DOCSLIB.ORG

Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies (G05) M Ay 29-June 1, 2005 M Ontréal, Québec, Canada

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies (G05) M Ay 29-June 1, 2005 M Ontréal, Québec, Canada Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies (G05) M ay 29-June 1, 2005 M ontréal, Québec, Canada Conference Report Table of Contents___________________________________________ Introduction............................................................................................i Part 1: Opening Plenary Sessions.....................................................1 W elcome ................................................................................................1 Lynn Muthoni Wanyeki ................................................................................................1 Nigel Martin .................................................................................................................1 Rajesh Tandon............................................................................................................2 Opening Panel........................................................................................3 Key Visions and Questions on How to Advance Global Democracy ............................3 1) Empowering a Democratic Civil Society: The World Social Forum (WSF) and Other Major Civil Society Initiatives .......................................................................................4 2) Democratizing the Global Economy and Global Governance: Rethinking the Roles of Multilateral Institutions, Rules, and Key Actors at the Global Level..........................5 3) Realizing the Democratic Potential of Parliamentary Initiatives: National, Regional, and Global Possibilities ...............................................................................................6 4) Building Democratic Linkages at the Local, National, Regional, and Global Levels: Identifying Strategic Possibilities for Responsive Democratic Governance ..................6 Parallel Fora: Building Strategies to Achieve Key Civil Society Visions of Global Democracy .............................................................................7 1) Empowering a Democratic Global Civil Society: The World Social Forum and Other Major Civil Society Initiatives .......................................................................................7 2) Democratizing the Global Economy and Global Governance: Rethinking the Roles of Multilateral Institutions, Rules, and Key Actors at the Global Level..........................9 3) Realizing the Democratic Potential of Parliamentary Initiatives: National, Regional, and Global Possibilities .............................................................................................12 4) Building Democratic Linkages at the Local, National, Regional, and Global Levels: Identifying Strategic Possibilities for Responsive Democratic Governance ................15 . elcome Reception.............................................................................18 Dialogue w ith the United Nations .......................................................19 Part II: Thematic Summary of Conference Tracks.......................22 Track 1: Civil Society Engagement: Changing Territorial Priorities?.22 Diverse Experiences..................................................................................................23 New Avenues for Civil Society Within the Framework of Regional Blocks .................24 Regional Integration Strategies .................................................................................25 Knowledge-Sharing Strategies ..................................................................................27 Other Strategies ........................................................................................................28 Track 2: International Treaties/International Law : A Hierarchy of Values?................................................................................................31 Accountability ............................................................................................................31 Fundamental Conflicts...............................................................................................32 Compliance, Enforcement, and Legal Challenges .....................................................33 Marriage to Other Movements ...................................................................................35 Shifting the Balance of Power....................................................................................35 The Importance of the Citizen....................................................................................36 Loss of State Power ..................................................................................................37 Big Bad Corporations? ..............................................................................................38 Alternative International Bodies .................................................................................39 Summary of Successes.............................................................................................39 Track 3: Global Security: Undermining Democracy?..........................39 Discussion.................................................................................................................40 Strategic Proposal #1: Establish an International Reconciliation Commission on Terrorism...................................................................................................................41 Strategic Proposal #2: Establish a New Partnership between the Military and Civil Society ......................................................................................................................43 Strategic Proposal #3: Make the UN More Transparent and Accountable to Citizens 44 Strategic Proposal #4: Focus civil society efforts on increasing democracy at local levels.........................................................................................................................45 Track 4: Civil Society Participation; Opportunities and Responsibilities...................................................................................47 Making International Institutions Accountable............................................................47 The Cardoso Panel: A Time for Damage Control?.....................................................48 Inside and Outside: Preparing for September............................................................49 A World Parliament ...................................................................................................49 A Hierarchy of Values................................................................................................50 Closing the Loop on Citizen Engagement..................................................................51 Community Capacity to Engage on Global Governance ............................................52 Partnerships across Civil Society...............................................................................53 Accountability and Transparency within Civil Society.................................................53 Track 5: How to Democratically Regulate the Global Economy?.......55 Discussion.................................................................................................................55 Debt ..........................................................................................................................57 International Financial Institutions..............................................................................57 Corporate Social Responsibility.................................................................................58 Trade.........................................................................................................................59 Sustainable Development..........................................................................................59 Financial Flows..........................................................................................................60 Summary...................................................................................................................61 Track 6: Cultural Diversity—M aintaining Cultural Diversity in Global Solidarity?............................................................................................62 The Threat to Cultural Diversity .................................................................................62 Cultural Sustainability, Especially in Relation to Indigenous Cultures ........................63 Linguistic Diversity.....................................................................................................65 The Role of the Media, Especially “Pro-People” Media..............................................66 Pros and Cons of Globalization for Culture and Cultural Diversity .............................67 Three key recommendations: ....................................................................................68 Tw elve M ost Relevant Civil Society Proposals for Building Global Democracy...........................................................................................68 Track 1: Civil Society Engagement; Changing Territorial Priorities ............................68 Track 2: International Treaties, International Law; A Hierarchy of Values? ................69 Track 3: Global Security—Undermining Democracy? ................................................69 Track 4: Civil Society Participation; Opportunities and Responsibilities .....................69 Track 5: How to Democratically Regulate the Global Economy? ...............................69 Track 6: How to Maintain
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Notion of Religion in Election Manifestos of Populist and Nationalist Parties in Germany and the Netherlands
    religions Article Religion, Populism and Politics: The Notion of Religion in Election Manifestos of Populist and Nationalist Parties in Germany and The Netherlands Leon van den Broeke 1,2,* and Katharina Kunter 3,* 1 Faculty of Religion and Theology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2 Department of the Centre for Church and Mission in the West, Theological University, 8261 GS Kampen, The Netherlands 3 Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland * Correspondence: [email protected] (L.v.d.B.); katharina.kunter@helsinki.fi (K.K.) Abstract: This article is about the way that the notion of religion is understood and used in election manifestos of populist and nationalist right-wing political parties in Germany and the Netherlands between 2002 and 2021. In order to pursue such enquiry, a discourse on the nature of manifestos of political parties in general and election manifestos specifically is required. Election manifestos are important socio-scientific and historical sources. The central question that this article poses is how the notion of religion is included in the election manifestos of three Dutch (LPF, PVV, and FvD) and one German (AfD) populist and nationalist parties, and what this inclusion reveals about the connection between religion and populist parties. Religious keywords in the election manifestos of said political parties are researched and discussed. It leads to the conclusion that the notion of religion is not central to these political parties, unless it is framed as a stand against Islam. Therefore, these parties defend Citation: van den Broeke, Leon, and the Jewish-Christian-humanistic nature of the country encompassing the separation of ‘church’ or Katharina Kunter.
    [Show full text]
  • ESS9 Appendix A3 Political Parties Ed
    APPENDIX A3 POLITICAL PARTIES, ESS9 - 2018 ed. 3.0 Austria 2 Belgium 4 Bulgaria 7 Croatia 8 Cyprus 10 Czechia 12 Denmark 14 Estonia 15 Finland 17 France 19 Germany 20 Hungary 21 Iceland 23 Ireland 25 Italy 26 Latvia 28 Lithuania 31 Montenegro 34 Netherlands 36 Norway 38 Poland 40 Portugal 44 Serbia 47 Slovakia 52 Slovenia 53 Spain 54 Sweden 57 Switzerland 58 United Kingdom 61 Version Notes, ESS9 Appendix A3 POLITICAL PARTIES ESS9 edition 3.0 (published 10.12.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Denmark, Iceland. ESS9 edition 2.0 (published 15.06.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden. Austria 1. Political parties Language used in data file: German Year of last election: 2017 Official party names, English 1. Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ) - Social Democratic Party of Austria - 26.9 % names/translation, and size in last 2. Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) - Austrian People's Party - 31.5 % election: 3. Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) - Freedom Party of Austria - 26.0 % 4. Liste Peter Pilz (PILZ) - PILZ - 4.4 % 5. Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne) - The Greens – The Green Alternative - 3.8 % 6. Kommunistische Partei Österreichs (KPÖ) - Communist Party of Austria - 0.8 % 7. NEOS – Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum (NEOS) - NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum - 5.3 % 8. G!LT - Verein zur Förderung der Offenen Demokratie (GILT) - My Vote Counts! - 1.0 % Description of political parties listed 1. The Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is a social above democratic/center-left political party that was founded in 1888 as the Social Democratic Worker's Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, or SDAP), when Victor Adler managed to unite the various opposing factions.
    [Show full text]
  • State of Populism in Europe
    2018 State of Populism in Europe The past few years have seen a surge in the public support of populist, Eurosceptical and radical parties throughout almost the entire European Union. In several countries, their popularity matches or even exceeds the level of public support of the centre-left. Even though the centre-left parties, think tanks and researchers are aware of this challenge, there is still more OF POPULISM IN EUROPE – 2018 STATE that could be done in this fi eld. There is occasional research on individual populist parties in some countries, but there is no regular overview – updated every year – how the popularity of populist parties changes in the EU Member States, where new parties appear and old ones disappear. That is the reason why FEPS and Policy Solutions have launched this series of yearbooks, entitled “State of Populism in Europe”. *** FEPS is the fi rst progressive political foundation established at the European level. Created in 2007 and co-fi nanced by the European Parliament, it aims at establishing an intellectual crossroad between social democracy and the European project. Policy Solutions is a progressive political research institute based in Budapest. Among the pre-eminent areas of its research are the investigation of how the quality of democracy evolves, the analysis of factors driving populism, and election research. Contributors : Tamás BOROS, Maria FREITAS, Gergely LAKI, Ernst STETTER STATE OF POPULISM Tamás BOROS IN EUROPE Maria FREITAS • This book is edited by FEPS with the fi nancial support of the European
    [Show full text]
  • The Road to Nexit a Look Into Dutch Euroscepticism
    The road to Nexit A look into Dutch Euroscepticism FINAL EXAM PROJECT 8 June 2018 Sofyan El Bouchtili Sofyan EL Bouchtili Europe in the World 2017-2018 Examiner: Asbjørn Jørgensen Final Exam Project 8 June 2018 Table of Contents ON THE ROAD TO NEXIT (25.079 CHARACTERS)……………………………………………………………………………….3 REFLECTION REPORT (17.760 CHARACTERS)……………………………………………………………………………………17 SOURCE LIST .............................................................................................................................. 24 2 Sofyan EL Bouchtili Europe in the World 2017-2018 Examiner: Asbjørn Jørgensen Final Exam Project 8 June 2018 Link to story on Medium: https://medium.com/@elbouchtili.sofyan/on-the-road-to-nexit-9eac93f9dd48 On the road to Nexit Brexit caused a shock to the process of European integration and has left many Eurosceptic parties with the idea that an exit from the European integration project is possible after all. In the Netherlands a new party is advocating for a Nexit. Forum for Democracy has set its sights on the exit door, but to leave the Union they have another challenge first: convincing the Dutch. Daniel Hannan, British Conservative and Member of the European Parliament, came to speak about ‘Brexit, and the opportunities for the Netherlands’. Photo: Sofyan El Bouchtili “I drank champagne on the morning of the results of the referendum”, says one of the youths as he congratulates British Conservative and Member of the European Parliament Daniel Hannan on Brexit. Brexiteer Daniel Hannan was invited to an event at the Red Hat in Amsterdam on 25 May. The renowned debating center in the heart of the historic center of the city was the venue of choice for Forum for Democracy to talk about ‘Brexit and the opportunities for the Netherlands’.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Fact Sheet, Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets file:///C:/Documents and Settings/brendelt/Desktop/temp rir/Country Fact... Français Home Contact Us Help Search canada.gc.ca Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets Home Country Fact Sheet DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO April 2007 Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Research Directorate of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on the basis of publicly available information, analysis and comment. All sources are cited. This document is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed or conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. For further information on current developments, please contact the Research Directorate. Table of Contents 1. GENERAL INFORMATION 2. POLITICAL BACKGROUND 3. POLITICAL PARTIES 4. ARMED GROUPS AND OTHER NON-STATE ACTORS 5. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS ENDNOTES REFERENCES 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Official name Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Geography The Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in Central Africa. It borders the Central African Republic and Sudan to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania to the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; and the Republic of the Congo to the northwest. The country has access to the 1 of 26 9/16/2013 4:16 PM Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets file:///C:/Documents and Settings/brendelt/Desktop/temp rir/Country Fact... Atlantic Ocean through the mouth of the Congo River in the west. The total area of the DRC is 2,345,410 km².
    [Show full text]
  • US Democracy Promotion in the Middle East
    The London School of Economics and Political Science US Democracy Promotion in the Middle East The Pursuit of Hegemony? Dionysius Markakis A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, October 2012 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 86.627 words. 1 Abstract The promotion of ‘democracy’ abroad has been a feature of US foreign policy since the earlier part of the twentieth century, accompanying its rise as an international actor. It provided the ideological basis for its opposition to rivals in the form of imperialism, fascism and then communism. The end of the Cold War, which signalled the emergence of the US as the sole superpower, accelerated this process. With the ideological fusion of democracy and capitalism credited in large measure for the defeat of communism and the state-planned economy, the promotion of democracy alongside capitalism as the only viable, legitimate mode of governance emerged as an increasingly important component of US foreign policy.
    [Show full text]
  • Toll Booths to Be Removed, GPS-Based Toll Collection in a Year
    https://www.facebook.com/centralchronicle CENTRAL CC PAGE 09 PAGE 11 Raipur, Friday, March 19, 2021 I Pages 12 I Price R 3.00 I City Edition I Fastest growing English Daily of Chhattisgarh www. centralchronicle.in BRIEF Toll booths to be removed, ‘Mamata’s appeasement politics behind infiltration’ GPS-based toll collection in a year ‘Khela Shesh tions will be counted, Didi’s ‘khela shesh hobe, New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI): The GPS system will be Hobe’: PM vikas shuru’ (her game obtained with the help of responds will be over and develop- India will do away with Russia and the toll charges ment will start),” he said, toll booths and implement will be directly deducted to Mamata’s dare in a sarcastic reference to complete GPS-based toll from the user’s bank ac- the West Bengal chief min- collection within one year, count, the minister had Purulia, Mar 18 (PTI): ister’s “Khela Hobe” (the Road Transport and said. game will happen) slogan Highways Minister Nitin In February, Gadkari’s Excoriating Mamata that she chants at all her Women labourers pull a Gadkari said on Thursday. ministry had made auto- Banerjee for pursuing “ap- election rallies. Modi re- cart laden with waste He said 93 per cent of matic toll plaza payment peasement and vote bank peatedly accused Banerjee, building material, in the vehicles pay toll using system FASTag mandato- politics”, and presiding Prime Minister Narendra the ruling TMC supremo, Ahmedabad, Thursday. FASTag, but the remain- ry. The government had over a corrupt administra- Modi speaks during a BJP of appeasing a section of ing 7 per cent have still not said the system would help tion, Prime Minister election campaign rally, people for vote bank poli- Tax-free budget taken it despite paying a promote digital payment Narendra Modi Thursday ahead of West Bengal as- tics.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Expression of Right-Wing Populism in the Netherlands Across
    The Expression of Right-Wing Populism in the Netherlands across Facebook Posts Agneta Fischer1, Charlotte Brands2, David Abadi1 1 Department of Psychology – University of Amsterdam 2 Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR) – University of Amsterdam Corresponding author: Agneta Fischer E-mail address: [email protected] Funding Note This research was funded by the H2020 project Democratic Efficacy and the Varieties of Populism in Europe (DEMOS) under H2020-EU.3.6.1.1. and H2020-EU.3.6.1.2. (Grant agreement ID: 822590). 1 Abstract When it comes to political communication on social media, Facebook has arisen as one of the most important platforms. Recent research on populist discourses provides evidence for populist ideology fragments emerging across Facebook posts. Moreover, the level of populist language styles and the adoption of typical populist rhetoric appears to be ‘endemic' across political actors across the whole political spectrum, even among non-populist ones. In total, 51 posts from Geert Wilders were analyzed before and 71 in the period after the 2019 Dutch elections (N = 122). This study tackles the use of the founding elements of populist communication strategies: references to the people, references to the elites, and references to the others. For a populist leader, Wilders’ Facebook posts do not contain many references to the people. Instead, he focuses on the elites (e.g., the EU) and on the others (e.g., Muslims or asylum seekers). The clearest difference between the pre- and post-election period seems to be that Wilders gradually changes his populist communication strategies from a focus on the elites, to a focus on the others.
    [Show full text]
  • Download It From
    IMD Partner in Democracy A NNUAL R EPORT 2005 The IMD – an institute of political parties for political parties The Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD) is an institute of political parties for political parties. Its mandate is to encourage the process of democratisation in young democracies by providing support to political parties as the core pillars of multi- party democracy. IMD works in a strictly non-partisan and inclusive manner. Through this approach, the Institute endeavours to contribute to properly functioning, sustainable pluralistic political party systems. It also supports the activities of civil society groups which play a healthy role in multi-party democracies, even though they are not part of any formal party structure. IMD was set up by seven Dutch political parties in 2000 in response to requests for support from around the world. The IMD’s founding members are the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA), Liberal Party (VVD), Christian Democratic Party (CDA), Democratic Party (D66), Green Party (GroenLinks), Christian Union (ChristenUnie) and Reformed Party (SGP). Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy Korte Vijverberg 2 2513 AB The Hague The Netherlands Address per September 1, 2006: Passage 31 2511 AB The Hague The Netherlands T: +31 (0)70 311 5464 F: +31 (0)70 311 5465 E: [email protected] www.nimd.org IMD Partner in Democracy A NNUAL R EPORT 2005 Partners in Democracy Preface Without properly functioning political parties, resulted in a study for the European Parliament entitled democracies do not work well – a fact that is not yet No lasting Peace and Prosperity without Democracy & fully recognised within the international development Human Rights.
    [Show full text]
  • The Curious Collapse of the Forum for Democracy
    The Curious Collapse of the Forum for Democracy Article by Tom Vasseur February 11, 2021 Barely five months away from the Dutch general elections in March 2021, the young hopeful of the Dutch radical right, the Forum for Democracy (FvD), suddenly imploded in the space of a single week. How did the undisputed winner of the March 2019 provincial elections – when it received the largest share of the vote – get to this point? To answer this question requires a look at the prevailing thinking within the Forum, influenced primarily by its founder and former leader, Thierry Baudet. Closer inspection reveals a deep web of interwoven conspiracy theories, at the fringes of rational thought, touching on areas ranging from religious minorities to the pandemic. On Saturday 21 November, the Dutch press reported that several members of the Forum’s youth wing, the JFvD, had repeatedly made homophobic and antisemitic statements as well as flirted with Nazism. It was not the first time. Earlier this year, media reports of identical messages led to several suspensions and expulsions. In response to the new revelations, the JFvD board, led by Freek Jansen, number seven on the Forum list for the 2021 elections, announced an investigation, more suspensions, and eventually also their own temporary resignation. For some, it was too little, too late. While Forum leader Baudet fully supported the JFvD, other Forum politicians demanded the immediate expulsion of the alleged culprits and a purge or dissolution of the organisation. The following Monday, a majority of the party board urged Baudet to consent to this course of action.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Post-Event Brochure
    MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT It was my great honour to welcome you all to ACRE’s Summer Gala Dinner. The Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) is Europe’s leading Conservative movement. Since our foundation in 2009, we have become one of the most important pro-market, pro-transatlantic European political groups. We count more than 36 parties and an active family of representatives in the European Parliament, Council of Europe, Committee of Regions and NATO Parliamentary Assembly. United by our Centre-Right values expressed in the Reykjavik Declaration, ACRE is dedicated to individual liberty, national sovereignty, parliamentary democracy, private property, limited government, free trade, family values and the devolution of power. These values underpin our politics, including our vision for the reform of the European Union. Europe faces a crossroads and ACRE’s agenda for reform has never been more salient. Join our movement, and help advance a Europe - and a world - of free peoples, free nations and free markets. Jan Zahradil MEP ACRE President Château de Grand-Bigard Visitors are always amazed when discovering Belgium through its national monuments and historic castles. The province of Brabant is host to a number of these majestic castles and palaces that have stood the test of time. In the pretty town of Grand-Bigard, 7 km west of Brussels is one of the best preserved castles in the country. The castle of Grand-Bigard dates back to the 12th century, and is surrounded by a wide moat, and a crown of centuries-old beech trees. The bridge which has five arches, is flanked by two heraldic sculptures from the seventeenth century, the gatehouse itself dates from the fourteenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • Tip of the Iceberg: Religious Extremist Funders Against Human Rights for Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Europe 2009 - 2018
    TIP OF THE ICEBERG Religious Extremist Funders against Human Rights for Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Europe 2009 - 2018 TIP OF THE ICEBERG Religious Extremist Funders against Human Rights for Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Europe 2009 – 2018 ISBN: 978 2 93102920 6 Tip of the Iceberg: Religious Extremist Funders against Human Rights for Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Europe 2009 - 2018 Written by Neil Datta, Secretary of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Brussels, June 2021 Copyright © EPF 2021 All Rights Reserved. The contents of this document cannot be reproduced without prior permission of the author. EPF is a network of members of parliaments from across Europe who are committed to protecting the sexual and reproductive health of the world’s most vulnerable people, both at home and overseas. We believe that women should always have the right to decide upon the number of children they wish to have, and should never be denied the education or other means to achieve this that they are entitled to. Find out more on epfweb.org and by following @EPF_SRR on Twitter. 2 TIP OF THE ICEBERG Religious Extremist Funders against Human Rights for Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Europe 2009 – 2018 Tip of the Iceberg is the first attempt understand the anti-gender mobilisation in Europe through the perspective of their funding base. This report assembles financial data covering a ten year period of over 50 anti-gender actors operating in Europe. It then takes a deeper look at how religious extremists generate this funding to roll back human rights in sexuality and reproduction.
    [Show full text]