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The World Movement for Democracy is a global network of democrats, including activists, practitioners, academics, policy makers, and funders, who have come together to develop new forms of cooperation to promote the development of democracy. View previous issues of DemocracyNews.

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November 2001

CONTENTS

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

WORLDWIDE SALUTE FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI, DECEMBER 8, 2001 (please scroll down for information)

NEWS and PUBLICATIONS
1. Xiao Qiang, Member of World Movement Steering Committee, Received MacArthur Foundation Fellowship
2. Report on "Business and Human Rights in China"
3. Asia Regional Network, ARDA, Monitors Elections in Singapore
4. Solidarity Center Works for Migrant Workers' Right to Vote in Sri Lanka
5. Election Issues Awareness Campaign in Sri Lanka
6. Network of Democracy Research Institutes Publishes First Issue of Democracy Research News
7. Tip Sheet on Effective E-mail Publishing

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
8. Looking for Part-Time Senior Fellows at the Institute for Global Democracy
9. New Project on Civil-Military Relations Launched in Ecuador
10. New Portal on Elections in Latin America Launched
11. Constitutional Assembly in Croatia
12. CIPE Dialogue on "Islam, Democracy and Market Economy"
13. Forum Held on "Faith & Freedom: Women from the Three Abrahamic Religions Talk About Terror, War, and Peace," Washington, DC
14. International Conference on Arab Female Human Rights Activists, Paris, France, November 12-15, 2001
15. Discussion on "Democracy, Civil Society, and the Armed Forces," Caracas, Venezuela, November 21, 2001
16. Twenty-third International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), Quebec, Canada, June 9-28, 2002
17. Ninth International Forum on "Women's Rights and Development: Re-inventing Globalization," October 3-6, 2002, Guadalajara, Mexico
18. New Center for Journalists in "Dangerous Regions"
19. 2002 King Baudouin International Development Prize
20. New Research Project at Institute of East Asian Studies in Duisburg, Germany
21. Rockefeller Foundation Announces New Fellows for Next Generation Leadership Program

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
WORLDWIDE SALUTE FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI, DECEMBER 8, 2001

Since the May 1990 free and fair elections in Burma, the Burmese military regime has prohibited Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders from taking office. Many have been detained under house arrest, like Aung San Suu Kyi, and others are languishing in prison under deplorable conditions. On December 8, 2001, the Tenth Anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Burma Peace Campaign, the Nobel Institute, and an international coalition will salute her efforts to bring democracy to Burma in a flagship ceremony in front of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo. The 34 Nobel Laureates will sit on stage in 34 chairs surrounding one empty chair designated for Aung San Suu Kyi. Speakers will include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Oscar Arias Sanchez, South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, and Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik. The ceremony will be carried live from Norway in capitals around the world, including Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, and several European cities.

The Campaign is also circulating a declaration of Members of Parliament that calls on the military government of Burma to release and recognize Burma's democratically elected leaders and to join the National League for Democracy in a dialogue to achieve a peaceful transition to democracy. To date, 2,345 Members of Parliament from eighty-five countries have signed the declaration.

You can join in the international coalition to salute Aung San Suu Kyi and call for the democratic reform in Burma. The Campaign's website, http://www.burmapeacecampaign.org/, has information on how you can assist the campaign, contact local organizers, or organize an event in your city on December 8.

To host or organize an event, or to participate in the ceremony, contact the organization closest to you from the list below: NEWS and PUBLICATIONS

1. Xiao Qiang, Member of World Movement Steering Committee, Received MacArthur Foundation Fellowship
Among this year's recipients of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowships is Xiao Qiang, Director of the New York-based organization Human Rights in China and member of the World Movement Steering Committee. Speaking of all those who received the Fellowships, Jonathan Fanton, president of the MacArthur Foundation, remarked, "Whether working alone or within an organization, these are people who provide the imagination and fresh ideas that can improve people's lives and bring about movement on important issues."

For information about the MacArthur Foundation, go to: www.macfound.org/

For information about Human Rights in China, go to: www.hrichina.org/

2. Report on "Business and Human Rights in China"
The Montreal-based organization, Rights & Democracy, recently published a report, entitled "China's Golden Shield: Corporations and the Development of Surveillance Technology in the Peoples Republic of China", that points specifically to the impact on human rights of new technology launched in Shanghai during the recent APEC Leader's Meeting.

For a copy of the full report in English, French, or Chinese, go to: www.ichrdd.ca

To request a printed copy of the report write to: publications@ichrdd.ca

3. Asia Regional Network, ARDA, Monitors Elections in Singapore
The Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) implemented a rapid response mission to monitor elections in Singapore. Australian elections expert David Muffet and Korean scholar Syung Je Park traveled to Singapore November 2-5 to assess the snap parliamentary elections on November 3. The assessment team observed election activities, and held meetings with government officials, ruling and opposition party leaders, and academics and civil society activists to develop a complete picture of the election and political system. Based on its assessment, the team will write a thorough report for ARDA that will serve as a baseline study for future discussions of political and electoral reform in Singapore. The report will be distributed in Singapore and around the region, and made available on the ARDA website. ARDA was initiated and established on October 8, 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand by democrats from Australia, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, and organized the Asia regional workshop at the Second Assembly of the World Movement in Sao Paulo, Brazil, last November.

For more information, go to: www.asiademocracy.org

4. Solidarity Center Works for Migrant Workers' Right to Vote in Sri Lanka
In October 2001, the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center) continued its support for activities in Sri Lanka (as well as India and Pakistan) under the Center's Civic Education Program. In collaboration with the Migrant Workers Center (MWC) the government's Human Rights Commission (HRC) was persuaded that every citizen's right to vote should be extended to those living and working outside the country. Close to a million Sri Lankan migrant workers are effectively excluded from voting while absent from the country. The efforts of the Solidarity Center and the MWC may finally offer these workers the opportunity to vote in domestic elections. After hearing representations from the Migrant Workers Center, the Commission decided, in a landmark move on October 18, to recommend to the government and the elections commissioner that Sri Lankans working overseas be allowed to vote at elections at home. The Colombo-based MWC, affiliated to the National Workers Congress, has been urging voting rights for migrant workers for the past two years with the assistance of the Solidarity Center. The Solidarity Center organized a workshop on workers' rights at the Second Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy.

The Solidarity Center also joined with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) at its Second Political Leadership Academy to help raise the awareness of young political party leaders about trade union and worker rights. At the event, formerly imprisoned Indonesian trade union leaders Muchtar Pakpahan and Dita Sari joined the Solidarity Center Field Representative on a panel to discuss the topic of "the Trade Union: Its Role in Democracy and Relationship with Political Parties." The audience included 22 young leaders from parliamentary parties, working at the national, regional, and local levels.

Contact: American Center for International Labor Solidarity, Tel: +1-202-778-4500, Fax: +1-202-778-4525, acils@acils.org

For information about NDI, go to: www.ndi.org

5. Election Issues Awareness Campaign in Sri Lanka
On December 5, 2001, the Civic Education Bureau of All Ceylon Federation of Free Trade Unions (ACFFTU) will begin a campaign throughout Sri Lanka to increase the awareness of parliamentary elections issues. The Civic Education Bureau will disseminate information in three languages (Shinhala, Tamil, and English). The ACFFTU is a participating organization in the World Movement for Democracy.

For more information, contact: Antony Lodwick, Secretary General, All Ceylon Federation of Free Trade Unions (ACFFTU), Tel: +941-431-847, Fax: +941-470-874, acfftu@itmin.com

6. Network of Democracy Research Institutes Publishes First Issue of Democracy Research News
The Network of Democracy Research Institutes has published the first issue of Democracy Research News, an electronic monthly newsletter. The Network, one of several functional networks within the World Movement for Democracy, is a membership association of organizations that conduct research on democracy, democratization, and the policy and institutional challenges of democratic development. Membership in the Network is open to independent institutions, university-based study centers, and research institutes affiliated with political parties, labor unions, democracy and human rights movements, and other organizations. It was established to facilitate interaction and exchanges among democracy scholars and activists and to promote a greater awareness of the diversity and vitality of democracy studies. Through its Web site, Democracy Research News, and other means, the Network provides information about the research, conferences, publications, and other activities of its diverse membership. The Network is administered by the International Forum for Democratic Studies in Washington, D.C.

For a list of member institutes and additional information, go to: www.wmd.org/ndri/ndri.html

To subscribe to Democracy Research News, contact: Tom Skladony, Senior Program Officer at the International Forum, Fax: +1-202-293-0258, skladony@ned.org

7. Tip Sheet on Effective E-mail Publishing
For tips on how to increase the effectiveness of your e-mail newsletters, see the information in this short "tip sheet." Suggestions include keeping text short, formatting the information for optimum readability, and sending audience-specific mailings.

Go to: www.foundationnews.org/CME/article.cfm?ID=1007

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

8. Looking for Part-Time Senior Fellows at the Institute for Global Democracy
The mission of the Institute for Global Democracy (IGD) is to strengthen the democracy-promotion policies of the international community (including governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations) through research, outreach and advocacy. IGD is currently recruiting part-time senior fellows in the following regional portfolios: Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America, Near East, and South Asia. The part-time fellows will be responsible for writing and commissioning policy papers, conducting policy forums, and advocating for their policy recommendations. Senior fellows will receive a quarterly stipend.

Those interested in applying should contact: David W. Yang, Director, The Institute for Global Democracy, The Henry L. Stimson Center, 11 Dupont Circle, NW, Ninth Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA, Tel: +1-202-478-3418, Fax: +1-202-238-9604, dyang@stimson.org, www.globaldem.org

9. New Project on Civil-Military Relations Launched in Ecuador
The Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and the Latin American Institute of Social Research launched a project on civil-military relations on November 8th in Quito, Ecuador. The project began with a forum on "Defense and Security of Small Countries Facing Globalization," which will give rise to a series of conferences. The Project will run until April 2002, with monthly forums addressing specific topics on civil-military relations in Latin America. The ex-Minister of Defense of Spain, Gustavo Suarez Pertierre; a distinguished scholar from the United States, Dr. Johana Mendelson Forman; and the Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Sao Paulo, Dr. Hector Luis Saint Pierre, are among the Project's expected participants.

Contact Information: Bertha Gallegos Garcia, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, bgarcia@puceuio.puce.edu.ec

10. New Portal on Elections in Latin America Launched
Two decades after the beginning of the process of transition to democracy, the increase in the member of democratically elected governments in Latin America offers a vast territory to explore in terms of elections and democracy in the region. The Observatorio Electoral Latinoamericano, a group of people specializing in the politics and elections of Latin America, has launched a Web site for information, analysis, and debate on the electoral processes and related electoral themes that are characteristic to Latin America.

Go to: www.observatorioelectoral.org

Contact: Daniel Zovatto, International IDEA, San José, Costa Rica, Tel: +506-232-8665/+506-296-9012, Fax: +506-231-2154, zovatto@hotmail.com

11. Constitutional Assembly in Croatia
The ENEMO (European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations) Constitutional Assembly, organized by the civil society organization GONG, took place in Opatija, Croatia, September 27-30, 2001. Eleven election monitoring organizations (APD Romania, BAFE Bulgaria, C4C Macedonia, CDT and CEMI Montenegro, CeSID Serbia, CVU Ukraine, GONG Croatia, Obcianske Oko Slovakia, SDC Albania, Viasna Belarus) signed the ENEMO Constitutional Protocol, a result of the Assembly and the foundation for future cooperation and the development of operational mechanisms of the Network.
For more information, contact: ENEMO, cesid@cesid.org.yu, www.cesid.org

12. CIPE Dialogue on "Islam, Democracy, and Market Economy"
The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) held a dialogue on "Islam, Democracy and Market Economy" on November 7, 2001. Ozdem Sanberk, director of the Istanbul-based Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), and former undersecretary at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussed why and how democracy and market economy are the paths to development in the Islamic world. A report on this event will soon appear on the CIPE Web site.

For the report, go to: www.cipe.org

For more information, contact: Nick Nadal, Center for International Private Enterprise, Tel: +1-202-721-9228, Fax: +1-202-721-9250.

CIPE is also pleased to announce that it will support a week-long training program for business association executives in West Africa early in 2002. The CIPE program will provide key leaders in private business associations in several West African countries with training to better represent business interests in countries experiencing democratic and market-based economic transitions. Working with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and other regional partners, CIPE will offer tools and techniques for association advocacy, communications, member services, and management.

For more information, contact: Center for International Private Enterprise, Tel: +1-202-721-9200, Fax: +1-202-721-9250, forum@cipe.org, www.cipe.org

13. Forum on "Faith & Freedom: Women From the Three Abrahamic Religions Talk About Terror, War, and Peace"
The Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace, in collaboration with the International Student Services of American University, presented a forum on "Faith & Freedom: Women From the Three Abrahamic Religions Talk About Terror, War, and Peace." The forum was held at American University, Washington, DC, on November 7, 2001. Prominent women leaders explored the common values underlying Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and the role of religion in conflict resolution and violence prevention. They addressed the challenges facing the United States and the international community in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the need to build a global coalition for peace and tolerance.

Go to: www.learningpartnership.org/WLP/events/2001/interfaith.html

For more information, contact: Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace, Tel: +1-301-654-2774, Fax: +1-301-654-2775, wlp@learningpartnership.org

14. International Conference on Arab Female Human Rights Activists, Paris, France, November 12-15, 2001
The Arab Program for Human Rights Activists (APHRA) in Cairo and the Arab Commission for Human Rights (ACHR) in Paris will hold a conference on "The Institutional and the Political Status of Arab Human Rights Female Activists." More than 60 prominent female activists will gather to discuss critical issues facing female activists in their professional lives. The opening session will include an Arab-European Friendship Meeting attended by prominent European Parliamentary figures as well as international observers.

For more information, contact: Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, Tel: +202-404-1185, Fax: +202-403-9954, rphra@rite.com, www.aphra.org

15. Discussion on "Democracy, Civil Society, and the Armed Forces," Caracas, Venezuela, November 21, 2001
In collaboration with Liderazgo y Visión, the Association of Civil Understanding of Venezuela is presenting "Two Experts, Two Military Officers and Two Journalists Talk About Democracy, Civil Society and the Armed Forces" on November 21, 2001, in Caracas, Venezuela. The conversation will take place as the third activity of the Association's annual project "Civilians, Military and Democracy: In Search of Equilibrium."

For more information, contact: Liderazgo y Visión, Caracas, Venezuela, comprension@liderazgoyvision.org

16. Twenty-third International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), Quebec, Canada, June 9-28, 2002
The International Human Rights Training Program will hold its Twenty-third session on June 9-28, 2002, in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada. The 3-week program offers the opportunity to meet more than 100 participants from approximately 50 countries. The Canadian Human Rights Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1967, dedicated to the promotion of human rights through education in Canada and around the world.

For more information and an application form, contact (by January 15, 2002): Mr. Frédéric Hareau, Canadian Human Rights Foundation, Tel: +1-514-954-0382, Fax: +1-514-954-0659, IHRTP@chrf.ca, www.chrf.ca

17. Ninth International Forum on "Women's Rights and Development: Re-inventing Globalization," October 3-6, 2002, Guadalajara, Mexico
The Ninth International Forum of the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) will be held October 3-6, 2002 in Guadalajara, Mexico and will provide an opportunity for the global women's movement to assess their successes and failures and to forge new strategies. AWID invites development practitioners, researchers, human rights specialists, activists, policy makers, representatives from multilateral and bilateral agencies, students and business people to submit their proposals for workshops, creative sessions, debates, poster sessions, and skills-building sessions.

To submit proposals (by December 31, 2001) or for more information, contact: Shareen Gokal, Forum Manager, AWID, Tel: +1-416-594-3773, Fax: +1-416-594-0330, sgokal@awid.org or forum@awid.org, www.awid.org

18. New Center for Journalists in "Dangerous Regions"
The International Federation of Journalists, which represents over 500,000 journalists in 100 countries, announces the launch of a new center for special help and advice for journalists working in dangerous regions. The project was realized in cooperation with foreign correspondents in Brussels and the Belgian Journalists Association.

For information, contact: Journalists @ Your Service, safety@ifj.org

19. 2002 King Baudouin International Development Prize
Since 1980, the King Baudouin International Development Prize has awarded €150,000 (Euros) biennially to an individual or organization for sustainable achievements in improving the lives of people in the developing world. For more information on how to submit a candidate's file, visit http://www.kbprize.org. Submit applications by February 1, 2002.

Contact: Catherine Adant, King Badouin Foundation, Tel: +32-2-549-0273, info@kbprize.org

20. New Research Project at Institute of East Asian Studies in Duisburg, Germany
The Institute of East Asian Studies at the Gerhard-Mercator University in Duisburg, Germany is undertaking a new research project on political reform and democratization in East and Southeast Asia in the light of new processes of regional community-building. The project is funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Beyond the purely economic dimension of the financial and economic crisis in Asia there is also a political dimension, which has generated a discourse on the political reasons for the crisis and thus the future of political structures and political systems. A special "Project Discussion Paper" series related to this project is available at: www.uni-duisburg.de/Institute/OAWISS/publikationen/orangereihe.html

For more information, contact: Dr. Nora Sausmikat, Universität Duisburg, FB1- Political Sciences/ East Asian Studies, sausmikat@unidui.uni-duisburg.de

21. Rockefeller Foundation Announces New Fellows for Next Generation Leadership Program The Rockefeller Foundation has selected a new group of 24 participants to serve as fellows for its Next Generation Leadership (NGL) program. The two-year initiative is designed to discover ways of strengthening U.S. democracy in the 21st Century. The fellows represent a cross-section of professions and communities in the United States. During the first year of the NGL program, fellows will participate in group sessions focusing on the principles, practices and policies of U.S. democracy, addressing issues of race, citizenship, immigration, globalization, and the role of the media and information technology in a democratic society. In the second year, fellows will collaborate on projects in their respective communities that put theories of democracy into action. The NGL program was created in 1997 to build a network of leaders who would collaborate to help devise innovative, community-based solutions to many of today's challenges.

For more information, contact: Rockefeller Foundation, Tel: +1-212-869-8500, Fax: +1-212-764-3468, www.rockfound.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.


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