Chileans called to participate in drafting their new constitution "via" WhatsApp

The Chilean Constituent Assembly began its work in July 2021. Here, during its first session, on July 7, 2021;

in Santiago.

© Juan Carlos CANCINO / Segpres, AFP

Text by: Justine Fontaine Follow

6 mins

The Chilean Constituent Assembly began its work a little over a month and a half ago and its elected officials are debating the method to be followed to draft the new Constitution, which should replace the current text inherited from the dictatorship of General Pinochet.

To engage citizens, the country has launched a chat bot on WhatsApp, allowing Chileans to discuss the new arrangements.

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From our correspondent in Santiago,

The two most prestigious universities in Chile have just launched a "chatbot", a conversation robot on WhatsApp called "constitubot": the robot of the Constitution. It is an interactive software, which makes it possible both to obtain information and to give its opinion on

the process in progress

. Those interested can access it

via

a link on the social networks of the project “ 

Tenemos que hablar de Chile

 ” (“ 

we have to talk about Chile

 ”, in Spanish).

This robot looks a bit like a written conversation with someone: you can ask him questions.

For example, “ 

what is a Constitution

?

 "Or" 

what is

the origin of the current Constitution of Chile

?

 "

Then, citizens can give their opinion and express their

expectations regarding the new constitution

 : for example, say which social rights should be protected by the new text.

Faced with the lack of internet access, WhatsApp messaging as an alternative

The project “ 

We need to talk about Chile

 ” was launched in 2020. First

through

video meetings and online questionnaires.

The idea was the same: to invite citizens to talk about the Constitution and the reforms they are waiting for, in particular concerning health, pensions or education.

But the organizers realized that the most precarious people did not necessarily have sufficient access to the internet, no computer, or not much time to participate, even if they wanted to.

 To read also

: Constituent Assembly in Chile: "This process marks the beginning of the end of the Pinochet era"

Hence the idea of ​​working on this conversation software on Whatsapp.

Because the messaging app is probably the most used here.

You don't need to have a lot of network on your phone to use it and it uses little internet data.

Advantages that are not trivial, because in Chile, many people use phone recharges which can run out quickly.

In 2020, as part of this project, nearly 100,000 people expressed their expectations regarding the new Constitution.

With this "constitubot", the organizers hope to reach an even wider audience.

A method that is added to the meetings with the Chileans

Discussions with users will then be transmitted to the Constituent Assembly

via

reports which will begin to be published in September and also transmitted to elected officials. The idea is to complement the initiatives already launched. For example, a committee of the Constituent Assembly has been going directly to meet residents since last week, in public sessions in provincial towns.

During the

social movement against inequalities at the end of 2019

, one of the criticisms of the inhabitants was the disconnection of the political elites from the population.

The elected representatives from social movements are therefore very sensitive to this issue: they do not want residents to feel that their future is decided within four walls.

Since their election, they too have tried to increase these channels of participation.

A referendum will also be organized in 2022 for the Chileans to say whether or not they accept the new Constitution, which is being written.

 See also: 

Chile: an online campaign to recruit candidates for the elections

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