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Newsletter
of the World Movement for Democracy November 12, 2001 NEWS
and PUBLICATIONS 1. Xiao Qiang, Member of World Movement Steering
Committee, Received MacArthur Foundation Fellowship 2. Report on
“Business and Human Rights in China” 3. Asia Regional Network, ARDA,
Monitors Elections in Singapore 4. Solidarity Center Works for Migrant
Workers’ Right to Vote in Sri Lanka 5. Election Issues Awareness
Campaign in Sri Lanka 6. Network of Democracy Research Institutes
Publishes First Issue of Democracy Research News 7. Tip Sheet on
Effective E-mail Publishing ANNOUNCEMENTS
and EVENTS 8. Looking for Part-Time Senior Fellows at the Institute for
Global Democracy 9. New Project on Civil-Military Relations Launched in
Ecuador 10. New Portal on Elections in Latin America Launched 11.
Constitutional Assembly in Croatia 12. CIPE Dialogue on “Islam,
Democracy and Market Economy” 13. Forum Held on “Faith &
Freedom: Women from the Three Abrahamic Religions Talk About Terror,
War, and Peace,” Washington, DC 14. International Conference on Arab
Female Human Rights Activists, Paris, France, November 12-15, 2001 15.
Discussion on “Democracy, Civil Society, and the Armed Forces,”
Caracas, Venezuela, November 21, 2001 16. Twenty-third International
Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), Quebec, Canada, June 9-28, 2002
17. Ninth International Forum on “Women’s Rights and Development:
Re-inventing Globalization,” October 3-6, 2002, Guadalajara, Mexico
18. New Center for Journalists in “Dangerous Regions” 19. 2002 King
Baudouin International Development Prize 20. New Research Project at
Institute of East Asian Studies in Duisburg, Germany 21. Rockefeller
Foundation Announces New Fellows for Next Generation Leadership Program **
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ** WORLDWIDE
SALUTE FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI, DECEMBER 8, 2001 Since
the May 1990 free and fair elections in Burma, the Burmese military
regime has prohibited Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected
leaders from taking office. Many have been detained under house arrest,
like Aung San Suu Kyi, and others are languishing in prison under
deplorable conditions. On December 8, 2001, the Tenth Anniversary of
Aung San Suu Kyi’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Burma Peace
Campaign, the Nobel Institute, and an international coalition will
salute her efforts to bring democracy to Burma in a flagship ceremony in
front of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo. The 34 Nobel Laureates will
sit on stage in 34 chairs surrounding one empty chair designated for
Aung San Suu Kyi. Speakers will include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Oscar
Arias Sanchez, South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, and Norwegian Prime
Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik. The ceremony will be carried live from
Norway in capitals around the world, including Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila,
Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, and several European cities. The
Campaign is also circulating a declaration of Members of Parliament that
calls on the military government of Burma to release and recognize
Burma’s democratically elected leaders and to join the National League
for Democracy in a dialogue to achieve a peaceful transition to
democracy. To date, 2,345 Members of Parliament from eighty-five
countries have signed the declaration. You
can join in the international coalition to salute Aung San Suu Kyi and
call for the democratic reform in Burma. The Campaign’s website,
http://www.burmapeacecampaign.org/, has information on how you can
assist the campaign, contact local organizers, or organize an event in
your city on December 8. To
host or organize an event, or to participate in the ceremony, contact
the organization closest to you from the list below: Tom
Andrews New Economy Communication, Washington, USA Tel: +1-202-721-0111,
Fax: +1-202-822-4787, E-mail: Tom@neweconomy.org Peter
Ras, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: 31-20-671-6952, Fax:
31-20-671-3513, E-mail: bcn@xs4all.nl www.xs4all.nl/~bcn Schu
Sugawara Worldview Rights – Japan, Tokyo, Japan Tel: 81-3-3970-5777,
Fax: 81-3-3970-5817 www.jca.apc.org/burmainfo Chalida
Tajaroensuk FORUM-ASIA, Bangkok, Thailand Tel: 662-2769846-7, Fax:
662-6934939, E-mail: campaigns@forumasia.org Ulrike
Bey Burma Initiative Asienhaus, Essen, Germany Tel. 49-201-8303832,
E-mail: Ulrike.Bey@asienhaus.de www.asienhaus.de\burma Sally
Steen and Annalee Euro-Burma Office, Brussels, Belgium Tel:
32-2-280-0691, Fax: 32-2-280-0310, E-mail: burma@euro-burma.be,
sallysteen@belgacom.net Burma
Action Ireland Tel: 353-1-296-2238, E-mail: ba-i@yahoo.com
www.freespeech.org/bai Association
Suisse-Birmanie, Geneva, Switzerland www.birmanie.int.ch Yvette
Mahon The Burma Campaign UK, London, UK Tel: +44-20-7281-7377, Fax:
+44-20-7272-3559, info@burmacampaign.org.uk www.burmacampaign.org.uk/ Merci
Ferrer Initiatives for International Dialogue and Free Burma
Coalition-Philippines Tel./Fax: 63-2-435 2900, Tel: 63-2-911 0205,
E-mail: iidmnl@skyinet.net, campaigns@skyinet.net Mr.
Robert Peters and Dr. Myo Nyunt Burma Studies Group, Edith Cowan
University, Australia Tel: 08-9249-4041 or 08-9370-6884, E-mail:
rmp@tpg.com.au, m.nyunt@ecu.edu.au Jun
Hee Park FDL-AP, Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific E-mail:
junhee@kdjpf.or.kr NEWS
and PUBLICATIONS 1.
Xiao Qiang, Member of World Movement Steering Committee, Received
MacArthur Foundation Fellowship Among this year’s recipients of the
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowships is Xiao Qiang,
Director of the New York-based organization Human Rights in China and
member of the World Movement Steering Committee. Speaking of all those
who received the Fellowships, Jonathan Fanton, president of the
MacArthur Foundation, remarked, "Whether working alone or within an
organization, these are people who provide the imagination and fresh
ideas that can improve people's lives and bring about movement on
important issues." For
information about the MacArthur Foundation, go to: www.macfound.org/ For
information about Human Rights in China, go to: www.hrichina.org/ 2.
Report on “Business and Human Rights in China” The Montreal-based
organization, Rights & Democracy, recently published a report,
entitled "China's Golden Shield: Corporations and the Development
of Surveillance Technology in the Peoples Republic of China", that
points specifically to the impact on human rights of new technology
launched in Shanghai during the recent APEC Leader's Meeting. For
a copy of the full report in English, French, or Chinese, go to:
www.ichrdd.ca To
request a printed copy of the report write to: publications@ichrdd.ca 3.
Asia Regional Network, ARDA, Monitors Elections in Singapore The
Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) implemented a rapid
response mission to monitor elections in Singapore. Australian elections
expert David Muffet and Korean scholar Syung Je Park traveled to
Singapore November 2-5 to assess the snap parliamentary elections on
November 3. The assessment team observed election activities, and held
meetings with government officials, ruling and opposition party leaders,
and academics and civil society activists to develop a complete picture
of the election and political system. Based on its assessment, the team
will write a thorough report for ARDA that will serve as a baseline
study for future discussions of political and electoral reform in
Singapore. The report will be distributed in Singapore and around the
region, and made available on the ARDA website. ARDA was initiated and
established on October 8, 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand by democrats from
Australia, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, and organized the Asia regional
workshop at the Second Assembly of the World Movement in Sao Paulo,
Brazil, last November. For
more information, go to: www.asiademocracy.org 4.
Solidarity Center Works for Migrant Workers’ Right to Vote in Sri
Lanka In October 2001, the American Center for International Labor
Solidarity (Solidarity Center) continued its support for activities in
Sri Lanka (as well as India and Pakistan) under the Center’s Civic
Education Program. In collaboration with the Migrant Workers Center
(MWC) the government's Human Rights Commission (HRC) was persuaded that
every citizen’s right to vote should be extended to those living and
working outside the country. Close to a million Sri Lankan migrant
workers are effectively excluded from voting while absent from the
country. The efforts of the Solidarity Center and the MWC may finally
offer these workers the opportunity to vote in domestic elections. After
hearing representations from the Migrant Workers Center, the Commission
decided, in a landmark move on October 18, to recommend to the
government and the elections commissioner that Sri Lankans working
overseas be allowed to vote at elections at home. The Colombo-based MWC,
affiliated to the National Workers Congress, has been urging voting
rights for migrant workers for the past two years with the assistance of
the Solidarity Center. The Solidarity Center organized a workshop on
workers’ rights at the Second Assembly of the World Movement for
Democracy. The
Solidarity Center also joined with the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs (NDI) at its Second Political Leadership Academy
to help raise the awareness of young political party leaders about trade
union and worker rights. At the event, formerly imprisoned Indonesian
trade union leaders Muchtar Pakpahan and Dita Sari joined the Solidarity
Center Field Representative on a panel to discuss the topic of “the
Trade Union: Its Role in Democracy and Relationship with Political
Parties.” The audience included 22 young leaders from parliamentary
parties, working at the national, regional, and local levels. Contact:
American Center for International Labor Solidarity, Tel:
+1-202-778-4500, Fax: +1-202-778-4525, acils@acils.org For
information about NDI, go to: www.ndi.org 5.
Election Issues Awareness Campaign in Sri Lanka On December 5, 2001, the
Civic Education Bureau of All Ceylon Federation of Free Trade Unions
(ACFFTU) will begin a campaign throughout Sri Lanka to increase the
awareness of parliamentary elections issues. The Civic Education Bureau
will disseminate information in three languages (Shinhala, Tamil, and
English). The ACFFTU is a participating organization in the World
Movement for Democracy. For
more information, contact: Antony Lodwick, Secretary General, All Ceylon
Federation of Free Trade Unions (ACFFTU), Tel: +941-431-847, Fax:
+941-470-874, acfftu@itmin.com 6.
Network of Democracy Research Institutes Publishes First Issue of
Democracy Research News The Network of Democracy Research Institutes has
published the first issue of Democracy Research News, an electronic
monthly newsletter. The Network, one of several functional networks
within the World Movement for Democracy, is a membership association of
organizations that conduct research on democracy, democratization, and
the policy and institutional challenges of democratic development.
Membership in the Network is open to independent institutions,
university-based study centers, and research institutes affiliated with
political parties, labor unions, democracy and human rights movements,
and other organizations. It was established to facilitate interaction
and exchanges among democracy scholars and activists and to promote a
greater awareness of the diversity and vitality of democracy studies.
Through its Web site, Democracy Research News, and other means, the
Network provides information about the research, conferences,
publications, and other activities of its diverse membership. The
Network is administered by the International Forum for Democratic
Studies in Washington, D.C. For
a list of member institutes and additional information, go to:
www.wmd.org/ndri/ndri.html To
subscribe to Democracy Research News, contact: Tom Skladony, Senior
Program Officer at the International Forum, Fax: +1-202-293-0258,
skladony@ned.org 7.
Tip Sheet on Effective E-mail Publishing For tips on how to increase the
effectiveness of your e-mail newsletters, see the information in this
short “tip sheet.” Suggestions include keeping text short,
formatting the information for optimum readability, and sending
audience-specific mailings. Go
to: http://www.foundationnews.org/CME/article.cfm?ID=1007 ANNOUNCEMENTS
and EVENTS 8.
Looking for Part-Time Senior Fellows at the Institute for Global
Democracy The mission of the Institute for Global Democracy (IGD) is to
strengthen the democracy-promotion policies of the international
community (including governmental, inter-governmental and
non-governmental organizations) through research, outreach and advocacy.
IGD is currently recruiting part-time senior fellows in the following
regional portfolios: Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America,
Near East, and South Asia. The part-time fellows will be responsible for
writing and commissioning policy papers, conducting policy forums, and
advocating for their policy recommendations. Senior fellows will receive
a quarterly stipend. Those
interested in applying should contact: David W. Yang, Director, The
Institute for Global Democracy, The Henry L. Stimson Center, 11 Dupont
Circle, NW, Ninth Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA, Tel:
+1-202-478-3418, Fax: +1-202-238-9604, dyang@stimson.org,
www.globaldem.org 9.
New Project on Civil-Military Relations Launched in Ecuador The
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and the Latin American
Institute of Social Research launched a project on civil-military
relations on November 8th in Quito, Ecuador. The project began with a
forum on “Defense and Security of Small Countries Facing
Globalization,” which will give rise to a series of conferences. The
Project will run until April 2002, with monthly forums addressing
specific topics on civil-military relations in Latin America. The
ex-Minister of Defense of Spain, Gustavo Suarez Pertierre; a
distinguished scholar from the United States, Dr. Johana Mendelson
Forman; and the Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the
University of Sao Paulo, Dr. Hector Luis Saint Pierre, are among the
Project's expected participants. Contact
Information: Bertha Gallegos Garcia, Pontificia Universidad Católica
del Ecuador, bgarcia@puceuio.puce.edu.ec 10.
New Portal on Elections in Latin America Launched Two decades after the
beginning of the process of transition to democracy, the increase in the
member of democratically elected governments in Latin America offers a
vast territory to explore in terms of elections and democracy in the
region. The Observatorio Electoral Latinoamericano, a group of people
specializing in the politics and elections of Latin America, has
launched a Web site for information, analysis, and debate on the
electoral processes and related electoral themes that are characteristic
to Latin America. Go
to: www.observatorioelectoral.org Contact:
Daniel Zovatto, International IDEA, San José, Costa Rica, Tel:
+506-232-8665/+506-296-9012, Fax: +506-231-2154, zovatto@hotmail.com 11.
Constitutional Assembly in Croatia The ENEMO (European Network of
Election Monitoring Organizations) Constitutional Assembly, organized by
the civil society organization GONG, took place in Opatija, Croatia,
September 27-30, 2001. Eleven election monitoring organizations (APD
Romania, BAFE Bulgaria, C4C Macedonia, CDT and CEMI Montenegro, CeSID
Serbia, CVU Ukraine, GONG Croatia, Obcianske Oko Slovakia, SDC Albania,
Viasna Belarus) signed the ENEMO Constitutional Protocol, a result of
the Assembly and the foundation for future cooperation and the
development of operational mechanisms of the Network. For
more information, contact: ENEMO, cesid@cesid.org.yu, www.cesid.org 12.
CIPE Dialogue on “Islam, Democracy, and Market Economy” The Center
for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) held a dialogue on “Islam,
Democracy and Market Economy” on November 7, 2001. Ozdem Sanberk,
director of the Istanbul-based Turkish Economic and Social Studies
Foundation (TESEV), and former undersecretary at the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, discussed why and how democracy and market economy are
the paths to development in the Islamic world. A report on this event
will soon appear on the CIPE Web site. For
the report, go to: www.cipe.org For
more information, contact: Nick Nadal, Center for International Private
Enterprise, Tel: +1-202-721-9228, Fax: +1-202-721-9250. CIPE
is also pleased to announce that it will support a week-long training
program for business association executives in West Africa early in
2002. The CIPE program will provide key leaders in private business
associations in several West African countries with training to better
represent business interests in countries experiencing democratic and
market-based economic transitions. Working with the Nigerian Association
of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA)
and other regional partners, CIPE will offer tools and techniques for
association advocacy, communications, member services, and management. For
more information, contact: Center for International Private Enterprise,
Tel: +1-202-721-9200, Fax: +1-202-721-9250, forum@cipe.org, www.cipe.org 13.
Forum on “Faith & Freedom: Women From the Three Abrahamic
Religions Talk About Terror, War, and Peace” The Women’s Learning
Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace, in collaboration with
the International Student Services of American University, presented a
forum on “Faith & Freedom: Women From the Three Abrahamic
Religions Talk About Terror, War, and Peace.” The forum was held at
American University, Washington, DC, on November 7, 2001. Prominent
women leaders explored the common values underlying Christianity,
Judaism, and Islam, and the role of religion in conflict resolution and
violence prevention. They addressed the challenges facing the United
States and the international community in the wake of the September 11
terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the need to build a global coalition
for peace and tolerance. Go
to: www.learningpartnership.org/WLP/events/2001/interfaith.html For
more information, contact: Women's Learning Partnership for Rights,
Development and Peace, Tel: +1-301-654-2774,Fax: +1-301-654-2775,
wlp@learningpartnership.org 14.
International Conference on Arab Female Human Rights Activists, Paris,
France, November 12-15, 2001 The Arab Program for Human Rights Activists
(APHRA) in Cairo and the Arab Commission for Human Rights (ACHR) in
Paris will hold a conference on “The Institutional and the Political
Status of Arab Human Rights Female Activists.” More than 60 prominent
female activists will gather to discuss critical issues facing female
activists in their professional lives. The opening session will include
an Arab-European Friendship Meeting attended by prominent European
Parliamentary figures as well as international observers. For
more information, contact: Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, Tel:
+202-404-1185, Fax: +202-403-9954, rphra@rite.com, www.aphra.org 15.
Discussion on “Democracy, Civil Society, and the Armed Forces,”
Caracas, Venezuela, November 21, 2001 In collaboration with Liderazgo y
Visión, the Association of Civil Understanding of Venezuela is
presenting “Two Experts, Two Military Officers and Two Journalists
Talk About Democracy, Civil Society and the Armed Forces” on November
21, 2001, in Caracas, Venezuela. The conversation will take place as the
third activity of the Association’s annual project “Civilians,
Military and Democracy: In Search of Equilibrium.” For
more information, contact: Liderazgo y Visión, Caracas, Venezuela,
comprension@liderazgoyvision.org 16.
Twenty-third International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP),
Quebec, Canada, June 9-28, 2002 The International Human Rights Training
Program will hold its Twenty-third session on June 9-28, 2002, in
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada. The 3-week program offers the
opportunity to meet more than 100 participants from approximately 50
countries. The Canadian Human Rights Foundation is a non-profit,
non-governmental organization established in 1967, dedicated to the
promotion of human rights through education in Canada and around the
world. For
more information and an application form, contact (by January 15, 2002):
Mr. Frédéric Hareau, Canadian Human Rights Foundation, Tel:
+1-514-954-0382, Fax: +1-514-954-0659, IHRTP@chrf.ca, www.chrf.ca 17.
Ninth International Forum on “Women’s Rights and Development:
Re-inventing Globalization,” October 3-6, 2002, Guadalajara, Mexico
The Ninth International Forum of the Association for Women's Rights in
Development (AWID) will be held October 3-6, 2002 in Guadalajara, Mexico
and will provide an opportunity for the global women's movement to
assess their successes and failures and to forge new strategies. AWID
invites development practitioners, researchers, human rights
specialists, activists, policy makers, representatives from multilateral
and bilateral agencies, students and business people to submit their
proposals for workshops, creative sessions, debates, poster sessions,
and skills-building sessions. To
submit proposals (by December 31, 2001) or for more information,
contact: Shareen Gokal, Forum Manager, AWID, Tel: +1-416-594-3773, Fax:
+1-416-594-0330, sgokal@awid.org or forum@awid.org, www.awid.org 18.
New Center for Journalists in “Dangerous Regions” The International
Federation of Journalists, which represents over 500,000 journalists in
100 countries, announces the launch of a new center for special help and
advice for journalists working in dangerous regions. The project was
realized in cooperation with foreign correspondents in Brussels and the
Belgian Journalists Association. For
information, contact: Journalists @ Your Service, safety@ifj.org 19.
2002 King Baudouin International Development Prize Since 1980, the King
Baudouin International Development Prize has awarded €150,000 (Euros)
biennially to an individual or organization for sustainable achievements
in improving the lives of people in the developing world. For more
information on how to submit a candidate's file, visit
http://www.kbprize.org. Submit applications by February 1, 2002. Contact:
Catherine Adant, King Badouin Foundation, Tel: +32-2-549-0273,
info@kbprize.org 20.
New Research Project at Institute of East Asian Studies in Duisburg,
Germany The Institute of East Asian Studies at the Gerhard-Mercator
University in Duisburg, Germany is undertaking a new research project on
political reform and democratization in East and Southeast Asia in the
light of new processes of regional community-building. The project is
funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Beyond the purely economic
dimension of the financial and economic crisis in Asia there is also a
political dimension, which has generated a discourse on the political
reasons for the crisis and thus the future of political structures and
political systems. A special "Project Discussion Paper" series
related to this project is available at:
http://www.uni-duisburg.de/Institute/OAWISS/publikationen/orangereihe.html For
more information, contact: Dr. Nora Sausmikat, Universität Duisburg,
FB1- Political Sciences/ East Asian Studies,
sausmikat@unidui.uni-duisburg.de 21.
Rockefeller Foundation Announces New Fellows for Next Generation
Leadership Program The Rockefeller Foundation has selected a new group
of 24 participants to serve as fellows for its Next Generation
Leadership (NGL) program. The two-year initiative is designed to
discover ways of strengthening U.S. democracy in the 21st Century. The
fellows represent a cross-section of professions and communities in the
United States. During the first year of the NGL program, fellows will
participate in group sessions focusing on the principles, practices and
policies of U.S. democracy, addressing issues of race, citizenship,
immigration, globalization, and the role of the media and information
technology in a democratic society. In the second year, fellows will
collaborate on projects in their respective communities that put
theories of democracy into action. The NGL program was created in 1997
to build a network of leaders who would collaborate to help devise
innovative, community-based solutions to many of today's challenges. For
more information, contact: Rockefeller Foundation, Tel: +1-212-869-8500,
Fax: +1-212-764-3468, www.rockfound.org **************************************** VISIT
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