Bolivians in Truro

Dec 15, 2011 Truro, NS – The Town of Truro, in partnership with the
Colchester Regional Development Association (CoRDA) is hosting a 6 person
delegation this week comprised of elected officials and municipal staff from
Cliza, Bolivia.  They are part of the
Municipal Partners in Economic Development Program administered by the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). 
Cliza is an agricultural community of approximately 20,000 people
located in central Bolivia.

The visitors arrived on December 11, 2011 and have been spending the past few days meeting with
community leaders, municipal staff and faculty from the Nova Scotia
Agricultural College and Nova Scotia Community College in order to exchange
ideas and develop sustainable solutions to some of the challenges faced by
agricultural producers in Cliza.  Mayor
Bill Mills and Truro Town Council hosted the delegates at a reception in their
honour on December 12th .

Councilor Greg MacArthurwas part of a 4 person team from Truro to participate in a learning mission to
Cliza this past August.   “This is anopportunity for both communities to learn,” says MacArthur.”  The average citizen in Cliza is very engaged in the community and in municipal politics. 
Despite their economic challenges, the people of Cliza are very involved
in the decision-making processes in their community.”

Town planner Jason Fox, local business woman Flora Riyahi and CoRDA’s Margot Bégin-Gillis were also
part of the team who participated in the initial learning mission to the developing country.

The Bolivian delegation is spending time in discussions with local experts and will also have an
opportunity to participate in site-visits to some local farms, institutions and
businesses.

 “The goal is not to impose specific ideas orsolutions,” says CoRDA Executive Director Ron Smith, “but rather to build the
capacity through providing information and building partnerships that will enable the community of Cliza to address its challenges in a way that is both sustainable and that makes sense for them. 
Going through this process has also built new partnerships withinTruro-Colchester.  We are already
building capacity within our own community.”

The public will have an opportunity to meet with the delegation at CoRDA’s annual Holiday Open House
planned for today, December 15 from 3:00 – 6:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Select,
on Truro’s Prince Street.