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October 2001
CONTENTS
NEWS and PUBLICATIONS
1. New Section on Middle East and North Africa added to World Movement for Democracy Web Site
2. World Movement São Paulo Assembly Report Published
3. World Movement Steering Committee Comments on September 11 Terrorist Attacks
4. Center for International Private Enterprise Continues to Support Informal Sectors in Democratization
5. Tibetan Youth Congress Meets to Discuss Future Activities
6. Nine Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe Collaborate to Monitor Elections
7. Women's Learning Partnership Receives Tech Innovation Award
8. Information about Elections in Emerging Democracies on the Web Site of the Administration and Cost of Elections (ACE) Project
9. Centre for Democratic Institutions of Australia Launches Electronic Newsletter, CDI.NEWS
10. Organization of American States Works to Strengthen Democracy in the Americas
11. Report: "Regional Cooperation and Democratization" in the Middle East
12. Report: Asian Center for Democratic Governance's "Making Democracy Work: Accountability and Transparency"
13. Report: "Advocacy Video: Producing Change"
14. Publication: Judicial Case Tracking and Management Guide - Manual for Improving Court Systems
15. Publication: "Political Parties and Democracy"
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
16. Conference on Collection and Dissemination of Information for Women, Kampala, Uganda, July 23-26, 2002
17. Liberal International's Congress on "Good Governance - The Liberal Agenda" Budapest, Hungary, March 21-23, 2002
18. Course on Electoral Governance Available
19. Human Rights Training for Lawyers and Activists, Russia, October 12-14, 2001
20. Wear a White Ribbon to Join an International Campaign Against Violence Toward Women
NEWS and PUBLICATIONS
1. New Section on Middle East and North Africa added to World Movement for Democracy Web Site
The World Movement Web site has launched a new section on the Middle East and North Africa. The section provides links to democracy networks in the Middle East and North Africa region, including the Middle East Network for Democracy (MEND), which emerged from the Second Assembly of the World Movement in São Paulo last November. It also includes information about organizations participating in the World Movement in the region, participants' activities and projects, publication and research materials, potential funding sources, and useful links.
Go to: www.wmd.org/mena/mena.html or via the World Movement's home page (www.wmd.org)
2. World Movement São Paulo Assembly Report Published
The World Movement has published a report on its Second Assembly in São Paulo, Brazil, last November. The report contains many of the recommendations and proposed initiatives that resulted from the nearly 40 workshops at the Assembly, as well as excerpts from the keynote address delivered by Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the presentation of the World Movement's Democracy Courage Tributes, and a list of the more than 400 participants who attended.
The report will soon be available on the World Movement Web site, where it will be updated regularly with links and other information on follow-up work related to the workshop recommendations and initiatives. If you are currently undertaking work, or wish to collaborate with others, on any of these recommendations or initiatives, please send us the information (world@ned.org or by fax to +1-202-223-6042) so we can post it on the Web site version of the report.
Although we encourage participants to view the report on the Web site, if you wish to receive a printed copy, please contact: World Movement for Democracy, 1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005, USA; +1-202-223-6042(fax), world@ned.org.
Go to: www.wmd.org
3. World Movement Steering Committee Comments on September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Several members of the World Movement's Steering Committee have expressed their concerns and sympathy in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11. Their comments are available on the World Movement Web site for your information.
Go to: www.wmd.org/sep1101-responses.html
4. Center for International Private Enterprise Continues to Support Informal Sectors in Democratization
Following its workshop on the linkages between the informal sector and democracy at the São Paulo Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy last November, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is continuing to support programs investigating the effects of excessive regulation on private sector development and informality. In Serbia, for example, CIPE is working with the G-17 Institute on a new project to measure the effect of bureaucratic red tape on private sector growth. Building on a current survey on barriers to entry into the local economy, the G-17 Institute will assess the size and scope of government intervention. Dissemination of the survey results and an international conference will help increase the awareness of the benefits of a healthy formal sector among the business community and government policy makers. The conference is also expected to result in an action program to phase out excessive state/administrative intervention at all levels of government and demonstrate the relationship between a vibrant civil society and the process of democratization.
For project updates and materials, go to: www.cipe.org
Contact: Ms. Dana Southworth, Program Officer for Central and Eastern Europe, +1-202-721-9200(tel), dsouthworth@cipe.org
CIPE is also pleased to announce its electronic Feature Service (FS). Participants receive two e-mailed articles per month that address critical economic reform issues, such as corruption, corporate governance, globalization, and democratic market institutions.
To subscribe or access a list of previous FS articles, go to: www.cipe.org/fs
Contact: Ms. Maria Helena Price, Manager of Publications and FS Editor, Center for International Private Enterprise, +1-202-721-9239(tel), mhprice@cipe.org.
5. Tibetan Youth Congress Meets to Discuss Future Activities
The Tibetan Youth Congress, a World Movement participating organization, held its 11th General Board of Directors Meeting at Dharamasala on August 25-30, 2001. More than 170 members from 52 regional Tibetan Youth Congresses participated in this general meeting, which is held every three years. His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the meeting, which was also attended by Tibetan officials and representatives from different Tibetan NGOs. A program and plan of action for the next three years and calendar of activities were agreed to during the meeting.
Contact: tyc@del2.vsnl.net.in
6. Nine Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe Collaborate on Efforts to Monitor Elections
Nine Central and Eastern European election monitoring organizations (GONG-Croatia, Citizens for Citizens-Macedonia, CeSID-Serbia, SDC-Albania, CDT-Montenegro, Obcianske oko-Slovakia, CCI-Bosnia and Herzegovina, CEMI-Montenegro, Jehona-Albania) met on May 30, 2001, to discuss a project, called the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations Initiative (ENEMO Initiative), that is designed to develop cooperation in the election monitoring field. GONG is a World Movement participating organization.
Go to: www.gong.hr/Enemo
Contact: Mr. Vladimir Pran, GONG International Officer and ENEMO Initiative Action Secretary, GONG, Trg B. Jelacica 15/4, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, +358-1-4921-680(tel), +385-1-4921-676(fax), vladimir@gong.hr
7. Women's Learning Partnership Receives Tech Innovation Award
The Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace (WLP) has been selected as a finalist in the Equality category for the Tech Museum of Innovation Awards- "Technology Benefiting Humanity." WLP's work was chosen from over 200 candidates. WLP will be honored in San Francisco at the Tech Museum's Award Gala on November 1, 2001, an event celebrating the application of technology to improve the human condition. Mahnaz Afkhami, WLP's President, serves as a member of the World Movement's Steering Committee, and WLP is a World Movement participating organization.
Go to: www.learningpartnership.org
For more information about the Tech Museum of Innovation Awards, go to: http://www.thetech.org/techawards/info.html.
8. Information about Elections in Emerging Democracies on the Web Site of the Administration and Cost of Elections (ACE) Project Information about three aspects of conducting elections in emerging democracies has been added to the Web site of the Administration and Cost of Elections (ACE) Project. This electronic encyclopedia of election administration is a major compilation of analytical and comparative texts and good-practice examples for organizing, supporting, and studying free and fair elections. The three modules on the site focus on Elections and Integrity, Elections and Technology, and Media and Elections. The ACE Project is an initiative of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Information on the Web site is available in English, French, and Spanish.
Go to: www.aceproject.org
9. Centre for Democratic Institutions of Australia Launches Electronic Newsletter, CDI.NEWS
The Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI) at the Australian National University has released its electronic newsletter, CDI.NEWS. CDI, a participating organization in the World Movement, is Australia's democracy promotion and training institution, working in the area of good governance, particularly focusing on parliaments, judiciaries, and civil society and media, in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions. CDI.NEWS, which will be distributed periodically by e-mail, is designed to keep people informed of recent activities and upcoming events at CDI. Those interested in receiving CDI.NEWS can subscribe at the CDI Web site.
Go to: www.cdi.anu.edu.au/cdinews.html
10. Organization of American States Works to Strengthen Democracy in Americas
Meeting in plenary session in Lima, Peru, on September 11, the 28th special session of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly adopted the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to give the OAS additional tools to promote and defend democracy. Central to the five-chapter charter is the relationship of democracy to human rights and to integral development. The main purpose of the charter is to strengthen and preserve the democratic system. Its clauses include a provision stating that any unconstitutional alteration or disruption of the democratic order in a member state "constitutes an insurmountable obstacle" to participation of that state's government in various forums of the OAS.
Go to: www.oas.org/charter/eng/charter_en.htm
Also within the framework of the mandates from the last Summit of the Americas, the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) of the OAS has facilitated an horizontal cooperation project between two electoral institutions from the Hemisphere, the Superior Electoral Tribunal of Brazil and the Superior Tribunal of Electoral Justice (TSJE) of Paraguay. The purpose of this cooperative effort is to share Brazilian experience and technology in the use of voting machines with the TSJE in Paraguay, through a pilot program during elections in five Paraguayan municipalities on November 18, 2001.
11. Report: "Regional Cooperation and Democratization" in the Middle East
The Iraq Institute for Reform and Democratic Culture organized a seminar on "Regional Cooperation and Democratization" in Erbil, Iraq, on May 5-7, 2001. About 130 participants, including researchers, journalists, clergymen, chieftains, and university students, discussed promoting democratization in the Middle East through networks among human rights and democracy organizations, using the Internet, building commercial and business cooperation, and education. At the end of the three-day conference, particiants recommended that the discussion be continued in the region and that information and communication technologies be used for promoting human rights and the rights of minorities and women. The Iraq Institute is a World Movement participating organization.
For a copy of the report, contact: Mr. Hussain Sinjari, President, Iraq Institute for Reform and Democratic Culture, iraq-institute@iraq-democracy.org, www.iraq-democracy.org.
Note: As announced above, the World Movement for Democracy's Web site now includes a section on the Middle East and North Africa, which includes information about democracy networks in the region. The Web site also features a section on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The ICT section provides useful and practical information about how ICT can be used for networking and developing democracy activities.
Go to: www.wmd.org
12. Report: "Making Democracy Work: Accountability and Transparency"
The Asian Center for Democratic Governance, a partnership between the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has published a report on its inaugural conference, held in New Delhi on January 7-8, 2001. The Conference, on "Making Democracy Work: Accountability and Transparency," included participants from 12 countries in Asia, as well as democratic governance experts and practitioners from the United States and the United Kingdom. The conference identified and discussed key issues of democratic governance in Asia, and generated ideas on the future focus and direction of the Asian Center for Democratic Governance. Topics included: Why Transparency and Accountability Matter: Good Governance in a Democracy; Ensuring Accountability: the Role of Parliament; Ensuring Accountability and the Rule of Law: the Role of the Judiciary; and Ensuring Transparency: the Role of the Media. The report is available on the Asian Center Web site.
Go to: www.ned.org/acdg/inaugural/main.html
Contact: Mr. Peter Vancura, Project Assistant, Asian Center for Democratic Governance, peter@ned.org.
13. Report: "Advocacy Video: Producing Change"
This report, produced by the Benton Foundation, provides 15 stories illustrating the use of advocacy videos by broadcasters, individuals and nonprofits to motivate people to change their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries, and the laws that govern them.
Go to: http://www.benton.org/Practice/Features/advocacyvideo.html#introduction
Contact: BENTON FOUNDATION, 950 18th Street, N.W., Washington DC 20006, +1-202-638-5770(tel), +1-202-638-5771(fax), communicate@benton.org, www.benton.org
14. Publication: Judicial Case Tracking and Management Guide - Manual for Improving Court Systems USAID's Center for Democracy and Governance has released a new technical publication, "Case Tracking and Management Guide." Case tracking and management (CTM) systems are critical to the effectiveness and efficiency of judiciaries. They bring transparency to court operations, reducing opportunities for corruption and ensuring accountability. This manual provides a structure for communicating with judicial system officials and for designing and implementing CTM system improvement interventions.
Go to: www.usaid.gov/democracy/pubsindex.html
15. Publication: "Political Parties and Democracy"
National Endowment for Democracy's International Forum for Democratic Studies will shortly publish a book, "Political Parties and Democracy," edited by Richard Gunther and Larry Diamond (Johns Hopkins University Press: Washington, DC, forthcoming, November 2001). This book includes 13 articles written by scholars from around the world. The authors analyze the changing character of parties and party systems in postcommunist Europe, Latin America, and five individual countries that have witnessed significant change: Italy, Japan, Taiwan, India, and Turkey. The book originated in a conference organized by the International Forum.
Go to: www.press.jhu.edu/press/books/titles/f01/f01dipo.htm
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
16. Conference on Collection and Dissemination of Information for Women, Kampala, Uganda, July 23-26, 2002
This conference will be the 5th conference of specialists in the collection and dissemination of information relevant to women. It is organized by Isis-Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange Isis-WICCE) assisted by the International Information Center and Archives for the Women's Movement (IIAV) in Amsterdam.
Go to: www.kabissa.org/wougnet/projectnews.html#KnowHow
Contact: Director, Isis-WICCE, P.O Box 4934, Kampala, Uganda, +256-41-543953(tel), +256-41-543954(fax), isis@starcom.co.ug, www.isis.or.ug/
17. Liberal International's Congress on "Good Governance - The Liberal Agenda," Budapest, Hungary, March 21-23, 2002
The 51st Congress of the Liberal International will be held on March 21-23, 2002, on "Good Governance - the Liberal Agenda." The Congress will seek to define "good governance" as a general concept relevant to practical and concrete ideas and policies. The first draft of the theme resolution is available online. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Go to: www.liberal-international.org/congress/budapest
Contact: Mr. Jan Weijere, Secretary General, Liberal International, all@liberal-international.org
18. Course on Electoral Governance
Griffith University's School of Politics and Public Policy in Australia offers a program for a graduate certificate and a graduate diploma in electoral governance. This program is offered using distance-learning methods with programmed instructional materials dispatched to students by direct-mail with program support services provided via the Internet. A combination of interactive electronic communication facilities (Internet, e-mail, voicemail, and teleconferencing) is used for advisory, teaching, tutorial and course administration functions.
For more information, contact: Dr. Glenn Rhodes, School of Politics and Public Policy (Nathan Campus), Griffith University, Kessels Rd, QLD 4111, Australia, +61-7-3875-5411(tel), +61-7-3857-7737(fax), g.rhodes@mailbox.gu.edu.au
19. Human Rights Training for Lawyers and Activists, Russia, October 12-14, 2001
NGO "Sutyajnik," a World Movement participating organization based in Ekaternburg, Russia, with support from the Council of Europe, will conduct a 3-day training entitled "Access to Justice" for 25 lawyers and NGO representatives on October 12-14, 2001. Participants will study Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and a challenge that Russia faces today - getting access to justice protecting human rights. The training is a follow-up for the partnership project of NGO "Sutyajnik" and Interights (International Center of Legal Human Rights Protection), which trained 30 participants in the use of the European Convention on Human Rights.
For more information, contact: Mr. Sergey Belyaev, +7-3432-56-36-51(tel), belyaev@sutyajnik.e-burg.su.
20. Wear a White Ribbon to Join an International Campaign Against Violence Toward Women
November 25 is White Ribbon Day - International Day Against Violence Toward Women. The White Ribbon is the international symbol of hope for a world where women and girls can live free from the fear of violence. White Ribbon Day was launched by Womankind, based in the United Kingdom, in 1998.
Go to: www.womankind.org.uk
For more information, contact: Ms. Ilana Cravitz, Communication Officer, WOMANKIND Worldwide, ilana@womankind.org.uk
Special Announcement - October 2001
Dear World Movement Participants,
We are pleased to announce the launch of the World Movement Web site section on Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States. The section provides links to democracy networks, information about organizations participating in the World Movement in these regions, publications and research materials, funding sources, and other useful links.
If you have any suggestions, comments, or information to include in this or any other sections of the World Movement Web site, please contact us by e-mail at world@ned.org or by fax (202-223-6042).
Go to: www.wmd.org/cee-nis/cee-nis.html or via the World Movement's home page (www.wmd.org)
We also take this opportunity to announce several items we were unable to included in the October issue of DemocracyNews:
1. Job Opportunities - Open Society Institute (OSI)
The Open Society Institute's Democracy Coalition Project has two positions available (Regional Coordinators for Former Soviet Union and for Latin America and the Caribbean). The project supports non-governmental organizations and coalitions committed to strengthening open democratic society in their countries and abroad. The regional coordinators will serve as the Project's field-based representatives for investigative, grant-making, programmatic and evaluation activities in the regions.
For more information, please contact: Ms. Martha Larson, OSI Democracy Coalition Project, +1-202-530-0128(fax), Mlarson@sorosny.org
2. Stanford University Comparative Democratization Project
Stanford University's Institute for International Studies has launched a project "Comparative Democratization Project" on the Internet. The project seeks to develop theories about democratization, examine the role of specific actors in the process of democratization and policies on democratization, and analyze challenges confronting democratic development in particular countries and regions around the world. The Web site provides links to various Internet resources by topics (civil-military relations, civil society, human rights, rule or law, etc.) and by regions. Discussion papers for the Democratization Seminar are also available online.
Go to: http://democracy.stanford.edu/
Contact: Catalin Cosovanu, cosovanu@leland.stanford.edu
3. Publication: Journal of Democracy October Issue
The October issue of the Journal of Democracy includes 10 articles discussing "Ten Years After the Soviet Breakup" in addition to articles on Hong Kong, Burma, Israel, and the Organization of American States. The Journal of Democracy focuses on the problems of and prospects for democracy around the world. Founded in 1990, the Journal is published for the National Endowment for Democracy's International Forum for Democratic Studies by the Johns Hopkins University Press.
Go to: www.journalofdemocracy.org/current.htm
To place an order for electronic or paper subscriptions, contact: The Johns Hopkins University Press, Journals Publishing Division, P.O. Box 19966, Baltimore, Maryland 21211, USA; +1-410-516-6987(tel), +1-410-516-6968(fax), 1-800-548-1784(toll-free), jlorder@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
4. World Movement Logo Competition
As many of you may recall, the World Movement for Democracy conducted a competition for a new logo for the World Movement for Democracy earlier this year. The winner of the competition would be awarded a cost-covered trip for him- or herself and a colleague to the next Assembly of the World Movement in 2003. Although the original deadline for the logo competition has passed, and while we received several very interesting and promising submissions, we welcome any additional logo ideas participants may have to add to those we received. If you are interested in submitting an idea for a new World Movement logo, please send a message to world@ned.org (or fax to: +202-223-6042) and we will be happy to send you the details on the competition.
As announced in the DemocracyNews October issue, the São Paulo Assembly report will shortly be available on the World Movement Web site. Please visit our Web site (www.wmd.org) to view the report within the next week or two.
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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