"democratic" (was Re: Summary of ways to participate in Best Bits)

[Norbert Bollow]

Gene Kimmelman <genekimmelman at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd like someone to clarify how they mean "democratic" -- there are
> many aspects to a democratic process and structure:
> 
> 1.  Do you mean "democratic" to reflect equal participation across
> stakeholder communities, using open, transparent processes to debate
> points of view and suggest policies/principes? And/or
> 
> 2.  Do you mean "democratic" to reflect a system of voting to make
> binding decisions for the participants in a multistakeholder process?

I understand "democratic" to mean that decisions are made in a way
in which all ultimate decision-making power flows (more or less
directly) from the will of the people expressed according to the
principle "one person, one vote".

Anything which does not conform to this principle does not deserve to
be called "democratic".

I am honestly amazed how many people in Internet governance discussions
seem willing to compromise on this point.

Multistakeholderism is not democratic. But it is a step forward from
those governance arrangements where it is considered normal to deny
public interest representatives and ordinary people effective
opportunities to participate in the relevant discussions, while the
representatives of industry special interests are of course given such
opportunities. And as Jeremy suggests, multistakeholderism is something
that can be built upon in the context of pushing for real
democratization. In fact I would argue that my ECTF proposal (see
http://enhanced-cooperation.org/RFA/1 ) is a concrete proposal towards
precisely that objective.

On the general topic of democracy and its importance, I'd like to
recommend to everyone to read Amartya Sen's essay "Democracy as a
Universal Value." (Journal of Democracy, Vol. 10, No. 4, October 1999,
pp. 3-16. The article is available online at
http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/article/democracy-universal-value ).

Key passages include the following:

* "What exactly is democracy? We must not identify democracy with
  majority rule. Democracy has complex demands, which certainly include
  voting and respect for election results, but it also requires the
  protection of liberties and freedoms, respect for legal entitlements,
  and the guaranteeing of free discussion and uncensored distribution
  of news and fair comment. Even elections can be deeply defective if
  they occur without the different sides getting an adequate
  opportunity to present their respective cases, or without the
  electorate enjoying the freedom to obtain news and to consider the
  views of the competing protagonists. Democracy is a demanding system,
  and not just a mechanical condition (like majority rule) taken in
  isolation." (pp. 9-10)

* "Democracy's claim to be valuable does not rest on just one particular
  merit. There is a plurality of virtues here, including, first, the
  /intrinsic/ importance of political participation and freedom in human
  life; second, the /instrumental/ importance of political incentives in
  keeping governments responsible and accountable; and third, the
  /constructive/ role of democracy in the formation of values and in the
  understanding of needs, rights, and duties." (p. 11)

Greetings,
Norbert