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Fifth Assembly - Agenda
Making Democracy Work: From Principles to Performance
Kyiv, Ukraine
April 6-9, 2008
For a number of years before and after the World Movement’s Inaugural Assembly in 1999, democratic progress seemed increasingly evident around the world. Quite apart from the transitions that took hold in Central and Eastern Europe following the demise of the Soviet Union, many long-time dictators and authoritarian regimes in Africa and Eurasia were removed by break-through elections and “people power” movements.
More countries in Asia and the Middle East began holding elections on a regular basis. Women began to attain leadership positions in government, political parties, the business sector, and in their communities in Africa and Latin America. And political reforms were increasingly discussed among governments and civil society in the Arab world.
Despite this progress, however, many new democracies have not lived up to the expectations of those who welcomed the advent of democratic governance. In some countries, elected leaders have simply failed to put sufficient democratic practices in place. In others, corruption continues to plague all levels of government. And new democracies have often failed to accommodate differing political points of view, ethnic and religious diversity, and territorial division. All of this represents serious failures in establishing sustainable democracy, so while many advances in democracy can be celebrated, it is clear that, as always, much hard work remains to be done on the practical level of making democracy work.
More recently, however, another, more threatening challenge has emerged: an increasingly orchestrated international effort by various governments to roll back democratic progress and tighten the space for civil society work, especially that of democracy and human rights organizations. The freedom created for government oppositions and critics has diminished in many of those places where it was once the great promise of the future.
Under the theme, “Making Democracy Work: From Principles to Performance,” the Fifth Assembly addressed the practical needs of democracy and human rights activists, practitioners, and scholars, and provided an opportunity for the participants to initiate new strategies for democracy-promotion work. The Assembly took on even greater importance in the face of the two broad challenges indicated above: the disappointment many citizens now have in the failure of new democracies to implement democratic principles effectively and the efforts of some governments to hinder or prevent civil society from working for democratic change itself. It is for this reason that the World Movement Secretariat consulted widely on the formulation of the Fifth Assembly agenda. To be as productive as possible, particularly at this point in history, the Assembly took up the potential ways for addressing these two significant challenges.
Note: In January 2008, the Steering Committee issued a statement on the “Current Challenges to Democracy” with growing concern over the backsliding from democratic progress and the backlash against democracy-promotion work in many parts of the world. This statement was circulated among the Assembly participants, and we encourage reference to it in the various discussions.
Agenda (Draft)
Sunday – April 6
10:00 – 15:00
- Participant Registration
10:00 – 15:30
- Democracy Fair Open
16:30 – 18:30
- Opening Plenary Session
Welcoming Remarks:
Ms. Ayo Obe
Chair and Member (Nigeria), Steering Committee
Ms. Inna Pidluska
Member (Ukraine), Steering Committee
Opening Address :
The Honorable Victor Yushchenko (invited)
President of Ukraine
Keynote Addresses:
The Honorable Alejandro Toledo
Former President of Peru
Maina Kiai
Chairperson, National Commission on Human Rights, Kenya
Myroslava Gongadze
Founder, The Gongadze Foundation, Ukraine
18:45 – 20:15
- Dinner
Monday – April 7
8:45 –10:15
- Plenary Session I: Making Democracy Work
10:30 – 13:00
-
Panel/Discussion A: Lessons from the “Fifth Wave”: Challenges to Democratic Transitions in Post-Communist States
10:30 – 13:00
- Topical Workshops: Session A
- Addressing Corruption: Civil Society Strategies to Strengthen Legislation, Enforcement, and the Role of the Judiciary
- Securing Civil Society Space: How to Respond to Violations of Conventions, Treaties, and Declarations
- Policy versus Personality: Developing Effective Principle-based Political Parties
- What Can Democracies Do to Reduce Poverty and Inequality?
- Improving the Quality of Democracy: How Can Women’s Economic Empowerment Be Enhanced?
- Using New Technologies for Advancing Democracy
- Association, Assembly, and Advocacy: What Are the Best Strategies and Tactics for NGOs in Restrictive Legal Environments?
10:30 – 13:00
-
Technology Training Session - Civic Space in Cyberspace: Amplifying Our Voices with Blogs and YouTube videos.
13:15 – 14:30
- Lunch / Democracy Fair
14:45 – 17:45
- Regional Workshops
Africa
Asia
Central-Eastern Europe/Eurasia
Latin America/Caribbean
Middle East/N. Africa
19:00 – 22:00
- Cultural Evening and Dinner
Tuesday – April 8
8:45 – 10:15
- Plenary Session II: Presentation of World Movement for Democracy Report: "Defending Civil Society"
10:30 – 13:00
- Panel/Discussion B: Promoting the “Defending Civil Society” Principles: Targets and Opportunities
10:30 – 13:00
- Topical Workshops: Session B
- How Can Relationships between Leaders and Constituents Be Strengthened in New Democracies?
- Developing and Implementing Norms and Standards for Political Parties
- Teaching Democracy in Difficult Political and Cultural Environments: What Works?
- Effective Coalitions: How Can National, Regional, and International Cooperation for Advocacy Be Generated?
- The Crucial Role of Migrant Worker Rights in a Vibrant Democracy
- Civil Society Strategies for Free and Fair Elections
- Role of the Media in Democratic Consolidation: Working Together for Transparency and Access to Information
10:30 – 13:00
-
Technology Training Session: Virtual Assemblies and Campaigns: Social Networks and ICT Tools for Grassroots and Youth Outreach
13:15 – 14:30
- Lunch / Democracy Fair
14:45 – 17:45
- Functional Workshops
- Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI): Improving Democratic Governance
- Global Network on Local Governance (GNLG)
- World Youth Movement for Democracy (WYMD)
- International Women’s Democracy Network (IWDN)
- Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
- Democracy Assistance Foundations: Developing and Agenda for Cooperation - What are the Current Priorities?
18:00 –
- Free Evening for Participants
Wednesday – April 9
8:45 – 11:30
- Panel/Discussion C: Press Freedom: Challenges and Strategies
8:45 – 11:30
- Topical Workshops: Session C
- Democracy from the Bottom-Up: How to Think Locally about Democratic Performance
- What Is the Role of the Emerging Private Sector in Post-Conflict, Democratic Reconstruction?
- Freeing Prisoners of Conscience: What are the Effective Strategies?
- Experimental Learning: Democracy and Human Rights Education for Youth
- Making Democracy Work: How to Build Platforms for Inter-Party Cooperation?
- Building Democracy Networks under Authoritarianism: What’s Possible?
- Shanghai Cooperation Organization: What Are the Threats to Democrats and What Can Be Done about Them?
8:45 – 11:30
-
Technology Training Session -- Democracy Resources: Effective Research Strategies and Collaborative Documentation Tools for Activists
11:45 – 13:00
- Lunch / Democracy Fair
13:15 – 15:45
- Skills-Sharing and Capacity-Building Workshops and Misc. Networking Meetings
- From Principles to Performance: How Can Europeans Enhance Their Support for Democratic Transitions Worldwide?
- How to Build Cross-Generational Partnerships for Youth Engagement and Leadership?
- International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics (iKNOW Politics)
- How to Strengthen the UN Human Rights Council through Cross-Regional Collaboration?
- Bridging Racial, Religious, and Ethnic Divides: Can Trade Unions Provide a Model for Promoting Pluralism?
- Community of Democracies: How Can Civil Society Work With Governments and Diplomats?
- LusoForum for Democracy
13:15 – 15:45
-
Technology Training Session -- Openings in Closed Spaces: Effective Email and Web Communication in Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Environments
18:00 – 18:45
- Reception
19:00 – 21:30
Democracy Courage Tributes Presentations, John B. Hurford Memorial Dinner, and Closing Remarks
Presentation to the Monks of Burma
Presentation to the Legal Community of Pakistan
Presentation to the Journalists of Somalia
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