131 Voices (131 Voces) Project

Organised by issues ranging from consumer protection to human rights, the 131 Voices website is designed to make Peru’s government more transparent by encouraging members of Congress to use the site as an interactive, personalised tool to stimulate dialogue and open lines of communication with constituents. The site is intended to be an interactive space where people can access information, such as on laws and projects proposed by leaders, as well as express their opinion and perspectives.

The site includes a unique page for each member of Congress where users can read about the member's work history and political affiliation, and monitor news about new or pending legislation. As part of the pilot work of the initiative, thirteen of the parliamentarians have partnered with Democratic Reflection to use their pages to create a personalised, interactive profile that provides access to their Twitter feeds, information about their pending or proposed legislative initiatives, and a comment box where citizens can discuss proposals for new laws and provide other feedback.

One example of how the site has been used to connect leaders with constituents was when citizens commented on a proposal by Luis Iberico of the Alliance for Great Change party (Alianza por el Gran Cambio) for the "creation of a National Institute for Information and Transparency" that would seek to promote greater access to information and openness in government. Citizens expressed support for the objective of improved transparency, which was noted as a key to fighting corruption, but also suggested that the initiative should avoid creating a new, ineffective bureaucracy.

Governance

According to NDI, though Peru has shown robust economic growth and relative resilience in the face of a global economic slowdown, many Peruvians continue to face a widening socio-economic divide, poverty, and exclusion from political life. Surveys conducted by the polling firm Ipsos Apoyo show that Peruvians harbour growing mistrust and pessimism about their leaders. Results from a 2011 survey indicated that 30% of Peruvians believed that their quality of life was stagnant despite economic growth and democratic advances.