winds blow authoritarianism acclaiming peace through unification and not through the involvement of different voices that make up the Mexican reality.

Social demand for efficient policies turn invalid when there is no institutional framework that promotes it and supports it. A possible alternative social demand is no more than a call to short-termism and opportunism of tyrants.