World Alliance for Citizen Participation

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation World Assembly: Acting Together for a Just World 'Accountability: Delivering Results' Glasgow, 23-27 May 2007 www.civicusassembly.org A Free Weekly Electronic Newsletter Promoting Civic Existence, Expression & Engagement Please send contributions, comments and questions to editor@civicus.org.

25 May 2007 ISSUE No. 340 PUBLISHER CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Micha Hollestelle MANAGING EDITOR Eric Muragana OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Inter Press Service (IPS) Vicente García-Delgado ABOUT e-CIVICUS  The CIVICUS weekly electronic publication is keeping tens of thousands of people informed of the developments taking place in civil society, the factors that are affecting them and the impact they are having on creating an informed and knowledgeable civil society.  e-CIVICUS WELCOMES CONTRIBUTIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS e-CIVICUS offers a useful channel through which you and your organisation can share your news, publicise your events and articulate the issues you face. Please send us your contributions no later than Tuesday for publication in the coming week to editor@civicus.org. All contributions must focus on civil society issues or have a civil society angle. To read the contribution guidelines, please visit www.civicus.org/new/media/ e-civicuseditorialguidelines-finalDraft.doc REPRODUCTION OF e-CIVICUS Readers are welcome to reproduce, in part or in full, all sections of this newsletter, however please request permission to do so first. When reproducing or retransmitting content, please credit sources and authors. The content of this newsletter can be translated into another language and reproduced in other publications, as long as due acknowledgment is made to CIVICUS.  e-CIVICUS DISCLAIMER Although CIVICUS makes all reasonable efforts to obtain prima-facie reliable content for e-CIVICUS , CIVICUS cannot guarantee the accuracy of the reports, views or opinions of third-party content providers, nor does CIVICUS necessarily endorse the views reflected therein. Similarly, links provided in e-CIVICUS may point to Internet sites that may be of interest to our readers; however CIVICUS does not take responsibility for, nor necessarily endorse their content. Stories are provided for information purposes only, and readers who intend to rely on information provided through such stories are strongly recommended to double-check its accuracy by reference to other sources first. Opinions expressed by contributors to e-CIVICUS are solely those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CIVICUS, its Board of Directors, managers or staff, or any CIVICUS members or partners. Please do send your comments and suggestions to editor@civicus.org .  CONTACT US P.O. Box 933 Southdale, 2135  South Africa  Tel: +27 11 833 5959 Fax:+27 11 833 7997 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 540  Washington D.C.  20036 USA Tel: +202 331-8518 Fax: +202 331-8774 Websites: www.civicus.org www.civilsocietywatch.org www.civicusassembly.org To subscribe or unsubscribe: email subscriptions@civicus.org TELL A FRIEND Do you have a friend who works for a more just world? Would you like to share this newsletter with them? Please forward their e-mail address to subscriptions@civicus.org We value your comments, suggestions and contributions. Speak to us at editor@civicus.org Support CIVICUS You can make an on-line donation at www.civicus.org/new/donatev2.html Join CIVICUS Join or renew your CIVICUS Membership on-line now at www.civicus.org/new/joinv2.html Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin The CIVICUS e-newsletter Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin  is an action-oriented newsletter distributed to over 7,400 people around the world, featuring insightful interviews, updates on threats to civil society, and analyses of current situations. Read more at www.civilsocietywatch.org 7th CIVICUS World Assembly: Acting Together For a Just World Visit our website for updates on: Conference Registration, Conference Programme, Call for Workshop Proposals, Exhibitor Opportunities, News, and Discussion Board at www.civicusassembly.org CIVICUS blog What do you think? Have your say on the CIVICUS Blog! CIVICUS seeks to amplify the voices and opinions of ordinary people and give expression to the enormous creative energy within civil society. Our recently launched blog gives you the opportunity to use your voice and engage with the rest of civil society. Have your say by visiting http://civicus.civiblog.org

FROM THE DESK OF CIVICUS' SECRETARY-GENERAL This section provide an overview of perspectives and opinions in addressing challenges and opportunities facing civil society and determining its role as development actors around the globe. Call for civil society watchdogs By Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General I was put behind bars yesterday my friends, and I can tell you that even for those few minutes while photographers snapped, it didn't feel very pleasant. I sat in my 'cell' with youth delegates and Socialist International President and former foreign minister of Greece, George Papandreou. In our hands, placards depicting the images of our friends, imprisoned civil society activists from around the world. As I mentioned in my previous column, this was part of a wider campaign to remind the Assembly and the wider world of the plight faced by our colleagues and calling for their immediate release. I was released minutes later to my great relief. For more information on this third edition of CIVICUS World Assembly’s column, see www.civicus.org/new/media/call-for-civilsociety-watchdogs.doc Six Views from the UN: The Social Accountability of the United Nations By Vicente García-Delgado, CIVICUS United Nations (UN) Representative (New York) In order to contribute to the debate on ‘The Social Accountability of the United Nations’, CIVICUS has asked six leading organisations that are familiar with the workings of the United Nations through their own experiences to submit articles which reflect upon, consider or otherwise provide suggestions on this important subject. These six articles have been published in this edition of the CIVICUS World Assembly, and subsequently posted on the CIVICUS blog. CIVICUS hope that you, the reader, will find these contributions enlightening, and useful in your work, and, through the CIVICUS blog (http://civicus.civiblog.org) we will engage in discussion to further enhance the value of social UN accountability. This potentially far-reaching global debate has been reflected below for further discussion. For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSUNDebateArticle.doc CIVICUS leadership change with continuity CIVICUS delivered an optimistic prognosis for a future of “change with continuity” during a poignant Members Meeting here at the World Assembly. Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General announced his departure and the organisation elected a new leadership. However, CIVICUS is moving ahead on a number of fronts. The meeting attended by about 160 members, reported on finance, governance and organisational projects. Outgoing chairperson Aruna Rao paid a warm and heartfelt tribute to the secretary-general, commending Naidoo as a "tireless activist, campaigner, mobiliser and visionary". Responding to the palpable shock in the conference room, Rao emphasised that the theme would be "change with continuity" for CIVICUS. For more information, see www.ipsterraviva.net/tv/civicus2007/currentNew.aspx?new=881 CIVICUS Poll Questions Each week, a new question is posted on the CIVICUS website. Let us know what you think. If you have a poll question you would like to ask, please email editor@civicus.org. This week’s question: Do you think that civil society should amplify multilateral institutions accountable to enhance global governance? Answer the question at www.civicus.org/new/poll.asp?c=048451 Previous question: Do you think that civil society is in compliance with the International Non-Governmental Organisations Accountability Charter (IANGO)? Results: Yes - 70%, No - 25%, Don’t Know - 5% CIVIL SOCIETY AND SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE CIVICUS ASSEMBLY Social Accountability and Human Rights By Ozias Tungwarara, Director of Africa Governance, Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP), a programme of Open Society Initiative An important aspect of social accountability is the ability of citizens to influence decisions and policies that affect them as well as hold accountable those entrusted with the exercise of political power. In order for this to happen there must be an environment in which citizens can participate in decision and policy making processes and are treated as political equals. Among the objectives of the United Nations is to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained. Citizens are likely to demand social accountability when their basic rights are guaranteed. For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSUNSocialAccountability-Human Rights.doc Increasing the UN’s accountability: The parliamentary approach By Andreas Bummel, Chairman of the Committee for a Democratic U.N. and leads the Secretariat of the Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly Alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organisaions (WTO), the United Nations is at the core of today’s international governance. In the course of increasing global challenges governments have burdened the United Nations with more and more mandates and tasks. The UN system now encompasses 17 specialized agencies and related organisations, 14 funds and programmes, 17 departments and offices of the UN Secretariat, 5 regional commissions, 5 research and training institutes and a plethora of regional and country level structures (Delivering as One, Report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel, 9 November 2006, p. 9). Being designed as classical inter-governmental organisations, the UN and its entities are only accountable to their member states. Specialized UN entities such as UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO and FAO are playing a growing role in key sectors such as peace and security, economic development, health, education and environment, affecting the daily lifes of millions. For more information, see www.civicu.org/new/media/CIVICUSUNDebate-KDUNArticleFINAL.doc UN Accountability Issues and the Role of NGOs and Global Civil Society: A quick sketch By Jem Bendell, Published as a Development Dossier by NGLS The issue of the accountability of the United Nations is complex. Consisting of 192 Member States represented by governments of very different forms of political regime from countries of diverse economic and social structures, not to mention unique histories and traditions, it is hardly surprising that no consensus exists among the UN’s membership on the meaning of political concepts and practices such as democracy, participation, accountability and good governance. And yet such political notions are firmly embedded in the discourse of the UN and today surface both explicitly and in its sub-text all the time and are hotly contested! For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSUN-NGLSArticle.doc Human Rights as a Way of Life By Shulamith Koenig- Recipient of the 2003 UN Human Rights Award I have been privileged for the last 17 years to be the Director of a United Nations, ECOSOC accredited NGO, PDHRE, The People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning (Formerly: people’s Decade for Human Rights Education), working both at the policy level with Member States and directly and indirectly with numerous civil society organization, those advocating their specific issues within the UN, be it at the General Assembly, the various Councils, Agencies and Committees. If civil society is to be responsible to its overarching missions and be accountable to their constituencies, we must make an effort to understand and analyze the social accountability of the UN and take actions to enforce it. For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSUNPDHRE-Article.doc Social Accountability of the United Nations:  Keeping Promises and Making Gains on Women’s Rights By June Zeitlin, Executive Director, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) WEDO’s co-founder and founding President Bella Abzug noted, “The Beijing Platform for Action is the strongest statement of consensus on women’s equality, empowerment and justice ever produced by the world’s governments. It is a vision of transformation of what the world can be for women and men, for this and future generations.”  During the United Nations ten year review of the Beijing Platform for Action, WEDO issued its fifth global monitoring report assessing governments’ progress in implementing these commitments. Its title, Beijing Betrayed, reflects the core of women’s critique:  governments worldwide have adopted a piecemeal and incremental approach to implementation that cannot achieve the promises and vision of Beijing. For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/WEDO-KeepingPromises-Article.doc WFUNA Article on UN Social Accountability By Pera Wells, Secretary General The UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, signalled in his acceptance speech that the defining mandate of the UN of the 21st century is to strengthen the inter-state system so as to better enable humanity to address global challenges. In this vision, serving humanity is at the heart of the purpose of the UN.  It speaks to the growing focus on ‘human security’, the shift in emphasis from reactive to preventive diplomacy, recognition that the sovereign independence of nation states needs to be qualified by the new international norm of the responsibility of states to protect their citizens from genocide or crimes against humanity, and the practical value given to partnerships with civil society and business. For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSWFUNAArticle-UNAccountability.doc CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS Please send your comments and suggestions on these stories to editor@civicus.org. Government crackdown against Iranian civil society intensifies The increasing arrests and detentions of Iranian-American scholars in Iran points to an Iranian government campaign to deter local civil society activists from interacting with Iranians based abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. The Iranian authorities should immediately release the three Iranian- Americans and the dozens of activists, teachers and scholars arbitrarily detained in a recent government crackdown. For more information, see http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20070524113340934 Antinomies of civil society  Since the last couple of years, the word 'civil society' has been used frequently in different perspectives of state affairs. Nothing is complete without an explicit reference to the civil society. However, the discussion on civil society in Nepal is such that there are many who use the term lavishly in different aspects but hardly describe its content. The actual nature of civil society is not sufficiently acknowledged and, if it is, is done so only in a half-hearted way. Much of the discussion on civil society seems to be driven either by a radical disenchantment with the present, an insidious nostalgia of the past or uncritical glorification about its role during the people's movements. For more information, see www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=19530 Build social movement against corruption: ACC Chief urges civil society Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday called upon all to lend their support to the ongoing anti-corruption drive so that corruption could be rooted out and social values could be improved. He also called upon the government officials and employees to maintain transparency in their own positions. At the same time, he urged the civil society to build up a social movement at grassroot level to eradicate pervasive corruption from the country. "Corruption has destroyed everything… spontaneous participation of the people is necessary to eradicate corruption," Mashhud said, adding the reforms could not be implemented without the cooperation of the people. For more information, see http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_36315.shtml Ahead May 29: Civil society groups keep on the challenge In less than two weeks, the  fate of Nigerians will be placed in the hands of Umar Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan, as President and Vice- President, respectively. As Nigerians look forward to May 29, the handover date, the general feeling in most quarters could not be described as sound, no thanks to the last general elections that have been widely described in local and international fronts as a monumental fraud against the wishes of a people in need of positive leadership and change. For more information, see www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/politics/may07/25052007/p725052007.html Developing countries major force in foreign direct investment The extent and pace of growth of foreign direct investment (FDI) from emerging economies heralds a new role for these countries in international production systems and the world economy as a whole. FDI from the South is also opening up new sources of finance, technology, and management know-how, critical ingredients for economic development. The phenomenon of FDI from Southern transnational corporations (TNCs) is examined comprehensively in the World Investment Report 2006 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). For more information, see www.ipsterraviva.net/tv/civicus2007/currentNew.aspx?new=883 Funds for 'Civil Society' in Iran raise concerns By Michele Kelemen, NPR Biography, Correspondent, Diplomacy, Foreign Desk The U.S. State Department has a $75 million budget to promote better relations with Iran. But some observers say a portion of the money, spent to promote democracy, is causing problems for rights activists. For more information, see www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10431144 ACCOUNTABILITY This section provides an open space to promote accountability innovations for sustainable development. Please send us your campaigns to editor@civicus.org. Accountabilty means Empathy TerraViva interview with Deborah Kaddu-Serwadda, founder and chairperson for Empower Children and Communities Against Abuse (EDDA) of Uganda. "Accountability starts with having a genuine reason for an organisation to come into being, with having a genuine cause. Then it’s a question of setting up the systems and structures that will support the cause. We have a counseling programme, for example. Do we comply with counseling ethics? You also have to comply with the legislation of the country. There are civil society organisations from the north flaunting all the rules of the countries in the south. We have too many civil societies who do not adhere to these principles and it takes only one rotten apple". For more information, see www.ipsterraviva.net/tv/civicus2007/currentNew.aspx?new=869 GET INVOLVED! This section seeks to profile, mainstream and encourage participation of civil society in CIVICUS initiatives. Please send your campaigns to editor@civicus.org. Corruption: Where civil society found inspiring success By Sanjay Suri, Inter Press Service (IPS) journalist Some retired engineers in the Pakistani port city Karachi figured they'd had enough of corruption in the awarding of contracts. They found support from the Partnership for Transparency Fund, no more then 23,000 dollars, to do no more than watch a process of awarding of contracts in a 100 million dollar project of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board. It worked. In that first round of eight million dollars of the project, two to three million dollars were saved. "An investment of just about 20,000 dollars saved millions in a very short time," Pierre Landell-Mills from the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) told a small workshop at the CIVICUS World Assembly under way in Glasgow. For more information, see www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37890 PROFILES DONOR - Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) CAF’s work expresses the vision for global giving. As a charity, CAF works towards a world in which giving in a committed and effective way is a recognised part of everyday life. CAF aim to support the growth and development of small and medium-sized charities through their grant programme. CAF will consider applications from organisations set up exclusively for charitable purposes with an annual income of up to £3m. Organisations applying for grants from the Consultancy and Training Fund must be based in the UK, while those interested in Collaborative Fund grants can be based in the UK or internationally. For more information, see www.cafonline.org MEMBER - CEMEFI CEMEFI: The Mexican Center for Philanthropy (Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía) is a member, non-profit association, unaffiliated with any political party, race or religion, founded in December 1988. Its mission is to promote philanthropic culture and social responsibility in Mexico and strengthen the organized participation of society. CEMEFI is committed to enhancing corporate, public sector and civil society collaboration in solving community problems. Promotes links among Mexican organisations and international non-profit organisations. For more information CEMEFI see www.cemefi.org TerraViva Daily Reports on the CIVICUS World Assembly TerraViva, Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) provides daily on the spot reporting on the World Assembly. For more information on daily reports on TerraViva coverage of the CIVICUS World Assembly, see www.civicusassembly.org/default.asp?page=268 APPOINTMENTS This week 6 new civil society jobs openings have been added to the CIVICUS website. Please visit www.civicus.org/new/jobs.asp JOB OF THE WEEK Programme Manager Application Deadline: 1 June 2007  CIVICUS Civil Society Index Programme Location: Johannesburg, South Africa For more information, see www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSCivilSocietyIndexProgrammeManager01June2007.doc TELL A FRIEND   Do you have a friend who works for a more just world?  Would you like to share this newsletter with them? Please forward their e-mail address to subscriptions@civicus.org CONTACT e-CIVICUS   We value your comments, suggestions and contributions. Please send these to Editorial Team at editor@civicus.org  e-CIVICUS is a free weekly online publication keeping tens of thousands of people, organisations and programmes informed of the many developments that are taking place in civil society organisations around the world, the many factors that are affecting the impact of civil society on creating a more just world. NOTE: For a free subscription to e-CIVICUS, please fill out the form at www.civicus.org/new/content/ecivicussubscription.htm. To unsubscribe your mailing address, please contact: subscriptions@civicus.org