Congreso del Estado de Jalisco apoya apelación de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en la ONU

Documento firmado en Guadalajara en un acto con políticos y representantes de la sociedad civil

El Congreso del Estado de Jalisco, un estado federal mexicano, se ha unido al llamamiento internacional para el establecimiento de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas. En una ceremonia que tuvo lugar la semana pasada en Guadalajara, capital del Estado, se firmó formalmente un acuerdo a tal efecto. El llamamiento está dirigido a las Naciones Unidas

Francisco Plancarte García y Naranjo, representante de la CEUNPA en México, el Dip. José Antonio De la Torre Bravo, y el Dip. Cuauhtémoc Plazola Chávez durante la ceremonia (de derecha a izquierda)

Imagen: Congreso de Jalisco

y a los gobiernos de sus estados miembros, entre ellos México, y les solicita implementar "la participación y representación democrática a nivel mundial".

El representante de la Campaña Internacional para una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas en México, Francisco Plancarte, dijo en el acto que "la representación parlamentaria es un instrumento clave para legitimar y mejorar la gobernabilidad democrática nacional y regional, y también debería aplicarse globalmente en instituciones como las Naciones Unidas". Añadió que "la mejor manera de lograr esto es a través de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas hacia un Parlamento Mundial, que podría estar compuesto por delegados enviados por los parlamentos nacionales y regionales, reflejando así la composición política de los parlamentos a fin de representar la diversidad política, incluyendo la representación de la sociedad civil de un país también a nivel global".

Además del Sr. Plancarte, la ceremonia formal en Guadalajara contó con la presencia del diputado Cuauhtémoc Plazola Chavez, el diputado Coordinador de la bancada panista, José Antonio de la Torre Bravo, Sofía Aguayo Castillo, Presidenta Nacional de la Asociación Mujeres Empresarias Líderes A.C., Jesús Becerra, representante de la Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos CEDH, y las diputadas federales Carmen Lucía Pérez Camarena y Margarita Licea González. El gobernador de Jalisco, Emilio González Márquez, fue representado por su Secretario de Asuntos Jurídicos, Ricardo López Camarena.

De acuerdo a lo publicado por La Jornada Jalisco, el diputado Plazola hizo hincapié en que un parlamento mundial podría ayudar a resolver los problemas que afligen a la humanidad, tales como el calentamiento global, las violaciones de los derechos humanos, la proliferación de las armas y la desigualdad económica y social. El Congreso del Estado está decidido a continuar con el proyecto, no sólo en el Estado de Jalisco, sino también en los demás Estados de México y su Congreso Federal.

El Estado de Jalisco se encuentra en el centro-oeste de México y cuenta con una población de alrededor de 7.4 millones de personas. Entre los 32 Estados del país, incluyendo al Distrito Federal, es el cuarto en términos de PIB.

Galería de fotografías
Video entrevista con Francisco Plancarte

Traducción por Adriana Baravalle

Congress of the State of Jalisco supports appeal for a UN Parliamentary Assembly

Document signed in Guadalajara at a ceremony with politicians and civil society representatives

The Congress of the State of Jalisco, a Mexican federal state, has joined the international appeal for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. At a ceremony that was held last week in the state's capital Guadalajara, an agreement to that effect was formally signed. The appeal is addressed to the United Nations

Francisco Plancarte García y Naranjo, CEUNPA representative in Mexico, Dip. José Antonio De la Torre Bravo, and Dip. Cuauhtémoc Plazola Chávez during the ceremony (from right)

Image: Congress of Jalisco

and the governments of its member states, including Mexico, and calls on them to implement "democratic participation and representation at the global level."

The representative of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly in Mexico, Francisco Plancarte, said at the function that "parliamentary representation is a key instrument to legitimize and improve national and regional democratic governance and should also be applied globally at institutions such as the United Nations." He added that "the best way to achieve this, is through a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations towards a World Parliament, which could be made up of delegates sent by the national and regional parliaments, reflecting the political composition of those parliaments in order to represent the political diversity, including civil society representation of a country at the global level as well."

In addition to Mr. Plancarte, the formal ceremony in Guadalajara was attended by deputy Cuauhtémoc Plazola Chavez, the deputy coordinator of the PAN bloc, José Antonio de la Torre Bravo, Sofía Aguayo Castillo, the National President of the Women Entrepreneurs Association, Jesus Becerra, representative of the State Commission on Human Rights ECHR, and the federal deputies Carmen Lucía Pérez Camarena and Margarita Licea González. The governor of Jalisco, Emilio González Márquez, was represented by his Secretary for Legal Affairs, Ricardo Lopez Camarena.

According to a report published by La Jornada Jalisco, deputy Plazola stressed that a world parliament would help solve problems afflicting mankind such as global warming, violations of human rights, weapons proliferation, and economic and social inequality. The State Congress was determined to pursue the project not only in the state of Jalisco, but also in the other States of the Mexico and its Federal Congress as well.

The State of Jalisco is located in the mid-West of Mexico and has a population number of around 7.4 million people. Among the 32 Mexican states, including the federal district, it ranks 4th in terms of GDP.

Photo gallery
Video interview with Francisco Plancarte

Documentary on world referendum now on the web

The documentary film "World Vote Now" that premiered three years ago and runs over 77 minutes was now released in full length at vimeopro.com.

The movie that was shot from 2001 to 2009 in 26 countries explores the possibility of a world referendum and features interviews with people from all walks of life. What do ordinary people around the world think about global votes? What about the idea of giving every person an equal say? These are some of the questions that filmmaker Joel Marsden pursued.

"The fundamental and simple idea behind the film is that if democracy is such a beneficial way to improve the governance and development of so many countries and their people, why not try it at the global level as well? When we made World Vote Now nobody could have predicted that there would be democratic revolutions and mass uprisings from Egypt to Wall Street, from Spain to Russia. People everywhere want change! The time has never been more ripe for a global democracy than now," Joel Marsden told us on the occasion of the movie's internet release.

Together with MEP Graham Watson and the Club of Rome-EU Chapter, we hosted a presentation of the movie in the European Parliament in Brussels (here's a  report). In 2010, the film won the Democracy Video Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. It's great that it can now be watched on-line. The documentary appeals to emotions and is wonderfully suited to popularize the idea of global democracy.

Watch the movie here:
In English or in Spanish.

Presentación del Manifiesto por la Democracia Global y propuesta de un Parlamento en la ONU

En el Senado italiano se presentaron los eventos de un manifiesto a favor de la democracia global y la propuesta de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en la ONU

Expertos sobre la democracia global y políticos italianos se reunieron en Roma el 11 de septiembre en dos eventos llevados a cabo en las instalaciones del Senado para presentar un "Manifiesto por la Democracia Global" y la propuesta de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas.

En una conferencia de prensa y con el lema "Llamamiento a los líderes intelectuales políticos

El Senador Roberto Di Giovan Paolo fue uno de los que abogó por una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas

Imagen: Democracia Global

y ciudadanos del mundo para construir una democracia global", los profesores Roberto Esposito, (Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane, Florencia), Fernando Iglesias (Cattedra Spinelli, Buenos Aires), Lucio Levi (Università di Torino), Raffaele Marchetti (Libera Università Internazionale, Roma), Giacomo Marramao (Università di Roma Tre) y Heikki Patomäki (Universidad de Helsinki) presentaron sus puntos de vista sobre la situación mundial y explicaron las propuestas incluidas en el "Manifiesto por la Democracia Global" que firmaron junto con otros 25 eruditos especializados en el estudio de las tendencias políticas globales.

De acuerdo a un informe publicado por la Democracia Global, Fernando Iglesias abrió el panel recordando que, lo sucedido once años atrás el 11 de septiembre, fue "la ejemplificación más dramática de lo que Samuel Huntington había predicho como el Choque de las Civilizaciones". "Espero que nuestros pensamientos y reflexiones puedan ofrecer una pequeña contribución a la paz, al pluralismo y a la democracia en el mundo. Sin embargo, no existirá la paz en el mundo si no existe la justicia, y no habrá justicia en el mundo si no somos capaces de construir instituciones democráticas globales para tomar las decisiones cruciales que ahora se encuentran en manos de los mercados financieros, organismos internacionales no democráticos y grandes poderes nacionales", expresó el Sr. Iglesias.

Giacomo Marramao prosiguió con los comentarios: "Las protestas que se extendieron por todo el planeta demuestran un profundo malestar con las formas de representación existentes y la limitada capacidad del sistema político para proteger a los bienes comunes. Los indignados, la primavera árabe, el movimiento global Occupy y los manifestantes de todo el mundo expresan una solicitud por una mayor y mejor democracia, no sólo a nivel nacional sino también a nivel mundial".

El erudito Heikki Patomäki agregó: "Las crisis globales requieren soluciones globales. Las esporádicas cumbres, acuerdos intergubernamentales y cooperación internacional no son suficientes. La globalización de las finanzas requiere de instituciones democráticas de todos los continentes y de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas, como el embrión de un futuro Parlamento Mundial".

Roberto Esposito finalizó el encuentro expresando: "Compartimos con los movimientos sociales globales la pretensión de unirnos para el cambio global y la democracia real. No queremos permanecer gobernados por potencias sobre las cuales no tenemos influencia. La autodeterminación y las políticas son válidas no sólo a nivel nacional, sino también a nivel regional y mundial. Queremos ser ciudadanos del mundo y solicitamos una democracia global".

En el segundo evento, dedicado al tema de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en las Naciones Unidas, el Senador italiano Roberto Di Giovan Paolo explicó los motivos por los que apoya la propuesta. La agencia de noticias italiana TMNews lo citó diciendo que tiene la intención de plantearlo en el Senado. El ex presidente del Senado, Franco Marini aprobó recientemente el internacional "Llamamiento para el Establecimiento de una Asamblea Parlamentaria en la ONU".

En junio, un evento parecido sobre el "Manifiesto para la Democracia Global" tuvo lugar en las instalaciones del London School of Economics.

Imagen superior: Esposito, Levi, Marramao, Patomaki, Marchetti e Iglesias, por la Democracia Global
Traducción por Adriana Baravalle

Manifesto for Global Democracy and proposal for a UN Parliamentary Assembly presented

Events in the Italian Senate feature a manifesto for global democracy and the proposal for a UN Parliamentary Assembly

Experts on global democracy and Italian politicians gathered in Rome on September 11 at two events in the premises of the Senate to present a "Manifesto for Global Democracy" and the proposal for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.

At a press conference held under the slogan "Intellectuals call on political

Senator Roberto Di Giovan Paolo was one of those who advocated a UN Parliamentary Assembly

Image: Democracia Global

leaders and world citizens to build a global democracy", professors Roberto Esposito, (Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane, Florence), Fernando Iglesias (Cattedra Spinelli, Buenos Aires), Lucio Levi (Università di Torino), Raffaele Marchetti (Libera Università Internazionale, Rome), Giacomo Marramao (Università di Roma Tre) and Heikki Patomäki (Helsinki University) presented their views on the global situation and explained the proposals included in the "Manifesto for Global Democracy" that they signed with other 25 scholars specialized on the study of political global trends.

According to a report published by Democracia Global, Fernando Iglesias opened the panel recalling that eleven years ago, September 11 was "the most dramatic exemplification of what Samuel Huntington predicted as the Clash of Civilizations." "I hope that our thoughts and reflections can provide a small contribution to peace, pluralism and democracy in the world. But there will be no peace in the world if there is no justice, and there won't be justice in the world if we are not able to build democratic global institutions to make the crucial decisions that are now in the hands of financial markets, undemocratic international agencies and the big national powers," Mr. Iglesias said.

Giacomo Marramao followed by commenting: "The protests that spread across the planet show a deep discomfort with existing forms of representation and the limited capacity of the political system to protect the common goods. The indignados, the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement and global protesters express a demand for more and better democracy not only at the national level, but at the global one."

Scholar Heikki Patomäki added: "Global crises require global solutions. Occasional summits, intergovernmental agreements and international cooperation are not enough. The globalization of finance requires democratic institutions on all continents and a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations, as the embryo of a future World Parliament."

Roberto Esposito concluded the meeting by declaring: "We share with global social movements the claim to unite for global change and real democracy. We do not want to remain governed by powers over which we have no influence. Self-determination is and politics are valid not only nationally, but also regionally and globally. We want to be citizens of the world and demand global democracy."

At a second event that was devoted to the subject of a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Italian Senator Roberto Di Giovan Paolo explained why he supports the proposal. The Italian news agency TMNews quoted him saying that he intends to bring it up in the Senate. The Senate's former President Franco Marini recently endorsed the international "Appeal for the Establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly".

In June, a similar event on the "Manifesto for Global Democracy" was held in the premises of the London School of Ecnomics.

Top image: Esposito, Levi, Marramao, Patomaki, Marchetti and Iglesias, by Democracia Global

Two events on global democracy coming up in Rome

Next week on Tuesday, September 11, two exciting events on global democracy will take place in Rome, gathering some of the world's leading experts on the subject.

The first event at 12:00 is a public debate on the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly with Virgilio DASTOLI, President of the Movimento Europeo and of the Spinelli-Group, Senator Roberto DI GIOVAN PAOLO, President of the Federalist Intergroup in the Italian Senate, Fernando IGLESIAS, Council Chair of the World Federalist Movement and former Argentine parliamentarian,Lucio LEVI, Università di Torino and President of the Movimento Federalista Europeo, and Heikki PATOMAKI, University of Helsinki.

At the second event at 15:00, the Manifesto for Global Democracy (here's the website) will be presented to the Italian public by Prof. Roberto ESPOSITO, Istituto Orientale di Napoli, Prof. Fernando IGLESIAS, Cattedra Spinelli (CUIA) - Democracia Global, Prof. Lucio LEVI, Università di Torino - Movimento Federalista Europeo, Prof. Raffaele MARCHETTI, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali, Prof. Giacomo MARRAMAO, Università degli Studi di Roma Tre, and Prof. Heikki PATOMAKI, Università degli Studi di Helsinki. Here is the event's page at Facebook.

For more details, download the invitations here:

Debate on a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Presentation of the Manifesto for Global Democracy

OpEd in the Times of India argues for a global parliament

In an opinion piece published in the Times of India today, titled "Towards a global Parliament", Richard Falk and Andrew Strauss argue that what has worked in India since independence of the country in 1947 should work as well at the global scale: Parliamentary democracy.

They point at numerous examples of international parliamentary institutions that already exist, primarily the European Parliament, to underpin the proposal of a global parliament. "There is no principled reason why the establishment of citizen representative institutions should be the litmus test for legitimate governance at the local, provincial and national levels, but not at the global level," the US-American professors write.

Falk and Strauss have published numerous articles on a global parliamentary assembly before. Last year, the Committee for a Democratic U.N. released a volume of their collected works. An Indian edition was presented in May in Delhi.

Read the entire article in the Times of India here

Input requested for a manifesto on democracy and sustainable development

The Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development has launched a consultative process to develop the world’s first manifesto for democracy and sustainable development. The aim of the process that runs until the end of November 2012 is to provide a platform for action around the world to ensure that democracy is properly equipped to deliver sustainable development outcomes.

According to FDSD, "Democracy needs to be cherished if it is to thrive and adapt to pressures that climate change, resource scarcity and major demographic shifts will create. The manifesto will set an agenda for tackling problem areas such as the way that democracy is so often hitched to business-as-usual economic growth, or lack of respect for future generations. At the same time, there's an increasing risk that unsustainable development could erode democracy."

FDSD asks for suggestions on methods, institutions, policies or practices that can point the way to democratic decision-making that is tailored to sustainable development. "We want to hear from anyone – whether an individual or on behalf of an organisation - who cares about democracy and what it can do to deliver a healthy environment and fairness for all now and in the future. We're particularly keen to get ideas on practical actions that could equip democracy to deliver sustainable development. Should a UN Parliamentary Assembly be among them, for example?," said Halina Ward, FDSD's director.

To take part in the public consultation process, you can fill in and submit this on-line form that sets out three questions on principles, actions, and vision.

Please share this information within your networks if you possibly can. If you’d like any further information, or you would be interested in hosting a consultation workshop or consultation exhibition stand, please write to Halina Ward at manifesto@fdsd.org.

More information is available at FDSD's website.

On the transition from "Old" to "New Geopolitics"

Yesterday, Richard Falk, an international law and international relations scholar who taught at Princeton University for forty years (and who supports the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly), published a blog post on the transition from "Old Geopolitics" to "New Geopolitics."

"A number of developments on the global stage are suggesting that a New Geopolitics is indeed struggling to be born, although unable at this stage to challenge seriously the reign of the Old Geopolitics," Mr. Falk writes. A "striking example of New Geopolitics" according to Mr. Falk was the realignment that took place in the closing days of the 2009 Copenhagen UN Conference on Climate Change when "the United States sought to circumvent unwieldy and uncongenial procedures involving 193 states by selecting the participants in a hegemonic coalition that consisted of itself, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa."

This move was challenging "that part of the Old Geopolitics associated with the idea of the equality of states as the basis of legitimate multilateral lawmaking in the 21st century."

The civil society vision of the New Geopolitics, writes Mr. Falk, "inclines strongly in the transformative direction of Global Democracy, making all institutions of governance subject to the imperatives of transparency, accountability, stakeholder participation, rule of law, and attention to the human interest/global justice/climate change diplomacy. A first institutional step toward Global Democracy could involve the establishment of a Global Parliament that would directly represent people, not governments."

Richard Falk has been writing on the subject for a long time. Recently, a book was published with collected works of Richard Falk and Andrew Strauss on a global parliament.

Read the entire blog post here

Vilasrao Deshmukh, Indian Union Minister, passes away

India's Union Minister for Science and Technology and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh (67) passed away at a hospital in Chennai yesterday. As a cabinet member, Shri Deshmukh was one of the foremost supporters of the international Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly in India. He was passionate about the cause and had recently organized the release of the Indian edition of the book "Towards A Global Parliament" edited by Richard Falk and Andrew Strauss in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari were among leaders from across the political spectrum who paid tributes.

Shri Deshmukh's death is a big loss to the efforts towards a more democratic global order. May his soul rest in peace.