Alexandra Peña marked a recent milestone by leading the launch of the Citizen Municipal Forum in Santo Domingo Este, under the coordination of the Fundación Lazos. The event, held at San Francisco de Asís school, brought together councilors, municipal experts, community leaders and social representatives, who addressed the most critical challenges of municipal management in the Dominican Republic.
Active Participation and Sustainability Focus
During the opening of the Citizen Municipal Forum, Alexandra Peña, who also leads the Fuerza del Pueblo in District 2, highlighted the importance of local leadership and civic education. “This forum is a space created to build real solutions that impact the lives of our people,” the engineer affirmed, emphasizing the urgency of more efficient, transparent, and sustainable public management models.
- Comprehensive municipal solid waste management
- Environmental protection and land-use planning
- Community participation and fiscal responsibility
Experts such as Pedro A. Hernández and Engineer Elías Gómez contributed technical and governance perspectives, while local leaders like Clara Hernández (councilor of Peralvillo) reinforced the importance of the Citizen Municipal Forum as a platform for articulation and monitoring.
Legacy and Commitment of Fundación Lazos
The Fundación Lazos keeps alive the legacy of Domingo Jiménez, a renowned municipal leader, promoting values of public ethics and citizen participation. This foundation promotes ongoing training programs to strengthen democratic culture and the quality of municipal services.
During the plenary, commitments were made to systematically follow up on the initiatives of the Citizen Municipal Forum, using the foundation’s digital platform as a key tool for transparency and collaboration.
Current Challenges and Outlook of the Citizen Municipal Forum
The social context demands municipal models capable of responding swiftly to growing urban problems. According to the Ministry of Public Administration, only 47% of the country’s municipalities report up-to-date data on waste management and community participation, reinforcing the relevance of initiatives like the Citizen Municipal Forum.
Peña closed the event by inviting the building of strategic alliances: “The country we want starts from the municipalities.” This launch represents the first link of a citizen training program driven in partnership with public and private sectors, opening new possibilities for local development in the Dominican Republic.
More about the Citizen Municipal Forum and related topics in our politics section
Discover other transparency and local management initiatives in our public administration section. We also invite you to read about community leadership programs in our special coverage of youth leadership.
The progress of the Citizen Municipal Forum confirms that social participation is essential to strengthen municipal democracy and create real solutions in the management of public resources in the Dominican Republic.
