DEEPENING DEMOCRACY IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD

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• DEEPENING DEMOCRACY IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD
• Tanni Mukhopadhyay
• Policy Specialist, Human Development Report
  Office, UNDP NY

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Imperatives for the theme

• Further the work of HDR 2000 on Human Rights
  linking the rights framework to obligations and
  accountability.
• To contribute to the debates on governance which
  have been dominated by 2 overriding concerns
• a) making markets work better - hence emphasis
  primarily on transparency, corruption, rule of
  law, etc
• b) undue emphasis merely on particular kinds of
  electoral arrangements and regime structures.

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Human Development

• Entails expanding capabilities to enlarge the
  choices people have in their lives
• To enjoy a decent standard of living
• To be able to survive and enjoy good health
• To be knowledgeable, educated and free to express
  oneself
• To enjoy political freedoms and to be able to
  participate in community life

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• Human Development understood as capabilities
  highlight the importance of
• Freedom from want
• Freedom from fear
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of association

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• Democracy and Growth evidence to date
• Democracy is no obstacle to growth
• Low growth is no obstacle to democracy

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• Athenian model participatory democracy
• Vs
• Republican Rome model representative democracy

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Democracy Deficits

• The challenges of establishing, consolidating and
  deepening democracy confront all countries

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• Democratic institutions and practice are
  characterised by
• Accountability of the powerful to those whose
  lives are affected by their decisions
• Enhanced participation by members of society
• Free and fair contestation over political power
•  

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• The democracy a nation chooses to develop depends
  on its history and circumstances countries will
  necessarily be differently democratic

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The Quality of Democracy in a Country

• can be judged by assessing how accountable,
  participatory and fair the institutions and
  politics are in that society

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• Democratic institutions adhere to certain
  principles
• Separation of power
• Checks and balances
• Independence of judiciary
• Independent oversight bodies (electoral
  commission, HRC, Ombudspersons and so on)
• Civilian control over the police and the military

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• Democratic practice and politics have to do with
  the public domain where there is
• Independent Media (both from state and corporate
  control)
• Diverse, varied and plural civil society (but is
  not fragmented)
• Political parties that are internally democratic
  and rule abiding

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• The perception of injustice in the global arena
  is often the source for growing anger and
  seething discontent between nations and people

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• Millennium Development Goals a compact between
  nations

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• From your experience in your CO share in a brief
  presentation of about 5 minutes
• Make an assessment on the quality of democracy in
  your country of assignment
• or
• on inclusive global governance
• referring to the 3 principles of assessment of
  democracy.

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• Highlight the challenges faced in your program
  area in terms of democratic governance.
• What recommendations would you like to make to
  ensure a comprehensive intervention.