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February 2002
CONTENTS
NEWS and PUBLICATIONS
1. Bhutanese Human Rights Leader Arrested and Held in Detention
2. World Movement Participant in Sierra Leone Running for President
3. Corporate Governance, Market Economy, and Democratic Reform Focus of Conference in Egypt
4. New Initiative to Support Democratic Reform in Turkey
5. Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina Attend Workshops on Human Rights
6. Report: Importance of New Technologies for NGOs in Southeast Europe
7. Quarterly Report: Journalists Against Corruption
8. Publication: LEADING TO CHOICES: A LEADERSHIP TRAINING HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN
9. Publication: WORLD REPORT from Human Rights Watch
10. Publication: POPULAR EDUCATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
11. Publication: MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
12. Publication: Newsletter on Religious Freedom
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
13. Two New Features on World Movement Web site
14. New Web site for RIGHTS Consortium
15. Conference: Freedom of Information Act Training Workshop - Bulgaria, February 14-15, 2002
16. Conference: Lessons of Tolerance and Problems of Civic Education in Russia - Petrozavodsk, Russia, February 15-25, 2002
17. Conference: Terrorism and Democracy: Results and Perspectives of a Decade of Democracy Promotion in Africa - Cotonou, Benin, March 21-23, 2002
18. Conference: Nigeria: From Crisis to Sustainable Democracy - Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 19-20, 2002
19. Conference: Transatlantic Forum on the Role of Think-Tanks in the New Millennium - Constanta, Romania, May 5-7, 2002
20. Symposium: 2002 Latin American Student Symposium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, June 15-July 13, 2002 - Monterrey, Mexico
21. Awards: ICT Stories Competition 2002
22. Award: Access to Learning Award
23. Clarification of Item in the January Issue of DemocracyNews
NEWS and PUBLICATIONS
1. Bhutanese Human Rights Leader Arrested and Held in Detention
Mr. S. K. Pradhan, secretary-general of the Peoples Forum for Human Rights and Democracy, a Bhutanese human rights organization based in Nepal, was arrested on September 19, 2001, and detained by the Nepalese authorities. He has been charged with conspiracy in connection with the murder of Mr. R. K. Budhathoki, chairman of the Bhutan Peoples' Party (BPP). Although we cannot offer a judgment regarding the facts of the case, we urge that Mr. Pradhan, a participant in the World Movement for Democracy who attended the New Delhi Assembly in February 1999, receive a fair hearing and trial. Should there be insufficient evidence for a trial in connection with the case, he should be released at once.
Go to: www.wmd.org/democracyalert/feb502.html
2. World Movement Participant in Sierra Leone Running for President
A leading Sierra Leonean campaigner for good governance, Zainab Bangura, announced her plan to run for president. Bangura registered a new political party, called the Movement for Progress, and resigned as coordinator of the Freetown-based Campaign for Good Governance in order to compete in the election. The presidential and legislative elections are scheduled to be held on May 14, 2002. Bangura participated in the World Movement Second Assembly in November 2000.
Go to: www.sierra-leone.org/slnews.html
3. Corporate Governance, Market Economy, and Democratic Reform Focus of Conference in Egypt
The Egyptian Capital Markets Association, with support from the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), recently gathered over 400 Egyptian business leaders, government officials and journalists to discuss corporate governance as a basis for building a true market economy and a catalyst for achieving much-needed democratic reforms. The conference highlighted ways to upgrade Egypt's regulatory, legal, and social framework to develop an effective corporate governance code and to advance market and political reform.
Go to: www.cipe.org/efn/mena/pcge.php3
CIPE also recently hosted a delegation of Egyptian journalists - including representatives of Nile News TV and Al Ahram - for a three-week study tour on globalization.
For more information, contact: Center for International Private Enterprise, E-mail: cipe@cipe.org
4. New Initiative to Support Democratic Reform in Turkey
The Center for Research on Societal Problems (TOSAM) in Ankara, Turkey, in collaboration with CIPE, have begun a Leadership and Effective Citizenship training program to help support democratic reform within Turkey's political system. The program will work with the Businessmen's Association of Southeastern Turkey (GUNSIAD) to provide specific training on conflict resolution, problem solving, effective communications, leadership, and change management. TOSAM co-organized a workshop on "Conflict Resolution, Pluralism, and Democracy: The Promise and the Challenge" at the World Movement's Second Assembly in November 2000.
Go to: www.tosam.org/pr10.html
5. Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina Attend Workshops on Human Rights
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with support from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), organized a "Winter School on Human Rights for Youth" on January 10-18, 2002 in Banjaluka, Republika Srpska. Eighteen students attended lectures on topics such as conflict resolution and religious tolerance, as well as discussion workshops focused on women's rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the role of media in the democratization of society, and human rights.
Contact: Branko Todorovic, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, E-mail: helcomm@inecco.net
6. Report: Importance of New Technologies for NGOs in Southeast Europe
OneWorld, an online human rights and sustainable development network, and the Information Program of the Open Society Institute (OSI), have released a report on the use of ICTs (information and communications technologies) by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Southeast Europe. The report, covering six geographical areas (Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Yugoslavia), is a comprehensive study to date of the status of ICTs among NGOs in the region. The report illustrates that ICTs help fight censorship and human rights abuses during times of unrest, serve to re-connect separated families, and allow contact between human rights and other organizations when traditional forms of communication are disrupted.
Go to: www.oneworld.net/radio/see/ict
For more information on the Information Program of OSI, contact: Vera Franz, ICTs for Civil Society, at the Information Program of OSI, Email: ict4ngo@osi.hu, Web site: www.osi.hu
7. Quarterly Report: Journalists Against Corruption
Periodistas Frente a la Corrupción (PFC-Journalists Against Corruption) has issued a new English-language quarterly report on its activities. PFC promotes democratization efforts in Latin America by supporting investigative journalists and media who report on corruption and anti-corruption initiatives. Since PFC is a Spanish language project, this new report serves to update interested English language speakers about PFC activities and services. PFC is a joint venture between the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and Probidad, a non-profit anti-corruption organization in El Salvador.
Go to: www.cipe.org/pfc/english/reports/200201.html
For more information about PFC, go to: www.cipe.org/pfc
8. Publication: LEADING TO CHOICES: A LEADERSHIP TRAINING HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN
The Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace (WLP), in collaboration with its partner organizations in the Global South, has developed LEADING TO CHOICES: A LEADERSHIP TRAINING HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN. LEADING TO CHOICES features a contextual chapter, twelve workshop sessions, and an appendix containing culture-specific scenarios relevant to the cultivation of effective leadership. Case studies or scenarios are used to depict stories of personal leadership skills that have allowed individuals to address challenging situations in their communities, and exemplify the innovative work of organizations from around the world that emphasize participatory decision-making and communication. This handbook is designed for use in an interactive workshop, and maintains a flexible curriculum that may be adapted to suit the diverse cultural, political, and socio-economic needs of women and men around the world. The case studies feature activities of several World Movement participating organizations.
To order this handbook, go to: www.learningpartnership.org/publications/catalogue.html
9. Publication: WORLD REPORT from Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch has released its twelfth annual review of human rights practices around the world. The 2002 World Report addresses developments in 66 countries, covering the period from November 2000 through November 2001. Human Rights Watch investigated abuses of human rights in all regions of the world and monitored the responses of other nations and organizations to those abuses. The report counts the surrender of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to the War Crimes Tribunal, the indictment in Chile of former President Augusto Pinochet, and progress towards the establishment of the International Criminal Court among the victories of 2001. It also focuses on the growing global campaign to end terrorism.
Go to: www.humanrightswatch.org/wr2k2/
10. Publication: POPULAR EDUCATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
POPULAR EDUCATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, published by Human Rights Education Associates (HREA), is a training manual that uses participation methods to foster respect for human rights, women's and children's issues, democratic values, and legal literacy. It is divided into 24 step-by-step exercises designed for marginalized and non-literate groups. The manual has been translated into many languages, including: Amharic, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and Russian.
Go to: www.hrea.org/poped.html
11. Publication: MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
IREX announces that its recently published 2001 MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX (MSI) is available online. USAID and IREX designed the MSI to assess the state of independent media sectors in various countries. This first iteration examines Europe and Eurasia in 2001.
Go to: www.irex.org/msi
12. Publication: Newsletter on Religious Freedom
The Keston Institute monitors religious freedom in post-communist and communist countries, and publishes free email weekly newsletters. A quarterly academic journal, RELIGION, STATE & SOCIETY, and a bimonthly magazine, FRONTIER, are also available.
To subscribe, or for more information, go to: www.keston.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
13. New Features on the World Movement Web site
The WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPANTS DATABASE, an online searchable database of participating organizations in the World Movement, is now available on the World Movement Web site. It includes contact information, mission statement, topical foci, types of activities, and publications for each organization. The information in this database is drawn from a Participant Survey being conducted by the World Movement Secretariat. More organizations will be added as information is received. If you wish to include your organization's information, submit an online form, also available on the Web site.
Go to: www.ned.org/dbtw-wpd/textbase/participants-search.htm
The World Movement is also pleased to announce the launch of a new section, "WHAT'S BEING DONE ON...?" For two months at a time, this section highlights the activities of various organizations in different global regions and links to important resources that are focused on a particular theme or area of democracy work. A new theme is announced every two months via DemocracyNews, and the information from the previous two months is placed in an online archives. The current theme during February-March 2002 is "BREAKTHROUGH ELECTIONS," which include those elections that hold, or may hold, the potential for a significant "breakthrough" in defeating a nondemocratic regime. The "WHAT'S BEING DONE ON...?" section focuses on one upcoming potential breakthrough election of pressing concern - in Zimbabwe - and a few illustrative examples of recent breakthrough elections (in Mexico, Yugoslavia, and Peru).
Go to: www.wmd.org/wbdo/feb-mar02.html
14. New Website for RIGHTS Consortium
The RIGHTS Consortium, a collaborative effort of Freedom House, the American Bar Association's Central and Eastern European Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI), and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), has launched its new Web site. The consortium, known as the RIGHTS Program (Rule of law Initiative/Global Human Rights Training and Support Program), provides rapid response and long-term assistance to developing democracies and countries in transition. Among RIGHTS projects are activities supporting war crimes documentation in Kosovo, training for human rights NGOs and independent journalists in Algeria, assistance for the drafting and implementation of a code of ethics in Morocco, and promotion of alternative dispute resolution in Mexico. The RIGHTS Web site serves as a resource for NGOs, human rights activists, and legal practitioners, and provides access to tools, reports, and manuals developed through RIGHTS activities.
Go to: www.rightsconsortium.org
15. Conference: Freedom of Information Act Training Workshop - Bulgaria, February 14-15, 2002
Access to Information Programme Foundation, Bulgaria, will organize a training workshop for public officials on the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in Bulgaria. This training aims to create a better understanding in the implementation period of the Access to Public Information Act and to present international experiences in this particular area.
Go to: www.aip-bg.org
16. Conference: Lessons of Tolerance and Problems of Civic Education in Russia - Petrozavodsk, Russia, February 15-25, 2002
The Democracy Works Program and the Institute for Research on Problems of Non-profit organizations in NIS (IRPN) will hold a two-day conference on Lessons of Tolerance and Problems of Civic Education in Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Russia. The conference's aims are to create an implementation strategy for civic education projects in the northwest of Russia, to establish regional programs, and to develop international partnerships with organizations working in civic education.
Contact: Dmitri Rabkine, Institute for Research on Problems of Non-profit Organisations in NIS (IRPN), E-mail: rabkine@online.ru, Web site: www.cspi.org.ru/irpn
17. Conference: Terrorism and Democracy: Results and Perspectives of a Decade of Democracy Promotion in Africa - Cotonou, Benin, March 21-23, 2002
Le GERDDES Afrique will host a seminar entitled, "Terrorism and Democracy: Results and Perspectives of a Decade of Democracy Promotion in Africa," on March 21-23, 2002, in Cotonou, Benin. Workshop themes include electoral activities, good governance and transparency, conflict prevention, democratic culture, and democratic responses to the September 11 attacks.
Contact: Sadikou Ayo Alao, GERDDES Afrique, E-mail: mealao@intnet.bj
18. Conference: Nigeria: From Crisis to Sustainable Democracy - Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, April 19-20, 2002
The Harvard Law School Human Rights Program and the Student Working Group on Nigeria (SWOGON) will host a conference on democratization and human rights in Nigeria on April 19-20, 2002 at the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The conference will contribute to the international understanding of Nigerian internal problems by suggesting ways in which the international community can support internal efforts towards democratization and human rights protection. Discussion topics include civil-military relations, constitutional reform, and corruption and transparency in government.
Contact: Ndubisi Obiorah, E-mail: nobiorah@law.harvard.edu
19. Conference: Transatlantic Forum on the Role of Think-Tanks in the New Millennium - Constanta, Romania, May 5-7, 2002
The Romanian Academic Society, the German Marshall Fund of the US, the Goethe Institute Romania, the American Cultural Center, and the British Council of Romania, will host a three-day conference on the future of think-tanks in policy making and national and international crisis resolution. The conference will bring together Eastern and Western public policy experts and managers with the additional goal of discussing potential partnerships and common projects.
Contact: Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Romanian Academic Society, E-mail: sar@starnets.ro, Web site: sar.euroweb.ro
20. Symposium: 2002 Latin American Student Symposium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution - Monterrey, Mexico, June 15-July 13, 2002
The first annual Latin American Student Symposium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (conducted in English) will be held from June 15-July 13, 2002 at Tec de Monterrey, in Monterrey, Mexico. During the intense 4-week stay, symposium participants are exposed to a full immersion experience combining hands-on skills training in negotiation and mediation, lectures from diplomats and conflict resolution specialists, peer discussion groups, and complex multilateral simulations. This event will be organized by the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution and Tec de Monterrey through its Center of Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Go to: www.iimcr.org/info/application-mx.asp
Or, contact: IIMCR's Latin American Chapter at Tec de Monterrey, Tel: +52-818-358-1400 (ext 3869), Email: iimcrlac@yahoo.com, Web site: www.connect.to/iimcrlac.
21. Awards: ICT Stories Competition 2002
The International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) and infoDev are sponsoring the ICT Stories Competition 2002, a contest designed to pass along field experiences and encourage the sharing of practical knowledge on the development of ICTs (information and communication technologies). Four winners will be selected to attend the INET Conference in June 2002 in Washington, DC, where they will present their stories in a special Stories Winners session. The competition is open to anyone with experience in an active or completed project; entrants from previous years are welcome to enter new or updated stories. The deadline for entry is April 15, 2002.
Go to: www.iicd.org/stories
22. Award: Access to Learning Award
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Access to Learning Award" calls for applications. The award is given annually to a library, library agency, or comparable organization outside the United States that has been innovative in providing free public access to information. The guidelines and application for the award are available online through the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The deadline for applications is April 15, 2002.
Go to: www.clir.org/fellowships/gates/gates.html
23. Clarification of Item in the January Issue of DemocracyNews
In the January issue of DemocracyNews, we announced the launch of the Arab Resource Center on Violence Against Women, "AMAN." We wish to clarify that "AMAN" is a Web site, and was launched by Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) in Jordan.
Go to: www.amanjordan.org
Please Note: Readers of DemocracyNews will often be referred to Web sites for further information. If you are interested in a particular item, but are unable to access the World Wide Web, please contact the or fax at (202) 378-9889, and we will try to provide the information to you by other means.
c/o National Endowment for Democracy
1025 F Street, NW, Suite 800,
Washington, DC 20004 USA
Tel: (202) 378-9700
Fax: (202) 378-9889
http://www.wmd.org
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