In Mérida we work every day, 24/7 and closely with the people to make it a favorable space where learning becomes an opportunity for prosperity and growth for all Meridans, said Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada in her speech at the UNESCO Latin American Learning Cities Forum in La Paz, Baja California, according to a bulletin.
“We promote a comprehensive strategy to preserve culture and the environment with order and social justice. In each program, people value, learn and care,” he said in his presentation at the third plenary session of the opening day of the forum.
Under the motto “Place-based learning”, this forum brings together mayors, representatives and specialists from more than 60 cities in the region for two days, to talk about actions and challenges for lifelong learning.
The mayor spoke during the session called “Challenges of technological advance: Preserving ecosystems and the cultural identity of cities.”
She made reference to municipal programs such as the Forest Crusade, with more than 15 thousand trees planted; Heritage Trees, which has already declared more than 100 specimens; the implementation of Air Pot technology, for the effective growth of trees through oxygenation in the roots, and One family, one tree, with more than 44 thousand specimens delivered.
“With these actions, people learn about the importance of trees to conserve the environment, preserve fauna and pollinators, be guardians of their heritage and preserve the identity of the community, and they can also do so from their mobile device through the TreeMID application,” he said.
Likewise, he announced the strategies that involve citizens in governance such as Design your city, which allows you to choose the rehabilitation of parks and sports areas; the training offered in Círculo 47 of the police stations, Reserva Cuxtal, Hacienda Dzoyaxché and the Community Nursery of the Plan de Ayala Sur neighborhood, so that they are actors in the sustainable development of the city.
Likewise, he highlighted the success of the Mérida Iluminada programs, which consists of changing lighting to LED throughout the city, as they consume less energy and illuminate more; the implementation of the Ecological Police, the Mérida Clean Points for special waste, the Mega Cleaning Operations, and the Environmental Education calendar.
“As mayor and ally of the people, I deeply believe that education is not limited to classrooms or a stage of life, but is built day by day, in the community spaces that we generate, in the trades that we promote, in the culture that we bring to people in every corner of the city, in the technology with which we advance as a modern city, and in the citizen coexistence that strengthens our society,” said the mayor.
He then recalled that the City Council installed the Unesco City of Mérida Learning Committee as a firm step to consolidate itself as a space where learning is accessible to all people.
In this sense, he referred to the Learning Festival with more than 60 free activities, such as jarana and soccer classes, among other disciplines aimed at families, so that they obtain new knowledge that allows them to develop fully; the 60 Learn Centers that promote talent, regardless of age, condition or place of origin, through workshops, cultural programs, sports activities and participation spaces with which we also build citizenship and strengthen the social fabric.
“We also bring culture to the entire city with great events such as La Noche Blanca, the Jazz Festival, Ánimas Festival, Mérida Fest, and the Mérida Carnival. Because in Mérida there is no culture without its people,” he added.
Finally, he emphasized that he is betting on youth as an engine of change, on their ideas and projects, with full confidence that they will be triggers for a buoyant, circular and sustainable economy.
UNESCO Forum La Paz, Baja California
Councilor Cecilia Patrón Laviada explains the progress of her administration to the public.
Programs
Among the actions of the current municipal administration is the Learning Festival with more than 60 free activities, such as jarana and soccer classes, among other disciplines aimed at families; the 60 Learn Centers that promote talent, regardless of age, condition or place of origin, through workshops, cultural programs, sports activities and participation spaces.
Environment
Regarding the care of the environment with programs such as Forest Crusade and One Family, One Tree, he indicated that “with these actions people learn about the importance of trees to conserve the environment, preserve fauna and pollinators, be guardians of their heritage and preserve the identity of the community, and they can also do so from their mobile device through the TreeMID application.”
Cultural events
In terms of culture, “also to the entire city with great events such as La Noche Blanca, the Jazz Festival, Ánimas Festival, Mérida Fest, and the Mérida Carnival. Because in Mérida there is no culture without its people,” he added.