Fw: [CivilSoc] LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ISSUE CALL FOR DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT

----- Original Message -----
From: "Claudia Vinay" <[email protected]>
To: "'[email protected]'" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 10:40 AM
Subject: [CivilSoc] LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ISSUE CALL FOR DEMOCRACY
MOVEMENT


> LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
> ISSUE CALL FOR DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT
>
> Leading figures from civil society, business, politics and academia from
> every continent issued a joint statement today calling on citizens to urge
> governments to deepen democracy at the national and international levels.
The
> statement, in referring to the events of September 11 and its aftermath,
makes an
> appeal for "building open societies that practice tolerance, respect for
human
> rights, the rule of law and governmental accountability and transparency
[as]
> essential to any effective strategy to address the root causes of
extremism."
>
> Among the leading figures endorsing the joint statement are Nobel Peace
> Prize laureate Jose Ramos Horta, Kuwaiti women's rights champion Samira
Omar,
> philanthropist George Soros, Pakistani human rights activist Asma
Jahangir, South
> African Speaker of Parliament Frene Ginwala, former Polish Foreign
Minister
> Bronislaw Geremek, and former President of Peru Valentin Paniagua.  Issued
> simultaneously in five languages, the statement underscores the
multi-cultural
> nature of the global democracy movement: "Representing countries of every
region
> and many different historical experiences and levels of development, we
affirm the
> universality of democracy's purpose, principles and promise, while
recognizing a
> diversity of democratic forms and processes."
>
> The statement bases its campaign for greater activism on a new alliance
> among democratic governments called the "Community of Democracies," which
met for
> the first time in June 2000 in Warsaw, Poland.  At that meeting, recently
released
> opposition figure Aung San Suu Kyi made an impassioned appeal, via video
smuggled
> out of the country, for international help in restoring democracy in
Burma.  Over
> 100 governments have endorsed the Warsaw Declaration committing them to
respect a
> core set of democratic norms and practices and to develop a common agenda
to
> protect and strengthen democracy in countries that have chosen that path.
"The
> [Warsaw] Declaration creates a unique opportunity," the signers declare.
"But the
> task requires mobilizing democracy supporters to bring pressure to bear on
> governments and international organizations, including international
financial
> institutions, to make them more accountable."  Foreign ministers will meet
again
> this November 10-12 in Seoul, Korea to review progress and devise a plan
of action.
> A non-governmental forum will take place at the same time and will issue
> recommendations to the ministers on such issues as responses to coups;
governance
> criteria for loans, trade preferences and debt relief; and regional
strategies to
> support the development of democracy.
>
> The document expresses concern about the "fragile" state of democracies in
> the world, many "suffer[ing] from weak institutions and extreme poverty."
The
> signers also noted that "all democratic countries, whether mature or
nascent, are
> imperfect, continually evolving as they grapple with numerous challenges
in
> building free and prosperous societies.  They have much to learn from one
another."
>
>
> The joint statement urges greater solidarity among like-minded democratic
> activists and calls on governments to condemn efforts to interfere with
their work.
> "A vibrant civil society is a central pillar of a dynamic and durable
democracy and
> is the key to realizing the potential of the Community of Democracies.
This is
> especially true at a time when terrorist attacks and responses to them are
> destabilizing democratic institutions and curtailing citizens' rights."
>
> The statement was organized by a new non-governmental group, the Democracy
> Coalition Project.  The Project seeks to encourage national coalitions of
civil
> society groups engaged in promoting reforms needed to improve democracy
within
> their own societies and internationally, and to facilitate their
cooperation.
>
> Please visit our website http://www.demcoalition.org where we will post
versions of
> this press release, as well as the Call to Action and the Warsaw
Declaration in
> English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian. For further information
please
> contact Claudia Vinay at [email protected] or (202) 721 5630.
>
> Claudia Vinay
> Research Associate
>
> Democracy Coalition Project
> 1120 19th Street, NW
> 8th Floor
> Washington, DC  20036
> United States
>
> Tel. 1.202.721.5630
> Fax 1.202.530.0128
> Website:  http://www.demcoalition.org
>
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