Civic Education & Electoral Training Executive Body Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) Mexico

1. The Mexican State and its Civic Education Strategies: The key role of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) Civic Education & Electoral Training Executive Body Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) Mexico

2. Contents 1.- Legal Mandates to promote Civic Education: IFE 2.- Civic Education Strategies: Target groups a) Adults b) Youth & Children 3.- Institutional Synergies a) Government & International Institutions b) Civil Society 4.- The importance of Civic Education for Adults.

3. Legal Framework Mexican Political Constitution • IFE implements programs of electoral training & civic education on an integral perspective. Federal Electoral Legislation • Contribute to the development of a democratic life. • Ensure political & electoral rights of citizens. • Look after the fulfillment of their duties; promoting their political participation (vote cast) & dissemination of democratic culture.

4. Fundamental Goals • The law that implements specific articles of the Mexican Political Constitution in electoral matter, states that IFE must be oriented towards the achievement of seven key goals: 1) To contribute to the development of Democracy in Mexico. 2) To preserve the strengthening of the political party system. 3) To integrate the federal registry of electors. 4) To ensure the citizens´ exercise of political-electoral rights 5) To guarantee periodical & peaceful elections to renew the Legislature & Executive Branch of the Union. 6) To ensure authenticity & effectiveness of suffrage. 7) To promote voting & democratic culture.

5. Civic Education Strategies & its National Implementation • Periodic, free and fair elections are not enough to reach a sustainable democracy. • A well-informed electorate is the strongest component of a functional democracy. • Civic education strategies must be permanent efforts to raise qualitative citizen participation & promote an active citizenship: voter awareness. • Civic Education policies are implemented by the IFE delegations in 300 electoral districts distributed at a national scale.

6. Civic Education Strategies: Target Groups • Civic Education intends to develop competent citizens: People with the knowledge, skills & attitudes needed to fully exercise their basic democratic rights. • Target Groups: 1) Adult Population. 2) Children & Youth Population.

7. Adult population (formal citizens) • Promoting basic knowledge, skills & attitudes is required for an effective democratic participation. • Key understanding in adults: Their vote as a right rather than as an isolated duty. • Importance of political participation & community involvement. • Educating electorate about political actors/ parties involved/ the electoral process/ Democracy. • Emphasizing importance of long term benefits vs short term gains (Democracy).

8. Adult population (formal citizens) • IFE has Annual Programs promoting an steady development of civic competencies: • Must be emphasized that these Programs have been adapted to reach indigenous communities (specific materials & implementation) and also in rural, remote or inaccessible localities.

9. Adult population: Main Results 2006-2007

10. Adult population: 2008-2009

11. Children & Youth Population • Elementary School Curriculum Reforms & IFE´s participation (Advisory Committee). • Adopting a civic education approach that stresses autonomy, critical thinking & democratic skills & values for children. • Extra curricular activities (scholar elections, scholar surveys, Parliament for Children, Project Citizen).

12. Institutional Synergies • Upper & Lower Chamber (Federal Congress) • Ministry of Education • Ministry of Social Development • National & Local Human Rights Commissions • National System for Family Development • Local Governments (states & municipalities) • IFE works with public Institutions from several government areas:

13. International Institutions & Organisms • IFE´s contact with several agencies & institutions of the international community have helped to initiate projects & initiatives of common interest. • The international activities has taken as a guiding principle the contribution to the strengthening & promotion of democratic culture & values. • United Nations Development Program (UNDP) • United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD) • Center for Civic Education (CIVITAS International Programs) • Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (UNIORE) • International Institute for Democracy & Electoral Assistance (IDEA) • International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) • Global Electoral Organization Network (GEO Network) • Center of Electoral Promotion & Assistance (CEPA-IIHR), & others

14. Civil Society & Civic Education • It is essential to broaden and intensify further linkages with civil society organizations, promoting a full self- management process for citizen or democracy-building projects (promoting local & social networks). • IFE has been undertaking two strategies to achieve this aim: 1) Financial support and technical advise for civil society organizations which are focused on citizenship formation (organizations that look at women related projects, in particular). 2) Design, making & adaptation of citizenship-building models, which reduces their costs (information at glance, methodologies, teaching resources, evaluation schemes) and also motivate the creation of other groups that promote citizenship-building processes in Mexico (Education Model for Democratic Participation; Project Citizen).

15. The Importance of Civic Education for Adults • In Mexico, Political Culture still preserves several authoritarian, non-democratic elements. • It is a priority to include civic education materials within the formal education system (elementary and high school levels, at least). • The school has become one of the most important arenas for democratic understanding & political education. • Since in general, teachers share these authoritarian features, civic education programs must be also conceived to educate teachers. • It is used “to educate” instead of “to train” teachers since their political culture must be turned into a fulldemocratic identity, thus their curriculum framework can be seen as effective.

16. Agents of Political Socialization • Interest Groups • Local Authorities • Family members Certain democratic values are passed to our children, but civic education policies are also intended to transform societal structures & its political identity as a whole.

17. The Education Program to Exercise Basic Citizen Rights (implemented a year ago) is an example of the civic education strategies for adults that IFE carries out.