The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and The Republic of Yemen Cosponsored by The United Nations Development Programme and The Government of Japan In Partnership with the Governments of: The Netherlands The United Kingdom The United States And the: Canadian International Development Agency Friedrich Ebert Stiftung International Labour Organization Irish Aid National Endowment for Democracy United States Agency for International Development Westminster Foundation for Democracy World Bank		Discussion Guide TOPIC III: PARTICIPATION Democratic Decision Making: the vital voices of women, civil society and pluralism Summary Discussions for Topic 3 Transcripts - Table of Contents Citizen participation is at the heart of a democratic political system. Under ideal conditions, broad-based participation ensures not only that the government will remain accountable to its citizens, but also that the citizens will back their government through the implementation of difficult policy reforms. Far from creating tension and antagonism between citizens and government, participation can facilitate consensus about fundamental goals and cooperation in their implementation. Most countries that have successfully transitioned to a representative democracy recognize that participation is important not only for principled reasons but for pragmatic ones as well. Simply stated, a sense of ownership on the part of wide sectors of society will bolster the prospects for successful reforms. But participation does not always unfold under ideal conditions, even in established democracies. And in emerging democracies, the friction between government and citizen can be more acute as governments struggle to establish priorities and implement reforms with very limited funds. Governments that make a commitment to participation face the additional problem of how to translate such commitment into reality. The adoption of a multi-party system by itself does not provide sufficient avenues for participation. If a cooperative relationship is to be established between citizens and government, citizens need other channels for communicating their views and demands to the government. And, even when an equitable and just legal framework for participation exists and effective channels have been developed, social and cultural obstacles continue to hamper the participation of groups that have traditionally been marginalized, such as women and ethnic minorities. In considering these issues, you may want to focus on the following questions: How can emerging democracies provide adequate institutional channels for individual citizens and their organizations and networks to make their opinions, interests and complaints known? What role can civil society play in creating or maintaining these channels? What institutional reforms - such as an ombudsman's office, decentralization of power and public negotiating forums in specific sectors of policy making - can help to improve public access to and support for the policymaking process? In allowing for widespread public participation in and criticism of government, what is the proper balance between civil liberties and public order? Which forms of civic education have been found effective in creating the capacity for and commitment to informed political participation by ordinary citizens at the grassroots? What programs or initiatives can be adopted to encourage the participation of women in the political process? How can citizens and government address the challenges of managing participation in a multiethnic and multireligious society? What is the responsibility of organizations of civil society in reaching out to these minorities? [ Introduction ] [ Declaration ] [ Conference Transcripts ] [ Discussion Board ] [ Forum Home ] [ NDI Home ]