[governance] enhanced cooperation consultations

[Baudouin SCHOMBE]

Hello,
You have all your reading of "democracy" and I'll grant you. But in African
realities, "democracy" is still an event for "galas" and the rhetoric of
African political zombies. So I can not pretend that Africa's population
actually participates, according to the sacred principles of universal
democracy, the management of pubic thing.
There are certainly exceptions but it's very very thin.

 Baudouin

2010/12/7 Milton L Mueller <mueller at syr.edu>

>
>
>
>
>
> One, a call to frame such principles in form of a framework convention on
> the Internet, is a part of our input to the EC process, and so, yes, i agree
> completely. New institutional developments should be framed by and within
> codified principles.
>
>
>
> But we need to make it clear that the principles involve _*limitations*_
> on power, and rights for end users. The term “principles” is a bit too vague
> by itself.
>
>
>
> Secondly,, i have always thought that terms like democracy and even
> 'participatory' very clearly, and centrally, include all the needed checks
> and balances against majoritarianism.
>
>
>
> I guess this is where we disagree. In Western academic and political
> discourse, at least, the term “democracy” does not mean the same thing as
> “liberal democracy”
>
>
>
> Why do you suspect otherwise. I do not understand why centuries old
> concepts and ideas like democracy are suddenly opened up to such unjustified
> criticism or critiques, as if something quite novel is being discussed or
> proposed.
>
> Well, democracy means “rule by the people” and thus raises the issue of
> what “public” or “people” one is talking about. Democracy has for the past
> 3-4 centuries meant “nations” or more territorially delimited publics.
> Global democracy is indeed something extremely novel.
>
>
>
> You are probably already familiar with this but for some good discussions
> of what it means, see this web site:
> http://www.buildingglobaldemocracy.org/content/cgd-case-studies
>
>
>
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