10 August 2011. Montreal/Johannesburg. At a time when global crises pose mounting threats and global governance appears all but absent, the challenges and opportunities for civil society to influence decision-making are immense. Ensuring that local voices can be heard on a global scale and increasing the ability of civil society to influence decision-makers will be but two of the themes addressed at the upcoming 2011 CIVICUS World Assembly.
Jointly organised by Institut du Nouveau Monde (INM) and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the 10th edition of the CIVICUS World Assembly will take place at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal from 10-12 September 2011. This event, centred on the theme “Civil Society and Global Decision-Making: Doing It Better”, will bring together almost 800 representatives from civil society, as well as donors, governments and businesses from all over the world.
“The World Assembly is a key opportunity to engage across sectors and themes to focus on the challenges facing all humanity,” said Ingrid Srinath, CIVICUS Secretary General. “It is now clearly evident that collaboration across civil society and between civil society, business and government are vitally necessary to address the economic, political, social and ecological crises that threaten to eclipse the gains of the past few decades.”
Internationally renowned speakers
In addition to key civil society representatives from around the world, several high-profile speakers will also be presenting, including: Matt Dunne, Head of Community Affairs, Google Inc.; Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director, Greenpeace International; Jayaseelan Naidoo, Chairman of GAIN and former minister responsible for the Reconstruction and Development Programme in South Africa; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Managing Director, World Bank Group; Ivan Simonovic, Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, United Nations; and others from organisations across the globe.
More than 50 activities on the programme
Featuring plenary sessions, work sessions, networking opportunities and other interactive activities, this event will focus on the best practices and innovative ideas for inspiring greater inter-sector and international collaboration.
“The 2011 CIVICUS World Assembly is a unique opportunity to learn more about inspiring initiatives and build new relationships to create a more just world. We welcome the international community to join with Quebec and Canadian civil society in this important dialogue on the crucial role for civil society in global decision-making”, declares Michel Venne, Executive Director, INM.
The Assembly will be a place for both inspiration and collaboration, providing an occasion for presenting existing partnerships that can serve as models for future projects. For example, the “model forests” concept is an innovative approach that supports the social, cultural and economic needs of local communities striving to ensure the long-term sustainability of our landscapes, of which trees play an important role. Developed in Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, and implemented in Cameroon thanks to a collaboration with CUSO-VSO, an international development organisation, this model will be presented in more detail during one of the numerous work sessions that are part of the programme.
The 2011 CIVICUS World Assembly programme includes four thematic tracks:
• Development effectiveness
This thematic track will explore how to ensure greater coherence and coordination within development aid systems and a more substantive role for civil society in designing, implementing and evaluating development programmes.
• Climate justice
The objective of this track is to explore how civil society can elaborate, adopt and implement responsible environmental policies at the local, national and international levels. Specifically, the track will seek to identify how local voices and experiences can impact on the global climate forums and debates.
• Connecting people through technology
The growth of Internet-based communications tools and the proliferation of social networks are creating limitless opportunities to mobilise and engage, as evidenced by the recent pro-democracy movements in the Middle East and North Africa. As such, this track will examine the ways in which technology has been and can be used to strengthen the voices of the people, as well as inspire and mobilise action on an unprecedented scale.
• Civil society and democratic space
The freedoms of expression, association and assembly are the lifeblood of civil society and are essential to its existence. Nevertheless, officials and lawmakers continue to chip away at democratic rights, thus simultaneously curbing the ability of civil society to ensure transparency, accountability and respect for human rights in the public sphere. This thematic track will focus on reclaiming space for civil society on both the local and global levels, and reinforcing democracy in those spheres.
On 8 September, the CIVICUS World Assembly will also host a Youth Assembly to prepare young people to participate in the main event. The Youth Assembly will offer engaged and dynamic youth an opportunity to share with and meet senior delegates already working towards change and social justice.
The complete programme is available online at www.civicusassembly.org. You can also follow our blogs and event-related activities at: http://citizenshift.org/blogs/civicus/.
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