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Biennial Meetings The World Forum for Democratization in Asia is proud to announce the Third WFDA Biennial Conference will be hosted 16-18 September 2009 in Seoul, South Korea, with the theme “Sustaining Democracy in Asia: Challenges of Social and Economic Justice.”
Building on the network that has been developed over the past four years, it is anticipated to be one of the largest ever gatherings of Asian democrats, and a major focus for all members of the international community concerned with the democratic development of the region. Approximately 150 participants are expected, including: ? Political and civic leaders from all Asian countries ? Leaders of regional networks and programs
? Representatives of democracy assistance foundations active in the region ? Representatives of relevant international organizations and networks, as well as counterparts from other regions The primary objective of the conference will be to evaluate progress towards the goals set forth in the "WFDA Framework for Action 2007-2009," and deliberation of a new Framework for Action to guide the work in the next two years. In addition, several special events will take place during the conference. Two major keynote speeches will be delivered: one by a globally renowned scholar or politician, addressing the theme of the Biennial; one by a leading figure in Korean democratization. In addition, a High Level Forum of regional leaders and experts will further deliberate on the actions needed to address development issues through democracy, which will be codified in the “Seoul Declaration on Democracy and Economic and Social Justice.”
Networking WFDA works with World Movement for Democracy, Communities of Democracies, and International Civil Society Forum for Democracy on Democracy issues. The World Movement for Democracy is The Washington, DC-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) initiated this nongovernmental effort with a global Assembly in New Delhi, India. The WMD is a global network of democrats, including activists, practitioners, academics, policy makers, and funders, who have come together to cooperate in the promotion of democracy. The Community of Democracies (CD) is an intergovernmental organization of democracies and democratizing countries with a stated commitment to strengthening and deepening democratic norms and practices worldwide. The CD is composed of both a governmental component made up government representatives, and a non-governmental component comprised of civil society organizations who meet as a group at biennial ministerial conferences. The International Civil Society Forum for Democracy (ICSFD) is an important component of WFDA overall strategy of strengthening Asian representation in emerging regional and global democracy networks.
The International Civil Society Forum for Democracy (ICSFD) is a global network of civil society representatives which promotes the strengthening of democratic governance through cooperation between national, regional, and international civil society organizations. The ICSFD was organized as a parallel process to the Fifth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies (ICNRD 5). ICNRD 5 was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 2003, and it was the first time when the conference had a dedicated parallel process for civil society organizations. Accordingly, the ICSFD was established in 2003 to implement the Program of Action adopted at the first ICSFD that was held in conjunction with the ICNRD 5 meeting. The ICSFD functions include:
Strategy Development
Workshops
Three Strategy Workshops were held in preparation for the
first WFDA Biennial Conference in September 2005. Each Workshop
consisted of between 20-25 international participants, including
2-4 participants from each selected country plus Organizing
Committee members and resource persons. During each Workshop,
country panelists presented short discussion papers describing
the current situation in their countries and outlining and
explaining priority actions that the regional or international
communities should take to assist his/her country’s democratic
development by overcoming specific obstacles or problems faced
by pro-democracy groups in that country. Following the presentations
on each country, resource persons and other participants discussed
the papers. At the end of each Workshop, the participants
as a whole endeavored to reach consensus on a list of actions
drawn from the suggestions of the presenters that are both
urgent and feasible, including highlighting potential opportunities,
modus operandi, groups and activists that should be involved,
etc. In a final session, each Workshop discussed looked for
common strategies that can be taken up collectively as well
as needs that are specific to each country. The results of
each Workshop were drawn up into a Strategy Paper, including
more complete details of doable projects and potential actors,
and all three Strategy Papers were presented at the WFDA Biennial
Conference, where they formed the basis for the Framework
for Action.
Activities Election Observation Missions
The continuous condition for free and fair election is essential for the health of any democratic political system. Based on the democratic principle of accountability, systematic evaluations and re-evaluations of the electoral process are needed to assist in improving the integrity of the democratic political system and help consolidate democratic institutions. - International Election Observation serves five main purposes in facilitating democratization:
- Protecting the interests of all the participants in the electoral process;
- Deterring fraudulent activities;
- Helping reduce the level of violence, intimidation, and fears of a population that has not recently participated in democratic elections;
- Assisting NGOs to serve as partners of government in nation building; and
- Promoting confidence in the electoral process and thereby facilitate acceptance of results and democracy as a whole.
Solidarity and Democracy Missions
As the world moves closer towards interdependence, political crisis and social instability in one country can increasingly have a negative effect on the wellbeing of the people in another. As the Asian region works towards integration, civil society organizations have found that the diversity and dynamism found in the Asian region requires more solidarity and unity among Asian democrats to develop a holistic understanding of the situation in the region’s transitioning democracies and the prospects for their consolidation.
Although each mission has its own unique characteristics, in general the methodology is to meet key government, political, grassroots, civil society personalities and international organizations in the country of concern, to hear the views of all sides. Specific purposes of organizing Solidarity and Democracy Missions can include: - Proposing possible avenues for supporting a partnership of civil society, government, and the international organizations in promoting consolidation;
- Assessing the capacity building needs of civil society groups as active agents in the democratization process;
- Submitting proposals and recommendations to the government, civil society organizations, international organizations essential to the resolution of the conflict;
- Formalizing mechanisms with groups, key actors and organizations for sustained networking and partnership in the Asian region.
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