Democracia Virtual, Democracia Real : el desarrollo de la democracia participativa en Colombia en el marco del gobierno electrónico. Estudio de Caso : Plan Nacional Decenal de Educación 2006-2016

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), as influential tools in social structures and economic processes, have been able to transform the existent relationship between citizens and the State, and even further, have also allowed thinking on a solution to strengthen participation-based democratic practices. With this purpose, the initiative of e-Government has arised in Colombia under the Agenda de Conectividad Program and the Gobierno en Línea GEL- strategy. As a consequence, the Ministry of National Education, designed on 2006 a participation model based on electronic media that allowed citizens to bring inputs and proposals, as well as contribute to a final discussion, in order to build together the Plan Nacional Decenal de Educación 2006-2016. This process shows itself as an example of how electronic-based solutions used for this kind of democratic purposes, and the creation of deliberation spaces of this nature, can raise levels of political and social inclusion, stimulate participation, and contribute to the State s commitment with the reduction of the Digital Divide that is still present in Colombia.