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| UNESCO and World Social Forum 2001 |
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25-30 January 2001, Porto Alegre, Brazil. |
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One of the most important challenges for the next century will be to achieve local, national and world democratic governance based on principles that are freely agreed to by the social actors involved (both state and non-state players).
"Democratic governance", whose institutional and political characteristics are still to be defined, is the best way to strengthen the national capacities in order to realise social, educational, cultural and scientific development strategies, in the face of opposing consequences of globalisation. This is both an ethical and a practical issue, whose outcome is crucial for a fair and ecologically balanced social development.
This is why the UNESCO MOST Programme and the Democracy Unit of Social and Human Sciences Sector of UNESCO, together with UFRGS (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) and FAPERGS (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul) organised a seminar at the World Social Forum 2001.
The seminar intended to promote an open debate on the themes III and IV of the Forum, which were the civil society and the public realm, as well as democratisation of global authority.
The debate of each round table was co-ordinated by a Chairperson. The speakers were expected to analyse critical issues based on their experience (socially and geographically considered) addressing questions for a general debate.
Round table 1: Non state-actors in democratic governance
The goal of this round table was to discuss existing and/or future connections between state and non-state actors to promote development on the transnational level. Environmental problems, exacerbated urbanisation, human rights, migrations, criminal networks related to drugs, among other relevant issues concerning the modern world order transcend the nation-state borders and generate dialogue between actors of the global scene. How to consider the participation of associative movements, local associations, NGOs in general, trade and companies, in the constitution of a new public realm around the idea of a more democratic global "governance".
Chairman: Carlos Arturi
Speakers:
David Westendorff, UNRISD, Geneva/Switzerland.
Guillermo Aureano, University of Montreal: Drogas y democracia en los foros multilaterales.
Paul Nkwi, Association of African Anthropologues: Democratic governance in Africa: a decade of misconceptions.
Farhang Sefidvash, UFRGS. The role of NGOs in promoting a democratic global governance.
Jean-Pierre Razafy-Andriamihhaingo, University of Le Havre/France: Perspectives comparatives sur le rôle du juridique et de l'institutionnel dans l'amélioration de la qualité de la démocratie.
Bunker Roy, SWRC/Barefoot College, India: PROFILE - An innovative development project in Rajasthan, India.
Discussant: Germán Solinís, UNESCO/Paris.
Rapporteur: Isabelle Viagiotti (SOLAGRAL).
Round table 2: Which connections/articulations between the State, the IGOs, the NGOs and the private sector to promote the public good?
Governance is a category with a normative and a prescriptive dimension. In current debates on urban governance, for instance, the social conflict would be converted into rules of good management. It is true that the current debate on governance, and particularly that of financial international institutions, doesn't constitute an epidemiological opening for social sciences. Governance—useful concept often qualified as "good" or "democratic"—could be complementary to the global market regulation. The reference to essential questions of citizen management and participation, without directly mentioning the role of the State, made governance a very useful concept for the economic and financial experts around the world. Consequently, there is a great potential of mystification and a major risk of manipulation linked to the use of the notion of governance. From a disciplinary perspective and from the object of each of the participant, this round table intended to promote a debate on the new articulations which are necessary between state and non-state actors in the promotion of public good.
Chairman: Renato de Oliveira, FAPERGS
Speakers:
Sarah Ben Néfissa, IRD-France/Tunisie.
Annick Osmont, France: Les villes, la gouvernance, la démocratie locale : réflexions sur l'expertise.
Dorssala Bazahica, Maison de la Culture, Bujumbura (Burundi): Démocratie, culture et ethnies.
Jaime Preciado Coronado, México: La gobernabilidad democrática en el México Post-priista.
Maria da Graça Bulhões, UFGRS (Brésil).
Discussant: Thimothée Ngakoutou, UNESCO/Paris
Rapporteur: Francesca Beausang (London School of Economics) |
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