To people all over the world who study, participate in, or want to learn about modern direct democracy:
People power is headed South.
You’re invited to come along.
Please join us for the 2012 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy on November 14-16 in Montevideo, Uruguay – a spectacular setting where the Rio de la Plata meets the South Atlantic. The proceedings are free and open to the public, and offer an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the growing world of modern direct democracy professionals from civil society, politics, media, business, academia and administration. You can register now and will find logistical and programmatic updates at 2012globalforum.com.
Why Uruguay? Because the country has long been a global leader in direct democratic practice. And because the example of Uruguay – and indeed, Latin America – could not be more relevant to the world than it is right now.
While democracy is rapidly advancing around the world, the vital infrastructure of democracy – the tools that make democracies robust and give people direct power over how they are governed – has not been built as quickly.
Latin America’s experience brings the problem into relief. Over the last 30 years, the region’s people have thrown off the vestiges of military rule and experienced a wave of constitutional reform to cement democratic gains. In virtually every country, constitutional reform has included the introduction of initiative, referendum and other modern direct democracy mechanisms. Citizens in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia have used them robustly.
But even as these tools have been added to constitutions, citizens have been unable to use them in many countries, because of a lack of democratic infrastructure. In some countries, the executive branch has used the tools to consolidate control and limit the power of citizens.
As Latin American citizens fight to win control of such tools, they have looked to Uruguay, where citizens have used direct democracy both locally and nationally on key issues, from treaties to pensions.
Uruguay has one of the world’s oldest systems of direct democracy, with early roots in the 19th century and a full constitutional provision for direct democracy since 1936. But Uruguay’s case also has cautions. The country has high standards for petititons: 10 percent of the citizenry for initiatives to change the constitution and 25 percent of the citizenry to roll back laws. Uruguay’s three-step referendum process is among the most complicated and onerous in the world. And its constitution includes limits that frustrate broader democratic participation.
How can we build a democratic infrastructure that enhances participation and engagement? This global forum will allows participants to debate that question, offer stories and data – and propose practical solutions. The gathering includes political scientists convened by our co-host organization AUCIP, specialists on civic education convened by the Korea Democracy Foundation, election officials through International IDEA, and firsthand reports on modern direct democracy developments on five other continents.
Also, we’ll hear follow-ups on work that began in the three previous forums -- in Aarau in 2008, in Seoul in 2009, and in San Francisco in 2010. These include the development of best practices for modern direct democracy and a new and improved Direct Democracy Navigator tool for data collection and analysis.
All this – and three days in one of the world’s most beautiful, and southernmost, cities in the middle of the South American spring.
Sincerely,
Joe Mathews and Bruno Kaufmann
Co-presidents, Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy
P.S. For those who arrive early, a two-day briefing tour of Uruguayan direct democracy is planned for Nov. 12-13. Please let us know if you are interested.
