ID :
33481
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 09:45
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http://m.oananews.org//node/33481
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News Focus: BALI DEMOCRACY FORUM PROMOTES REGIONAL & INT'L COOP IN DEMOCRACY
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, Dec 1, (ANTARA) - The absence of a democratic forum in Asia provides a great opportunity for Indonesia to make a political breakthrough by hosting the Bali Democracy Forum, which will be held in Bali on December 10 and 11, 2008.
Having initiated an Asian forum on democracy, the foreign ministry's public diplomacy department is spearheading strategic directions for the region through the upcoming Bali Democracy Forum.
The idea to host the Bali Democracy Forum was confirmed after a two-day preparatory meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, last weekend attended by 21 experts from Asia ahead of the forum next month.
Umar Hadi, director of public diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after a press conference at the Brobudur Hotel here on Monday said the Bali Democracy Forum is an initiative to promote regional and international cooperation in democratic and political development in Asia.
This is not an exclusive forum among democracies, but an open forum for countries of Asia to share experiences and best practices in fostering democracy.
According to him, the forum was expected to contribute to the pursuit of democratic ideals through dialogues and practical ooperation. It is an institution dedicated to promote regional and international cooperation in the field of democracy.
"In turn, it is also expected to strengthen democratic institutions at national level and therefore, it will also bridge the gaps in political development in Asia," he said, adding that this annual high-level forum of foreign ministers and prominent figures is designed to facilitate dialogues and cooperation in national capacity building of the participating countries and democracy and those aspiring to be more democratic.
In between the annual forums, there will be monthly technical workshops for senior government officials and experts to share ideas and experiences in efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy Andri Hadi said.
Therefore the main theme of the forum is building and consolidating democracy as a strategic agenda for Asia," said Andri.
As to the outcome of the forum which could take the form of a consensus on shared principles the Bali Democracy Forum would promote.
To support the activities of the forum, he said that Indonesia had established an institute for peace and democracy located in the campus of the University of Udayana, Bali. The institute is an independent, non profit organization under the patronage of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Aside from organizing technical workshops, the institute will also conduct studies and research, establish a network of experts and related organizations and publish papers and periodicals.
According to Andri, the Bali Democracy Forum would allow governments to discuss issues of common concern such as regular and genuine elections, multi-party system in a pluralistic and tolerant society, effective parliaments, an independent judiciary, rule of law, protection and promotion of human rights, good governance, creating an active and vibrant media, benefits of an open and competitive economy that ensures social justice for all, forging strong and dynamic civil society, the role of professional military in a democratic society.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda when opening a prepatory meeting called for Asian countries to start putting democratic practices higher on the list of strategic issues in the regional discourse.
Experts from 21 Asian countries attended the event, including Azyumardi Azra, noted Islamic scholar of the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University in Jakarta and Ben Reilly, director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at the Australian National University.
"The participants generally agreed that with some Asian countries now beginning to act as powerhouses in the world economy, they should also pay closer attention to their political development," Umar Hadi said.
The forum is expected to strengthen democratic institutions at national level, thus helping to bridge political development gaps in Asia.
"Indonesia has been very humble in its approach.... On the one hand, we've been undergoing this democratic transformation for 10 years, holding direct general elections at national level and hundreds -- even thousands -- of local elections peacefully and successfully.
"But on the other hand, we see elections aren't everything. In any democracy many democratic institutions need to thrive. So we realize that, and we're eager to learn from other countries' experiences while sharing what we've learned," Umar Hadi said.
He said the basic point was capacity in the final analysis. "When we talk about elections the question is whether our authorities can implement all the moving parts so the elections are credible, fair, democratic and peaceful."
Good elections depended not just on the capacity of electoral bodies like the independent election commissions but also the capacity of the police to maintain public order, he said.
"As for democratization, our region is a bit behind," Umar Hadi said. The African Union framework documents clearly mention democracy, human rights and rule of law. "If an African country were to change its government undemocratically, the other countries would be asked not to recognize it.
"With the new ASEAN charter, we are starting with ... the notion of shared democratic norms, rule of law and the protection of human rights. Countries within the ASEAN security community are committed to developing democratic institutions in the region together. Democracy's end goal is a more stable, more peaceful society," he said.
As an inter-governmental platform, the forum provides the opportunity for Asian governments to voluntarily step into a level playing field and discuss common regional interests instead of the concerns of one particular country, the Jakarta Post said quoting him as saying.
Bali was included in the forum's name because Bali has been considered a place where maintaining harmony is a valued tradition. "Moreover, all facilities -- convention centers, hotels and international airports -- are there," Umar Hadi said, adding the government also wanted to promote Bali's profile.
Jakarta, Dec 1, (ANTARA) - The absence of a democratic forum in Asia provides a great opportunity for Indonesia to make a political breakthrough by hosting the Bali Democracy Forum, which will be held in Bali on December 10 and 11, 2008.
Having initiated an Asian forum on democracy, the foreign ministry's public diplomacy department is spearheading strategic directions for the region through the upcoming Bali Democracy Forum.
The idea to host the Bali Democracy Forum was confirmed after a two-day preparatory meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, last weekend attended by 21 experts from Asia ahead of the forum next month.
Umar Hadi, director of public diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after a press conference at the Brobudur Hotel here on Monday said the Bali Democracy Forum is an initiative to promote regional and international cooperation in democratic and political development in Asia.
This is not an exclusive forum among democracies, but an open forum for countries of Asia to share experiences and best practices in fostering democracy.
According to him, the forum was expected to contribute to the pursuit of democratic ideals through dialogues and practical ooperation. It is an institution dedicated to promote regional and international cooperation in the field of democracy.
"In turn, it is also expected to strengthen democratic institutions at national level and therefore, it will also bridge the gaps in political development in Asia," he said, adding that this annual high-level forum of foreign ministers and prominent figures is designed to facilitate dialogues and cooperation in national capacity building of the participating countries and democracy and those aspiring to be more democratic.
In between the annual forums, there will be monthly technical workshops for senior government officials and experts to share ideas and experiences in efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy Andri Hadi said.
Therefore the main theme of the forum is building and consolidating democracy as a strategic agenda for Asia," said Andri.
As to the outcome of the forum which could take the form of a consensus on shared principles the Bali Democracy Forum would promote.
To support the activities of the forum, he said that Indonesia had established an institute for peace and democracy located in the campus of the University of Udayana, Bali. The institute is an independent, non profit organization under the patronage of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Aside from organizing technical workshops, the institute will also conduct studies and research, establish a network of experts and related organizations and publish papers and periodicals.
According to Andri, the Bali Democracy Forum would allow governments to discuss issues of common concern such as regular and genuine elections, multi-party system in a pluralistic and tolerant society, effective parliaments, an independent judiciary, rule of law, protection and promotion of human rights, good governance, creating an active and vibrant media, benefits of an open and competitive economy that ensures social justice for all, forging strong and dynamic civil society, the role of professional military in a democratic society.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda when opening a prepatory meeting called for Asian countries to start putting democratic practices higher on the list of strategic issues in the regional discourse.
Experts from 21 Asian countries attended the event, including Azyumardi Azra, noted Islamic scholar of the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University in Jakarta and Ben Reilly, director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at the Australian National University.
"The participants generally agreed that with some Asian countries now beginning to act as powerhouses in the world economy, they should also pay closer attention to their political development," Umar Hadi said.
The forum is expected to strengthen democratic institutions at national level, thus helping to bridge political development gaps in Asia.
"Indonesia has been very humble in its approach.... On the one hand, we've been undergoing this democratic transformation for 10 years, holding direct general elections at national level and hundreds -- even thousands -- of local elections peacefully and successfully.
"But on the other hand, we see elections aren't everything. In any democracy many democratic institutions need to thrive. So we realize that, and we're eager to learn from other countries' experiences while sharing what we've learned," Umar Hadi said.
He said the basic point was capacity in the final analysis. "When we talk about elections the question is whether our authorities can implement all the moving parts so the elections are credible, fair, democratic and peaceful."
Good elections depended not just on the capacity of electoral bodies like the independent election commissions but also the capacity of the police to maintain public order, he said.
"As for democratization, our region is a bit behind," Umar Hadi said. The African Union framework documents clearly mention democracy, human rights and rule of law. "If an African country were to change its government undemocratically, the other countries would be asked not to recognize it.
"With the new ASEAN charter, we are starting with ... the notion of shared democratic norms, rule of law and the protection of human rights. Countries within the ASEAN security community are committed to developing democratic institutions in the region together. Democracy's end goal is a more stable, more peaceful society," he said.
As an inter-governmental platform, the forum provides the opportunity for Asian governments to voluntarily step into a level playing field and discuss common regional interests instead of the concerns of one particular country, the Jakarta Post said quoting him as saying.
Bali was included in the forum's name because Bali has been considered a place where maintaining harmony is a valued tradition. "Moreover, all facilities -- convention centers, hotels and international airports -- are there," Umar Hadi said, adding the government also wanted to promote Bali's profile.
