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UNPACKING PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACYFrom practice to theory and
from theory to practice
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ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
The last three decades have seen the almost universal endorsement of ‘democracy’ as the only acceptable form of governance. It no longer needs to be argued that
transparency, accountability and participation should then be important defining and guiding principles for democratic governance. While political leaders seemingly swear by these democratic principles, citizens across the world have been struggling and campaigning to move beyond the rhetoric of these potentially powerful concepts, to apply them in practical and meaningful ways in their interaction with State, and even non-State powers.
Of the three, ‘participation’ is central to real democracy, while it remains its biggest challenge. Democracies are being taken over by structures of representation. People on the other hand, feel a growing sense of alienation from decisions taken by elected representatives acting on their behalf. The nature of peoples campaigns and struggles for democratic rights have changed. Today, those fighting for transparency and accountability demand participation in all spheres of governance and decision making. However, this has to be realized through practical and actionable entitlements which empower both citizens and the concept of citizenship; which are the real touchstone of sovereignty and legitimacy. As ordinary people assert their citizenship, it has become clear that ‘democratic participation’ has to be unpacked and detailed step by step, so that it is connected to theory, law, policy and practice.
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OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN OF THE WORKSHOP
The workshop being planned and organized by Aruna Roy, the 2016 ‘Professor of Practice’ for Global Governance at McGill University, Canada, comes at a time when
there is serious need for reviewing democratic practice. This is a forum to discuss, debate, understand and learn from contemporary theories and practice, to place people at the centre of democratic governance.
Drawing on the position of the ‘Professor of Practice’, this workshop is titled Democratic Participation: From Practice to Theory and from Theory to Practice.
The workshop has been in two complimentary parts, in McGill in Canada and now, in Kerala in India.
The workshop at McGill, Montreal in November 2016 brought together theorists and practitioners of ‘participatory democracy’ to reflect on the contemporary crisis in democratic practice. It looked at the powerful concepts of transparency and accountability in defining the participation of people in democracy.
The second workshop being held in the State of Kerala, India is in the context of Asia. It will bring together practitioners and theorists of ‘participatory democracy’ to reflect on the contemporary crisis in democratic practice. It will look at the powerful concepts of transparency and accountability in defining the participation of people in democracy.
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PROGRAM IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE Funded by the Erin Jellel Collins Arsenault Trust
This conference is part of the Program in Global Governance at the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University. The Program was created
in 2013 to address challenges in contemporary world politics by exploring new, practical ways of improving global governance. Based at ISID in the Faculty of Arts, the Program is a collaborative effort with the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism in the Faculty of Law. It represents a bold attempt to marry the research and intellectual power of McGill University with the most innovative efforts by leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors to design new forms of governance that are more appropriate for our new global circumstances.
Given the complexities that global governance necessarily entails, this Program defines global governance as the formal and informal rules and practices designed to promote sustainable, inclusive development and democratic governance. While such rules and practices would typically be applicable at the supranational and transnational levels, they may also include local or national experiments which demonstrate the potential for wider application.
Generously supported by the Erin Jellel Collins Arsenault Trust, the Program in Global Governance has three main components: Professors of Practice in Global Governance, Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Global Governance, and ISID’s Speaker Series.
This year, the Program in Global Governance is pleased to welcome and support, as the Professor of Practice in Global Governance, Aruna Roy, the main organizer of this conference.
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(Tentative)
This Agenda is based on the list of participants who have accepted so far.
The workshop is divided through 3 days, and consists of plenary sessions as well as several simultaneous breakaway sessions each day. A 30-minute period
at the end of each session allows for questions and responses.
AGENDA
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DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Registration (please be seated immediately after registration so that the program may commence on time.)
Recollection of Unpacking Democracy, Montreal (Screening)
Inaugural Session Welcome: Satyajeet Rajan, Director General, Institute of Management and Governance, Kerala
Sonia Laszlo, Director, Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID), McGill University, Canada, will introduce ISID and the Workshop
Naurti Devi, Vice-President, School for Democracy and ex-Sarpanch, Harmara, Ajmer District, Rajasthan
Inauguration: Shri Thomas Isaac, Minister of Finance, Government of Kerala
S.M.Vijayanand, Chief Secretary, Kerala will preside and comment on the workshop
Plenary 1 Scope of the workshop: Aruna Roy
Keynote address: Gopal Gandhi, intellectual, writer and diplomat; Former Governor, West Bengal
Comments and Vote of Thanks: Satish Deshpande, Professor of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics. He will also moderate the session
8:30 – 9:15 am
9:15 – 9:30 am
9:30 – 10:10 am
10:10 – 11:00 am
15 min.
30 min.
5 min.
••••
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DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Tea Session 1: Beyond The Vote; Participation In Democracy Breakaway Session 1A: People’s Plan and Budget (Planning And Budget) Introductory speaker: V.S. Senthil, Indian Administrative Service Kerala cadre, Additional Chief Secretary, Planning & Economic Affairs Department; Member Secretary, Kerala State Planning Board
Yamini Aiyer, Senior Research Fellow and Director General of Accountability Initiative
Subrat Das, Executive Director of Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, India
Mridula Eapen, Member, State Planning Board, Kerala
Praveen Jha, Professor at Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Moderator: Satish Deshpande, Professor of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
11:00 – 11:15 am
11:30 – 1:30 pm
30 minutes
•••• ••••
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DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 1B: Empowering the Unheard; Public Hearings
Kathyayani Chamraj, NCPRI
Shankar Singh and Janani Sridharan, MKSS
Kanak Mani Dixit, Nepali publisher, editor and writer. He is the founder of the magazine Himal Southasian and cofounder of Himal media
Suchi Pande, Scholar in Residence, Accountability Research Center, American University, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Moderator: Mamta Jaitley, Founding Member of Vividha Features; Editor Ujala Chadi
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses 30 minutes
•••• •••• ••••
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•••• DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 1C:Including the Excluded: Understanding the Other – Platforms for constructive dialogue, disagreement and dissent
Anand Teltumbde, management professional, writer, civil rights activist, and political analyst
Teesta Setalvad, Secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace
Osama Manzar, Founder and Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation
Vijayan M.J., Programme for Social Action
Tripurari Sharma, National School of Drama
Jyothi Krishnan, TISS Kerala
Moderator: S. Anandalakshmy, eminent educationist
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
Lunch
30 minutes
1:30 – 2:30 pm
•••• ••••
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DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Session 2:The Journey of People’s Sovereignity through Representation; Parties, People and Parliament
Breakaway Session 2A:Electoral Processes: Election and Electoral Reforms
Trilochan Sastry, Professor of Quantitative Methods and Information Systems at IIMB
Tarak Bahadur K.C., Deputy Executive Director, Nepal Staff Administrative College
A. Shahjahan, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Kerala cadre
Naurti Devi, Vice-President, School for Democracy; ex-Sarpanch, Harmara, Ajmer District, Rajasthan
Vipul Mudgal, Director of Common Cause
Moderator: Shiv Visvanathan, Professor at O.P. Jindal University, Sonepat
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
2:45 – 4:45 pm
30 minutes
•••• •••• ••••
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•••• DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 2B:Citizen Engagement with Parliamentary Processes and Procedures
Venkatesh Nayak, Program Co-ordinator, Commonweath, Human Rights Initiative
Annie Raja, General Secretary of the NationalFederation of Indian Women
Anjali Bhardwaj, Founder, Satark Nagarik Sangathan, Delhi
V. K. Baby, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Kerala cadre
Moderator: John Harris, Professor, School forInternational Studies, Simon Fraser University,Vancouver, Canada
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses30 minutes
•••• ••••
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DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
30 minutes
4:45 – 5:00 pm
Breakaway Session 2C:Independent Commissions
Wajahat Habibullah, former Minorities and Information Commissioner
Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director of People’s Watch
Vinson Paul, Chief Information Commissioner, Kerala
Sayed Akram Afzali, Integrity Watch Afghanistan
Shekhar Singh, Environmental Activist, Founder-member and former Convener of the NCPRI
Moderator: Sonia Laszlo, Director ISID
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
Tea
•••• •••• ••••
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•••• DAY 1: MONDAY 30th JANUARY 2017
Plenary 2:Culture and Democracy Tripurari Sharma, Professor at the National School of Drama and Founding member of Alarippu, will introduce the topic and coordinate the session
T.M. Krishna, eminent Carnatic music vocalist and writer
Sangeetha Sivakumar, eminent Carnatic music vocalist
Shankar Singh, MKSS
Charul Bharwada and Vinay Mahajan, Founding members of Loknaad, well known creators of popular movement music
MBS Choir, Kerala
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
5:45 – 7.30 pm
30 minutes
•••• ••••
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DAY 2: TUESDAY 31st JANUARY 2017
Plenary 3:Planning and Local Self Government T.M. Thomas Isaac, Minister of Finance, Kerala
John Harriss, Professor, School for International Studies, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
Rakesh Jain, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General, India
K.T. Jaleel, Minister for Local Self Government of Kerala
CK Mathew, Former Chief Secretary, Rajasthan; currently Senior Fellow and Head, Public Policy and Research Group, Public Affairs Centre, Bengaluru
Moderator: S. Parasuraman, Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India; Professor, School for International Studies, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Tea
9:30 – 11.15 am
11.15 – 11.30 am
••••
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DAY 2: TUESDAY 31st JANUARY 2017
Session 3:The Importance of Oversight in Democracy
11:30 – 1:30 am
30 minutes
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Breakaway Session 3A: Transparency in the Pre-legislative Process and in Political Parties
Rakshita Swamy, Fellow, Transparency and Accountability
Himanshu Damle, Public Finance Public Accountability Collective (PFPAC)
Mouleshri Vyas, Professor, Centre for Community Organisation and Development Practice, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Jagdeep Chhokar, Former Professor, IIM Ahmedabad and Founding Member, Association for Democratic Reforms
K.N. Harilal, Professor,Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Moderator: Vipul Mudgal, Director of Common Cause
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
Lunch
•••• ••••
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DAY 2: TUESDAY 31st JANUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 3B:The Power of Public Audit and Supreme Audit Institutions (C&AG and Social Audit)
Sowmya Kidambi, Director of Society for Social Audit Accountability and Transparency (SSAAT), Telangana
Shohini Sengupta, Assistant Professor. Centre for Community Organisation and Development Practice, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Rakshita Swamy, Fellow, Transparency and Accountability
Neten Zangmo, ex Chairperson, Anti Corruption Commission, Bhutan
Rakesh Jain, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General, India
Moderator: Amitabh Mukhopadhyay, Former Director General, C&AG of India
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses 30 minutes
•••• •••• ••••
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•••• DAY 2: TUESDAY 31st JANUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 3C: Judicial Accountability
Usha Ramanathan, Independent law researcher
Cheryl D’Souza, CJAR
Ragini Ahuja, Lawyer and Legal Activist
Shailesh Gandhi, Former Information Commissioner, CIC
Moderator: Babu Mathew, Pioneer of National Law Institute University (NLIU), Former Country Director of Action Aid, India
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses Lunch Field visit to see participatory democracy in action: Peoples Plan, Kudumbashree
30 minutes
1:30 – 2:30 pm
•••• ••••
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DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2017
Plenary 4:Examining the Role of People’s Movements and Campaigns and the Threat to Constitutional Principles Annie Raja, General Secretary, NFIW
Kamayani, Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, Bihar
S.P. Udayakumar, Convenor, Peoples’ Movement against Nuclear Energy
Fredrik Galtung, President, Integrity Action, London, UK
Bezwada Wilson, Founder and National Convenor, Safai Karamchari Andolan
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, JNU, Delhi
Shiv Visvanathan, Professor at O.P. Jindal University, Sonepat
Anand Teltumbde, Management professional, writer, civil rights activist, and political analyst
Jagdeep Chhokar, Association for Democratic Reforms
Moderator: Harsh Mander, Director, Centre for Equity Studies
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
9:00 – 11.00 am
30 minutes
•••
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DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2017
Session 4: Accountability to the People/ Making Power Truthful
Breakaway Session 4ABureaucratic Accountability Yashomati Ghosh, Senior Assistant Professor, National Law School
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, JNU, Delhi
Anjali Bhardwaj, Satark Nagarik Sangathan, Delhi
Shaheen Anam, Manusher Jonno Foundation. MJF is a big network of organisations working on human rights, entitlements and governance issues. They led the campaign for RTI law, Bangladesh Harsh Mander, Director, Centre for Equity Studies
T.K. Jose, IAS, Kerala
C.K Mathew, Former Chief Secretary, Rajasthan. Currently Senior Fellow and Head, Public Policy and Research Group, Public Affairs Centre
Moderator: Satyajeet Rajan, IAS, Kerala
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses
11 am – 1:00 pm
30 minutes
••• •••
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DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 4B:Digital Technology/Demystifying Technology Rakesh Dubbudu, National Campaign for People’s Right to Information
Rosamma Thomas, Journalist, Rajasthan
Usha Ramanathan, Internationally recognized expert on Law and Poverty, Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
Gautam Bhan, Indian Institute of Human Settlements
Anita Gurumurthy, Founding Member and Executive Director of IT for Change
Moderator: Nikhil Dey, Member of MKSS, NCPRI, and CJAR
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses 30 minutes
••• ••• •••
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••• DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 4C:Weapons of the Weak: Facilitation, Techniques and Methods for Accountability
Fredrick Galtung, Integrity Action, UK
Mashqura Fareedi, Amnesty International
Inayat Sabhikhi, NCPRI
Mouleshri Vyas, Professor, Center for Community Organization and Development Practice, School of Social Work, TISS, Mumbai
Abey George, TISS Kerala
Poornima Chikarmane, SNDT Women’s University at Pune; Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat
Moderator: Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, JNU, Delhi The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Questions and responses 30 minutes
••• •••
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DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2017
Breakaway Session 4D: Looking Back on 10 Years of RTI in India
Pradeep Kumar Pradhan, NCPRI
Kamal Tank, RTI Manch
Joykumar, NCPRI
Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, NCPRI
Balvinder Singh, NCPRI
Pankti Jog, Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel
Anjali Bhardwaj, NCPRI
Anil Galgali, RTI Activist, Maharashtra
Moderator: Shailesh Gandhi, Former Information Commissioner, CIC
The moderator will comment on and extract relevant/critical principles that emerge in the session
Lunch Nikhil Dey will present the Accountability Bill prepared by the Suchna Evam Rozgar Abhiyan Rajasthan
1:00 – 2.15 pm
2:15 – 2:30 pm
••• ••• •••
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••• DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2017••• •••Plenary 5 Discussion points from each group will be put together and circulated to all participants, prior to the session. Short and focused interventions on these points will help evolve the non negotiable(s) on participatory democracy
Moderator: Shekhar Singh, Environmental Activist, Founder-member and former Convener of the NCPRI
Valedictory Address
Sridhar Acharyalu, Information Commissioner, CIC
Shailesh Gandhi, former Information Commissioner, CIC
Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Wajahat Habibullah, First Chief Information Commissioner of India and Former Chairman, National Commission of Minorities
Thomas Isaac, Minister of Finance, Govt. of Kerala
Vote of thanks: Sonia Lazlo, ISID, McGill University Way Forward: Aruna Roy, Member MKSS, NCPRI
S. Anandalakshmy, eminent educationist from Chennai, has kindly agreed to provide her insights and comments on the workshop as part of a chronicle
2:30– 3:30 pm
4:00 – 5:30 pm
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Essential principles and tools of participatory democracy to be culled from the workshop
• in shaping forums for planning and budgets
• in organizing public hearings
• for equality of access: including the excluded
• in electoral processes
• in enabling peoples’ voices in Parliamentary Processes
• in democratization, representation and accountability within political parties
• in freedom to express and cultural plurality
• in processes of planning
• in governance in its various structural manifestations
• to protect independent oversight through – Commissions – through CAG and Social Audit – Judicial Accountability
• The right to organize and protest: people’s movements and campaigns
• The people’s definition of state accountability
• The de-mystification of digital technology: access and controls
• Tools and techniques to access the right to life and other basic rights
• The power of information and transparency in shaping participation
TAKING THE DISCOURSE FORWARDSuggestions to discussants, moderators and rapporteurs