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Re: * WP21 Forum Weekly Summary 10 (March 10-24) *
John D. GIORGIS
Wednesday, 9 April 2003
How can we create a movement for global democracy and a WP and invite everyone to participate?
Well, I think that the truth of the matter is that the World Parliament will
not have the authority to invite everyone to participate. Even though we
might invite representatives from places like Saudi Arabia, the People's
Republic of China, Cuba, the DPRK, or the Central African Republic - those
citizens would not be able to be elected nor be representative nor be
participatory in any meaningful way. The regimes in those countries that
oppress their people simply will not allow it.
Thus, I think that an important consideration for forming the world
parliament should be to decide what criteria country must meet in order to
participate. Indeed, the embarrassment of not being able to participate in
the World Parliament may allow the WP to become a powerful voice for freedom
in these countries.
Some possible criteria: -The country must accord the right to fully
participate in the nations politics regardless of sex, race, color, or
religion.
-The country must have a government that is based on democratic, republican,
or other liberal constitutional principles.
-The country must have an effective and vital national dialogue, including
having at least one peaceful transition of power to an opposition party
I am sure that there are others we may wish to adopt, but the above seem to
represent a bare minimum for producing effective participation in the WP.
On the principle of majority, the * tyranny of the majority * and the
principle of consensus
I am deeply worried that the WP might adopt a principle of consensus instead
of majority (or even some kind of super-majority.) The experience of human
history, unfortunately, is that the principle of consensus is a recipe of
intellectual paralysis, leaving almost every large organization that adopts
this principle unable to make decisions and choices.
JDG
WP21 Alliance Forum on a World Parliament for the 21st Century
E-mail : world-parl@forums.alliance21.org
Fax 1 717 264 5036
Information, inscriptions, désinscriptions: germa@alliance21.org
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