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Confronting the Challenges to Democracy in the 21st CenturySecond World AssemblyNovember 12-15, 2000 São Paulo, Brazil
Message from the Steering CommitteeDemocrats from 93 countries gathered in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 12-15, 2000, for the Second Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy. The Assembly brought together a richly diverse group of participants representing every region of the world to continue the work begun at the Inaugural Assembly in New Delhi, India, in February 1999. Despite their differences in background and culture, they came together in the spirit of shared democratic values, and with a recognition of the importance of building a worldwide network committed to mutual support, exchange, and cooperation.
The World Movement for Democracy has emerged as an important initiative to strengthen democratic interaction by fostering new linkages, support networks, and voluntary collaboration among like-minded democrats, while emphasizing concrete initiatives and activities. In addition to facilitating common action within global regions, it provides a forum for exchange and collaboration among democrats working in distinct but complementary areas of advancing democracy: leaders of political parties and civil society organizations, trade unionists and members of business associations, human rights activists and journalists, academics and civic educators, parliamentarians and anti-corruption specialists, and practitioners supporting local government and encouraging greater civic participation.
Since the World Movement first met in 1999, important breakthroughs have occurred that demonstrate the continuing momentum of the global democratic struggle. Nonetheless, the obstacles to further democratic progress and the potential for reversals are still great. The theme of the Second Assembly in São Paulo, "Confronting the Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century," was thus intended to reflect both the difficulties that lie ahead and the determination to overcome them.
But new technology alone is insufficient, particularly in those areas where access remains a distant, if promising, means to advance democratic goals. The biennial assemblies of the World Movement are thus indispensable for building solidarity among World Movement participants and for sharing their knowledge, information, and experiences. The Inaugural Assembly of the World Movement was intended to test the proposition that sufficient need and interest exist in the global pro-democracy community for the establishment of an informal, but effective "network of networks" around the world focused on the advancement of democracy. The result was reflected in the Founding Statement adopted by consensus at the conclusion of that Assembly: . . . the time has come for democrats throughout the world to develop new forms of cooperation to promote the development of democracy. Such cooperation is needed to strengthen democracy where it is weak, to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is longstanding, and to bolster pro-democracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition.The statement further described the new World Movement as a "proactive network of democrats that will meet not less than every two years to exchange ideas and experiences and to foster collaboration among democratic forces around the world." The New Delhi Assembly thus served to inaugurate the World Movement and to set the parameters of its work. In so doing, it answered the proposition placed before it-whether sufficient interest and need exist for such a global network-with a resounding "yes." The primary purpose of the Second Assembly in November 2000, the basis for this report, was to lay the foundation for the creation of the various functional and regional networks that would work toward the goals stipulated in the Founding Statement. As a result, through the nearly 40 workshops organized at the Assembly in São Paulo and the networking undertaken since, the World Movement has brought a multiplicity of individuals and organizations into the fold, and many more activists, practitioners, and thinkers are now participating in the World Movement. Over the next two years, those engaged in democracy work will solidify their ties with each other through their Web sites and e-mail communications, and through their collaborative projects, looking ahead to the next assembly in 2003. This report records the observations, recommendations, and proposed initiatives resulting from the topical, regional, and functional workshops of the Second Assembly. It also contains a list of the more than 400 participants who took part. The workshop reports contained herein will be updated regularly with links and other information on follow-up work related to the various recommendations and initiatives. The Web site also contains links to a number of regional and functional networks undertaking activities to advance democracy. We encourage you to visit the Web site often for these and other resources. We wish to thank all of our Brazilian friends for helping to make the Second Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy a reality. Our thanks go especially to President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a great friend of democracy; to Fábio Magalhães, Director-President, Latin American Memorial; Deputy Ney Lopes, the Vice-President of the Latin American Parliament; and to our fellow Committee member from Brazil, Bolivar Lamounier, and Ms. Cristina de Miranda Costa, the Local Coordinator, both of whom worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Most of all, however, we want to thank the many activists from all over the world who traveled great distances to join us, and to express our solidarity with those who were prevented from attending. The success of the World Movement for Democracy will be measured not only by the number of concrete initiatives to enhance democratic cooperation, but also by the extent to which it grows into a self-sustained means for democracy activists, scholars, and practitioners to draw upon each other's strengths. Through this work, the World Movement will truly emerge as the global democracy network envisioned at its inception. |
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