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Democracy and Good Governance PanelPanel 2 Democracy and Good Governance With only less than 20 years of non-communist regimes, the region encompasses countries with limited history of democracy. The state of democracy varies widely within the region – from full fledge democracies, to illiberal democracies to authoritarian regimes. Many blame the democracy deficit on geopolitics and instability in the region, and the recent military conflict might well prove them right. Yet, many argue, democratic reforms can still be undertaken, irrespective of geopolitical context. Moreover, democracy ensures the rights of ethnic minorities, and further escalation of ethnic conflicts in the region could hence be avoided. Across the region – there is one common denominator: neither citizens, nor governments know how to act in a democracy. Most countries have passed legislation that allows for citizen participation (a region specific – citizen participation has to be allowed for) and outlines either basic or even sophisticated citizen action. The legislation is either poorly implemented or insufficiently internalized by citizens and civil society organizations. There are democracy and human rights organizations in all countries of the region, some acting more freely than others. Their activity ranges from election observation to training of elected officials to protection of individual rights. Some act in free or relatively free environments, while others face life risking situations to fulfill their mission. Some benefit the cooperation of national and/or local governments, while others have to break the governmental wall of indifference or, worse, repression. To add to the diversity, media enjoys full to no rights across the region. In some countries journalists write freely, while in others they are killed for their words. However democratically heterogeneous, the region seems to have one common denominator: local governments are more willing to get closer to citizens and involve them in decision making than their national counterparts. Furthermore, they seem more open to admit their lack of experience and search for advice within the community. • Is there anything democracy and HR organizations across the region have in common? Is there anything they could learn from one another, any way they could help each other? Are there any insightful experiences from different countries, including innovations and challenges faced in their transitions to and development of democracy? • Can media and media organizations promote freedom of expression across the region? Is alternate media a solution (Internet based)? • How can civil society create spaces for citizen engagement? How can civil society : strengthen citizen participation and improve the quality of local government? • Can the openness of local governments be explored? • Can there be ethnic tolerance in a region of extreme ethnic diversity? Can NGOs help? |
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