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Call for rapporteurs on Active democracy
Fri, 17/02/2012 - 12:12
The PES is looking for 2 activists (one rapporteur and one substitute) willing to be in charge of the activists’ contribution to the Fundamental Programme/Policy Forum on Active democracy.
Read the call here and reply to this forum entry to apply.
Mon, 20/02/2012 - 20:12
#2
PES activists-active democracy
Active democracy
Words for democracy may be written a lot and should refer and tell even more during the future. These words may be tell from a King and a refugee for the country that is living, many other should also experience that conversation that we Greek population like democracy. Many countries around earth and their relatives may have taboo or inconvenience to speak about and refer that word. Many other countries have make democracy like a caramel that they can not swallow and that is the other end. Ancient Greeks that referred to democracy and especially Athens population as a country had obligations and privileges during their living whenever they act all of them for their operation.
Other three remain issues such as equal societies, a just world and a fair economy have relevant equality with active democracy. One may not exist and the tower is already collapsed like it is surrounded from a well formed and pointed earthquake. Everyone of us have read mostly and speak for democracy. Especially at Europe where countries made progress with the eurozone they build a tower that United Kingdom and other nine countries should eventually make the step to the eurozone and live with all Europeans like a normal and many future act organization. European Union is handling to one leg and we need the other leg to get steady and prosperous and dynamic.
Myself making studies and living at United Kingdom for seven years let me the opinion that they do not need to change something for democracy. Either all countries follow democracy, nor we remain to something else. Enlargement of democracy from Athens country of B.C. to democrat population around us, taboos may be break and go on to that enlargement that cover us all and expect our obligations and privileges. Germany may have democracy and well applied to they borders. They have changed the bad things and keep the good ones, like other countries within the eurozone and outside the eurozone.
One of the most strong arms of democracy is that everyone has the obligation and privilege to speak about his and her acts, opinions and future acts including that the other side may truck him and her to change the future by closing and risk even his life, family and money with that conversation.
Earth needs activists and well decided population to live within healthy environment.
Greeks did not lucky during the past years and hoping after now leave democracy.
Sun, 26/02/2012 - 19:49
#3
Active and transversal Democracy
The current economical, environmental and social crisis brings the possibilty to explore ways to increase the resilience of our social systems, and to promote participatory social organizations where horizontal, transversal and active networks could be developed.This cascade of crisis show the incapacity of the current political system to face the challenges of the new era without adapting poltical systems to a more dynamic situation. While it brings the chance to move towards a more participatory and active democracy . The three crisis are mutally entangled : the economical crisis is the result of a not realisitic approach about the limit existence of natural resources. Something that we can realize when climate change will force humans to adapt to different natural conditions. So we are in the middle of a deep social crisis, and this should makes us reflex about the necessity to create a more inclusive and cohesive social organization that integrates natural resources management and social particpation at the center of future democratic systems. On this sense I consider that we are in a good moment to articulate an international alliance at the global lvel to promote globan citizenship awareness and to face issues like global governance in order to fill the lack of leadership at globall level.In 2002 and thanks to the European Voluntary Services ( EVS) I worked in Greece on the development of a Youth Center in Corinth, the project was carried together with young Europeans coming from Greece, Germany, France and Lithuania. This experience was really fruitful and a year later I followed the Erasmus Study programme in Azores ( Portugal ), a Socrates European curriculum in Denmark and Wales (U.K.) and a Master in Wageningen ( The Netherlands). So I have good idea of the enormous diversity of landscapes, peoples and ways of working of the different regions that conform the European Union. This makes me to be flexible , enriched my cultural awareness and a good team worker. My research work has ben related to the interaction between natural systems and society, basically the study of the dynamics flows of complex socio-ecological systems (SESs) on a historical time line, where human and natural disruptions happens.On this direction I did field research on different Sustainable Villages in Denmark and Spain where food production and energy are oriented towards self-sufficiency.On these places several disciplines related to natural sciences, arquitecture, renewable energies and sociology are being performed.I have also worked in the Ecuadorian Andes coordinating projects to enhance local biological resources and develop peasant agriculture to achieve Food Soverignity. These work was part of a research about changes in agro-biodiversity and diet on the indegenous populations of Chimborazo (Andean Ecuador). The research was in collaboration with the NGO Ekorrural-Groundswell International and local organizations.Besides I have worked on administrative issues at the Student Council of Wageningen University as a representative of the Progressive Student Party (PSF) on the elaboration of proposals related to university policy This experience improve my skills to work in weekly groups on the elaboration of agendas and documents for the monthly councils, where the students together with the university staff prepare the meetings with the Executive Commitee to discuss important issues related to university policy.During the end of 2011, I have worked in Brussels, where I participated on the organization of a Conference at the EU Parlament, attended seminars related to CAP post 2013 and I have stablish a network with international organizations. Besides during these encounters allowed where I met people from different political parties and from the EU Comission helped me to understand how complex and interested is to coordinate the efforts of all the different part of the European Union. And of course make me feel quite interested to be part of it.
Antonio Chamorro
Wed, 29/02/2012 - 00:05
#4
Candidature rapporteur en charge de la Démocratie Participative
Je présente ma candidature comme rapporteur en charge du débat concernant la « Démocratie participative » pour le Programme Fondamental du PSE.
Issu de formation Science-Po-AIX, je suis intellectuellement passionné par les idées de Gauche et le Socialisme en particulier. Militant socialiste de base de par mon éducation familiale d’abord, universitaire ensuite, mon combat, dans les milieux sociaux et professionnels que je fréquente, est de convaincre dans l’argumentation mes interlocuteurs du bien-fondé et de la pertinence de la vision socialiste dans son ensemble.
Le sujet « Démocratie participative » me convient particulièrement dans l’essence-même de la question. En effet j’ai expérimenté personnellement la difficulté de faire admettre mes compétences pourtant évaluées et reconnues à entreprendre des travaux politiques dans une voie juste, légitime et fondamentale. Ainsi, en tant que modeste citoyen possédant néanmoins le niveau de réflexion nécessaire pour provoquer, suivre les débats et y répondre aussi bien en français qu’en anglais, je me propose de gérer et apporter ma contribution aux discussions développées.
Face à des démocraties en crise, la réflexion participative est en effet mondiale. Mais comment alors revitaliser la citoyenneté en donnant au peuple la possibilité de participer aux processus de décision des pouvoirs publics, l'objectif étant d'améliorer la transparence dans la prise de décision et le fondement des choix opérés ?
J’ai conscience de l’importance des enjeux liés à la participation démocratique. Cependant il ne suffit pas pour l’élite gouvernante d’en appeler au « peuple », il s’agit de mettre en place et faire fonctionner les dispositifs essentiels de concertation adaptés, fonctionnels et utiles pour davantage de démocratie.
L’idée de démocratie participative fondée sur la prise en compte de l’opinion, la compétence et la participation effective des citoyens ainsi associés à l’exercice du pouvoir et à la prise de décisions politiques doit s’envisager selon de multiples aspects même si certaines ambiguïtés et paradoxes sont mis à jour
En effet, pour les uns, dans une perspective radicale, seuls les mouvements sociaux, en réaction au mépris et à la non-prise en compte des catégories dominées par l’élite des privilégiés qui détiennent les savoirs, sont susceptibles d’inspirer une nouvelle conception de la citoyenneté basée sur une lutte pour une reconnaissance humaniste. Pour d’autres, dans une perspective plutôt conservatrice, l’introduction des formes de démocratie directe faisant appel au peuple aux côtés de la démocratie représentative ferait basculer cette dernière dans la démocratie d’opinion, la démagogie et le populisme. Cependant entre ces 2 postions extrêmes il est possible, sans aucun doute, d’expérimenter des initiatives de démocratie participative judicieuses, réfléchies et rationnelles qu’il convient d’approfondir.
Historiquement, depuis les années 60, à travers l’Europe et le monde, la conception de la démocratie participative jouant sur les registres du conflit et de la coopération compétente avec les instances publiques locales, est, jusqu’aujourd’hui une référence importante pour tous les acteurs – militants associatifs, acteurs économiques, élus locaux, chercheurs, animateurs, habitants engagés et non engagés, décideurs, équipes-projets, experts, maîtrises d’ouvrage/d’œuvre /d’usage, partenaires divers, techniciens – qui souhaitent imprimer des démarches de démocratie participative dans le domaine de la gouvernance urbaine. Dans cette perspective de démocratie participative on peut noter la vitalité de nombreuses initiatives d’envergure tant locale que nationale dans le monde et se servir de leurs résultats. Le modèle le plus connu de démocratisation de la gouvernance urbaine est celui du « budget participatif » mis en œuvre à PORTO ALEGRE au BRESIL en 1988 et largement développé dans le monde depuis son élaboration. Le mouvement international suscité par ces idées et ces pratiques de démocratie participative est palpable dans la réalisation de dispositifs tels que :
- le FAL (Forum des Autorités Locales), créé en 2001, qui réunit des élus et des collectivités locales afin de promouvoir l’inclusion sociale et le dialogue international entre les mouvements sociaux et les pouvoirs locaux.
- le FALP (Forum des autorités locales de périphérie pour des métropoles solidaires) créé en janvier 2003. En effet, l’idée d’un réseau permettant de faire entendre les banlieues naît en 2002 lors des rencontres « Un autre monde est possible et il commence dans les villes », en marge du 2e Forum social mondial (FSM) de Porto Alegre.
- La CGLU (Cités et Gouvernements Locaux Unis) : Association basée à Barcelone, qui a pour but de défendre l’autonomie locale démocratique, de promouvoir ses valeurs au travers de la coopération entre les gouvernements locaux, comme au sein de la communauté internationale. Depuis 2004, plus de 1 000 villes et 112 associations de collectivités locales, à travers 95 pays, sont membres de CGLU.
- Le Forum urbain mondial. Organisé par ONU-Habitat depuis 2002, le Forum urbain mondial associe des acteurs publics, privés et non gouvernementaux qui travaillent à l’amélioration des conditions de vie dans les villes. Il est devenu l’organe consultatif des Nations unies.
- L’OIDP (Observatoire international de la démocratie participative). Chargé de collecter les expériences de démocratie participative et d’améliorer la gestion publique, l’OIDP regroupe près de 400 autorités locales et centres de recherches, et organise une conférence annuelle. L'OIDP fait sien le défi de la réflexion en matière de démocratie participative sur le plan mondial dans le but d'innover et d'être en mesure de recommander la mise en œuvre de politiques précises aux administrations publiques partout dans le monde, notamment les locales, et ce, en faisant de l'échange d'expériences sa principale base de travail.
- La CUF (Cités Unies France), association qui fédère les collectivités territoriales françaises engagées dans la coopération internationale.
- La convention AARHUS (ville du Danemark) : La participation du public au processus décisionnel et l'accès à la justice en matière d'environnement ont fait l'objet d'un accord international, dit "convention d'Aarhus", signé en 1998 par 39 pays, dans le but :
• d'améliorer l'information environnementale délivrée par les autorités publiques, vis-à-vis des principales données environnementales
• de favoriser la participation du public à la prise de décisions ayant des incidences sur l'environnement
• d'étendre les conditions d'accès à la justice en matière de législation environnementale et d'accès à l'information.
L’esprit de démocratie participative se développe ainsi dans le contexte d'une interrogation croissante sur les limites de la démocratie représentative. Se découvre maintenant la nécessité de mettre à la disposition des citoyens les moyens de débattre, d'exprimer leur avis et de peser dans les décisions qui les concernent directement. Cet impératif peut s’expliquer par le fait que, progressivement, les partis politiques traditionnels perdent de leur emprise sur le monde social, d’une part, et que des formes de démocratie plus directe se répandent, d’autre part (forums et blogs sur internet, référendums, émergence de la démocratie participative dans le débat politique public, etc.).
Il faut reconnaître que les élus, souvent, apparaissent comme une élite coupée de leurs électeurs : une fois élus, ils se retirent dans une bulle, éloignés des véritables difficultés de la vie courante. Une sorte d’abandon est ressentie. Du coup, le thème de la démocratie participative s'impose, dans les discours au moins, sans avoir pourtant de véritable contenu, la plupart du temps.
Participer, cela s’apprend : les associations et organismes non gouvernementaux sont essentiels dans la sensibilisation des citoyens à la vie civile. Il s’agit donc maintenant de donner les moyens à tous de participer effectivement à la vie politique. Il faut prendre la mesure du changement entre une démocratie de la volonté générale centralisatrice et cette démocratie participative valorisant d’une manière plus évidente la diversité et les minorités, l'expression de chacun ainsi que l'innovation.
Même si des formes de démocratie participative sont effectivement mises en œuvre ici ou là, il est nécessaire d’améliorer et développer les initiatives qui souffrent de double asymétrie, comme, par exemple, entre les institutions et la société civile d’une part, entre les couches moyennes cultivées et initiées et les populations défavorisées et laissées pour compte d’autre part. Il est à craindre aussi les tentations provenant des pouvoirs en place, d’instrumentaliser la participation des citoyens pour prévenir toute contestation trop véhémente et agressive. On peut aussi reprocher à cette forme de démocratie participative son cantonnement trop fréquent dans le localisme sans emprise réelle sur les enjeux de la décision finale prise à haut niveau. On court aussi le risque de constitution de nouvelles élites qui capteraient l’ensemble des pratiques participatives.
Nous devons donc penser cette démocratie participative comme un peu plus égalitaire et protectrice mais surtout comme la reconnaissance des compétences de chacun, le droit d'intervention, le droit à l’opposition, à la résistance, à la formation, à l'assistance. Visant ces objectifs, comment envisager et engager l’économie et la consommation dans une politique collaborative avec l’aide d’internet, véritable catalyseur de notre temps ? Concomitamment à la liberté et l’égalité, le temps est venu d’une véritable solidarité entre les peuples, le temps de la rencontre et du savoir, la prise en compte de chacun dans sa différence.
Par ailleurs je m’engage à donner un rapport juste et équilibré de toutes les opinions des militants.
Wed, 29/02/2012 - 00:37
#5
Nominating myself as rapporteur
Thinking about active democracy today, when the temptations of transforming austerity in autocracy are gaining legitimacy in Europe – as Hannes Swoboda has pointed out in the last days – means first of all imagining a future of participation and engagement of the European citizens. The PES is the place where this participation and this engagement can start… and have already started with the extraordinary experience of the PES Activists.
I would like to become the rapporteur in charge of the policy area Active Democracy. My personal interest has always been related to the participation of young people to politics. As a student representative for years – and then as national chair of an Italian students organization, Studenti di Sinistra – I have experienced in many ways the
willingness of young people and students to participate and contribute to the political life of their country and of Europe. But also an equally strong critique towards the modes of participation offered by political parties, their excessive rigidity and their ineffectiveness. As a master student in Political Science (at Central European University in Budapest) I am doing research on social movements and on their approach to the question of democracy in our times. And I write on an Italian blog, “EuProgress” - that I have contributed to found – which aims at making the European political debate accessible also in Italy, collecting and translating articles from various sources, working with the MEP Leonardo Domenici and documenting the activities of the S&D
group in the EP and of the PES in general. I have followed, for EuProgress, the workshops and debates of the Progressive Convention held last November in Brussels. I am also an active member of the PES City Group Florence.
Like many of the activist swho proposed themselves as rapporteurs, I have also had my fair share of European experiences, as an Erasmus student in the Netherlands and now as a foreign student in a multicultural English-speaking university in Hungary – a country which can teach us a lot on the importance of active participation of citizens and on the damages that political apathy can cause. But the experience which has taught me the most was the three-month internship which I spent working in a German NGO, dealing mostly with migrants and children of migrant families. Their stories and their dreams of finding a better life in Europe are the other side of the story that the right wing governments are trying to tell us, in order to build the Europe they have in mind: made of fear and sometimes of hate. We, on the other hand, want a different Europe and a common future of solidarity, peace and equality, for all. A future based on the active participation of all who believe in the possibility of a better Europe.
Wed, 29/02/2012 - 21:19
#6
Nomination as rapporteur
Dear colleagues and friends,
I would like to register my interest to be a Rapporteur on the Active Democracy area of the programme.
I have been linked to the PES since the last European elections campaign and have been involved in my city group (Barcelona) and my party (PSC, Catalan Socialist Party) to raise European debates among our fellow activists. During the campaign I had the chance to participate to the Madrid Council and coordinate several European Action Days. Since then, I have been working in the European field within the office of a socialist MEP – first in Barcelona, now in Brussels - and have taken part of different initiatives from the FEPS and the PES.
Furthermore, during the European campaign I completed my Communication Master final project which focused on the European scope of PES Member parties’ campaigns and carried out a comparative analysis to find out the actual extent of the PES campaign through national parties’ strategies.
Besides, considering the experience itself, I was given the chance to participate in a similar initiative before. A couple of years ago, I was appointed Rapporteur of programme-related action for my Party. I was responsible for coordinating a focus group on Gender equality within a wider network of debating groups on the priorities and challenges of our political project. Along with the group’s director, I made a research to have a comprehensive background document to get the debate started and gathered and analysed all the new ideas and proposals that came up during our meetings. This was a great experience for all of us and meant a turning point in the way our party carries out its internal debates. The final document was a complete compilation of our long-term progressive proposals.
Finally, concerning the chosen area of the programme, I am myself very engaged in Active Democracy related debates back home within PSC youth organisation and are willing to learn and raise new ideas. Moreover, I have had the chance to deal with this issue within the European Parliament and along with the MEP I work for, particularly in the EP CULT Committee and in the S&D Group.
I am looking forward to getting involved in this project and will be happy to contribute to the debate.
Warmest regards,
Sara Contreras Marcos
Wed, 29/02/2012 - 23:40
#7
application rapporteur active democracy
I am an activist from the Netherlands and I want to become rapporteur in charge of the activists’contribution to the Fundamental Programme/Policy Forum on active democracy.
I am a female, am 37 years of age and will have plenty of time to spend on the Fundamental Programme process.
The topic ‘active democracy’ is a policy area in which I am very experienced and have been working on extensively for the last two decades. As activist in the Socialist Youth, ECOSY and later on as International Secretary and Executive member of the PvdA and PES presidency member. I am asked frequently as expert speaker to give presentations and lectures on the topic of active democracy for European and international audiences and I have implemented a large variety of tools and instruments in the PvdA Netherlands in order to increase the involvement of members and representatives of civil society in the political decision making process. It’s my conviction that – in the preparatory stage of the forthcoming European elections- we’re at an important crossroads today in engaging European citizens in decision making processes. We need to bring the people closer to Europe and Europe closer to the people. Provoking debate and being inclusive is my second nature. In the last eight years I have organised over 120 public debates for progressives on various European and international policy areas in the Netherlands. I was also member of the manifesto platforms in the party for the European elections in 2004 and 2009 and I have written numerous policy papers in English. I am used to travelling to Brussels and I would love to form the bridge between other activists and the PES secretariat. I have plenty of new ideas, am keen on social media, am fluent in English and I have a great deal of energy that I would like to invest as rapporteur in this challenging process. Therefore I would be happy to join the team!
Kind regards,
Marije Laffeber
Wed, 29/02/2012 - 23:55
#8
(this subject
i am not run for this item but i wish good luck to all candidates
Tue, 06/03/2012 - 19:12
#9
Selected Rapporteur and Substitute
Dear PES activists, dear applicants,
On behalf of all PES secretariat I’d like to thank you all for the interest demonstrated in this initiative.
Considering the high level of your applications, as well as your inspiring motivation, it has been very tough to decide whom to select for this role.
For this theme the following people have been chosen:
Rapporteur: Elisabetta Ferrari
Substitute: Marije Laffeber
The PES Secretariat will contact you over the coming days.
Even though we could not choose everyone, you can still play a huge role in developing the PES Fundamental Programme through your continued interaction and input on Re:new.
We are looking forward to a frank and passionate debate!
See you soon on Re:new!
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I am nominating myself to be a Rapporteur on the Active Democracy area of the programme.
Democracy is at the heart of European political values. Engaging with the people that we are trying to represent as a federation of parties is extremely important, particularly if we are to maintain a high level of interest in politics in general.
I have extensive experience in chairing / moderating debates. I am the Chair of my local Labour Party in Wales, I have served as President of a Students' Union and I have moderated a number of debates at local, national, and European level when I took part in a young persons' day at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
By approaching the debate with an open mind, I have the ability to take other people's views impartially, help scrutinise ideas and make the final report a robust, comprehensive and coherent argument about how we can have an Active Democracy in Europe.
As a young person, this is an exciting opportunity as I will be able to test some of the arguments from a young person's perspective and invite thought-provoking debate on such an important matter moving forward. I am a European Politics student at Aberystwyth University in Wales, originally from London and of European heritage, so I appreciate the diversity of discussion and ideas and I look forward to listening to all ideas, should I be selected.
I am enthusiastically looking forward to finding out if I can be involved in this fantastic opportunity!
Best wishes,
Pedro Diogo