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Building the World Movement for DemocracyInaugural World AssemblyFebruary 14-17, 1999 New Delhi, India Democracy & NGOs: Advocacy & Coalition Building Workshop Leaders: Harry Barnes and Barbara Haig Condensed from report by Laith Kubba More than one hundred delegates from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern, Central and Western Europe, the former Soviet Union, Latin America and North America attended the five-hour workshop. The workshop was presented with three cases of successful NGO initiatives operating within different environments: 1) NGOs within authoritarian or quasi-authoritarian systems, 2) community based NGOs in exile and 3) NGOs in post-breakthrough or transitional conditions. The Foundation for Civil Society based in Slovakia presented the case of an alliance of NGOs which played a critical role in stimulating a previously apathetic citizenry to participate in elections. As a direct result of their efforts, the youth vote went from 20% to 80%, and an authoritarian regime was defeated at the polls. The horizontal structure adopted by the alliance allowed organizations to remain close to their constituencies, make their own programmatic decisions and design their own strategies within the broad framework of clear common goals. The case emphasized the importance of input from media professionals and the value of exchanging experiences with and getting moral support from NGOs that were successful under similar conditions in other countries. The case demonstrated that the alliance of NGOs remained effective by defining a clear goal, projecting a positive message, maintaining non-partisan cooperation, and establishing coordination councils to facilitate decentralization. The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) served as a case study for a community based NGO movement in exile. TYC's 15,000 community members participate in and contribute to the work and aims of the organization. The TYC case emphasized key factors in the success of NGOs in exile, including the need to maintain a sense of balance and integrity within an organization's broad mandate; the commitment to non-violent methods; the provision of assistance to new NGOs within the same community; the integration of democratic processes within the organization's structures and operations; and the formation of alliances and networks with groups which share similar concerns. NGOs in exile become stronger by supporting other initiatives and other NGOs within the community and through active membership in a wide range of international organizations. The example of the Palestine-based Women's Affairs Technical Committee (WATC) illustrated the struggle to improve the situation of a disadvantaged group in an environment of political transition. The WATC successfully changed 21 laws affecting the status of women by: attracting highly motivated individuals who believe in their ability to bring about change; having a good organizational capacity with realistic planning; building public support; maintaining pressure; using media to mobilize public opinion; working within existing laws to bring about change in the law; and networking with other NGOs. Participants emphasized the need to network at regional and international levels on both regional and thematic issues. Participants discussed the need for transparency and non-partisanship in NGOs, and the importance of creating information hubs and of protecting NGOs which are under assault by their governments.  Proposed initiatives: 
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