democracy and governance

Research Guide on Internal Displacement

> FMO, October 2005, 30pp

http://www.forcedmigration.org/guide (...)

An introduction to some of the main debates regarding internal displacement, focusing mainly on conflict induced displaced.
"This research guide aims to summarise the challenge of internal displacement at a policy level, but also to address its social consequences and explore the experiences of many internally displaced persons (IDPs) of physical dislocation, separation from everyday practices and familiar environments, social disruption and material dispossession."

• [See also the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, formerly the "Global IDP Porject"]

date of on-line publication : 1 June 2006

YLÄ-ANTTILA Tuomas

Is Structurelessness Democratic? Two Normative Frameworks for Debates at the World Social Forum

> Network Institute for Global Democratization, November 2005

http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/adv (...)

Many NGO activists appreciate the World Social Forum’s ‘open meeting place’ format, in which no individual or organisation has explicit power, and everyone has a voice in the forum debates. However, this unstructured format ‘can lead to less democracy, rather than more of it,’ warn Finnish scholars. This paper discusses the need for members of the International Council, the decision-making body of the WSF, to adopt more formal rules in order to preserve the unique ‘open’ format of the Forum.  read

date of on-line publication : 3 January 2006

Open Society Justice Initiative

The Growing Threat of Soft Censorship

> Open Society Justice Initiative, 12 December 2005

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/jus (...)

This paper examines the indirect restrictions on freedom of expression worldwide. This style of censorship-not entirely new, but increasingly employed around the world-is subtle, indirect, and sophisticated.1 To control critical voices, it prefers to inflict financial pain, manipulate regulatory leverage or act under the disguise of the law-as opposed to the more “traditional” methods of beating and arbitrarily detaining journalists, or burning down media houses. Not even established democracies are immune to this syndrome: the Bush administration has reportedly paid journalists to plant covert propaganda pieces, in both United States and Iraqi media.  read

date of on-line publication : 13 December 2005

dossier

AfricaFiles

CORRUPTION: Victims, perpetrators and stereotypes

> AfricaFiles Ezine, Vol. 2 (July-December 2005)

http://www.africafiles.org/atissueez (...)

Corruption has been identified as one of the biggest obstacles to Africa’s social, economic and political development due to its negative effects on the continent’s stability. In a report presented in September 2002, the African Union (AU) estimated that corruption costs African economies in excess of US$148 billion a year. But how should corruption in Africa be viewed or addressed?
Looking through Other Origins of the Informal Economy in Africa, AU and NEPAD Anti-Corruption Measures, and examining the Nigerian Case Study, this file takes a hard look at those who lecture African nations on governance and corruption.  read

date of on-line publication : 9 December 2005

dossier

Social Movements and Economic Integration in the Americas

> Center for Economic Justice, PDF

http://americas.irc-online.org/pdf/r (...)

"Social Movements and Economic Integration in the Americas" examines a rapidly growing phenomenon among civil society. This is cross-border social movements, which are educating, organizing, and advocating for new and equitable forms of regional economic integration, while pursuing social and economic change programs within each member country. The paper explores the reasons why this new model of organizing is gaining ground so steadily within today’s global political and economic context. It then explores the movements’ overarching characteristics, goals, focus areas, and programs. It looks at how the principles and forms of movement-building are evolving over time. The paper goes on to consider which of the networks’ needs are most strategic and pressing. Lastly, "Social Movements and Economic Integration in the Americas" describes nine of the most significant inter-American movements, and the work of each relative to international trade and financial policy.  read

date of on-line publication : 9 December 2005

BELTRAN Elizabeth Peredo

Water, privatization and conflict

> April 2004, Fundación Solon, 54 p., (pdf)

An analysis of the role of women in the struggle against water privatisation, with a focus on the events in the Cochabamba Valley, Bolivia, where the community was able to kick out the private water company Betchel. « In both city and rural areas, women are at the heart of managing water for their communities (...) In a district where water is scarce, women have been forced to develop strategies to provide water for daily life. Women are the ones who get up at 3 or 4am to collect water from (...) read

date of on-line publication : 5 December 2005

WEISSMAN Robert

Victories! Justice! The People’s Triumphs Over Corporate Power

> July 2005, Multinational Monitor

http://multinationalmonitor.org/mm20 (...)

"When you are in the business of tracking and reporting on multinational corporate activity, it is inevitable that you you are going to traffic in tales of sorrow, woe and misery. But for all their power, multinational corporations do not always prevail." Multinational Monitor celebrates those citizen victories with the first of a two-part series recounting peoples’ wins over corporations and their supporting structures and institutions. An optimistic overview of recent citizen’s and social movements’ success stories.  read

date of on-line publication : 1 December 2005

OKUMU Wafula

The role of AU/NEPAD in preventing and combating corruption in Africa

>  November 2005, Africafiles

http://www.africafiles.org/atissueez (...)

This article begins by outlining the anti-corruption initiatives of the African Union (AU) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and analysing their effectiveness. It also explores the phenomenon of corruption in Africa more generally and follows with some recommendations on how to tackle it. The author concludes that the best role the AU and NEPAD can play to combat and prevent corruption in Africa is by complementing and strengthening grassroots and national measures and by promoting regional anti-corruption norms.  read

date of on-line publication : 17 November 2005

BOGGS Grace Lee

Seven Great Ideas for Movement Builders

> Yes Magazine, Jul 11 2005

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.a (...)

Grace Lee Boggs` studies of Martin Luther King`s struggle with the urban crisis have taught her a lot about the difference between radical organizing and movement leadership. Specifically, her correspondence with John Maguire, a friend of King`s, has led her to obtain the following Notes on Movement Building. She recommends their careful study and discussion by activists who are beginning to sense that something is blowing in the wind.  read

date of on-line publication : 17 November 2005

World Development Movement

Dirty aid, dirty water : the UK government’s push to privatise water and sanitation in poor countries

> February 2005, 73 p, (pdf)

As part of their campaign, Dirty aid, dirty water, World Development Movement exposes the actions of the UK government to privatise water and sanitation in poor countries. This report gives an introduction to privatisation of water, the reasons for its failure, the UK’s involvement in private ventures and its use of consultants which favour privatisation. Finally the report proposes workable alternatives in the context of the Millenium Development Goals. Read the whole report on Dirty aid, (...) read

date of on-line publication : 8 November 2005