Strengthen democratic ideas and values

        Strengthen democratic ideas and values

In the last 30 years, civil society organizations (CSOs) have worked throughout the Pakistan to support democracy and democratic governance. CSOs have been active in promoting participation, advocating for transparency and accountability and defending human rights, working together with governments and the international community. Governments and citizens have made progress. With few exceptions in the last 30 years the region has experienced regular, uninterrupted cycles of democratic elections and the reform of key institutions. Yet democracies remain fragile and traditional challenges have been compounded by emerging manifestations that threaten the stability of the State. These new trends not only underscore the necessity of sustained civil society activity, but also bring added complexity to the work of CSOs and call for a reflection on experiences and approaches to date. In spite of progress in the consolidation of democracy, the evolution of norms and international mechanisms and the development of civil society, Pakistan face serious governance challenges. Institutions central to the exercise of democracy continue to be weak, lack transparency and suffer from low credibility. The management of social demands is largely inefficient and myriad social problems persist despite economic growth. Large segments of the citizenry remain alienated from decision-making, often the purview of a small elite. In many places, protest and instability are a constant threat to peace and security. Meanwhile, previously un-encountered circumstances are emerging to provide new threats to democratic stability, as traditional military coups have given way to neo-populist forces, increased pressure from non state actors and paralyzing executive-legislative gridlock.

Structural Challenges Before making strategic recommendations about future civil society initiatives, participants began by examining some of these existing and emerging challenges. In discussing persisting problems and their new manifestations participants concurred that the challenges to democracy today find a common origin in the extreme poverty and inequality. Indeed, expectations that democratization would improve material conditions by redistributing power and resources remain largely unfulfilled, and economic marginalization and discrimination persist for the majority of citizens. Participants noted that these circumstances endure because the negotiation process that established democratic regimes left out large segments of the population in a majority of countries, resulting in a lack of a broad consensus on rules and long-term national objectives. While the democratic structures and institutions have been put in place, many systems continue to work according to old social arrangements and rules centered on exclusion and control that favor the interests of a narrow elite. As a result, electoral democracies are not democracies of citizens. Despite regularly exercising the vote, citizens’ concerns are often not reflected or their rights protected by elected officials in policy-making and governance decisions. The states’ failure to respond to citizens’ needs despite economic growth has created disillusionment with democracy. The core problems of poverty, lack of representation and inequality ,and attendant violence, corruption and polarization require complex and long-term solutions, which must be based on strengthening fundamental elements and principles in societies across the region. Among these elements is the need for information and ideas that provide citizens, politicians and policy-makers with a common basis for informed discussion and decision-making. Second, is the need for pluralism and respect for difference of opinion. Third, is the need for consensus-building techniques that allow citizens to reach agreement and identify common objectives for national life at the local and national level. Finally, there is a need for heightened transparency and accountability in government activity to ensure that these shared visions are being implemented by elected officials.

Priority Activities: Civil Society Strongholds Thinking about the elements needed for strengthened democracy, and civil societies’ strengths and limitations, participants highlighted activities considered key CSOs strongholds—areas where civil society can have a particularly positive impact. In most cases CSOs across the region are already undertaking a number of these activities. Some areas, however, will require learning on the part of organizations, and may necessitate a refocusing of objectives, partners and methodologies.

Promote Dialogue

 In discussing challenges to democracy, including a lack of broad-based consensus on basic national principles, polarization and marginalization, the need to create spaces for debate and dialogue was underscored. Such spaces bring people together and provide an opportunity to discuss issues and share different points of view, which is essential in reaching compromise and a shared direction. An autonomous and moderate civil society can help bridge divides between groups and work to build social and political consensus, while contributing to pluralism and promoting tolerance. To do this, they must engage a broad range of society on a wide array of issues at the local and national level. CSOs throughout the District Tharparkar must do much more to foster productive dialogue, building understanding and a strengthening a tolerant middle ground.