EVERYBODY TOOK HIS “PORTION”
Support A1+!Democracy is a dialogue between people of different world outlooks. Only through intensive discussions and dialogues we can find solutions to various problems. said Terry Devis, the General Secretary of the European Council.
To remind, the third Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy took place in Stockholm and Sigtuna (Sweden) from 13 to 15 June, with the theme “Power and empowerment – the interdependence of democracy and human rights”. The Forum was organised in co-operation with the Swedish Government, the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament) and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. The aim was to strengthen democracy, political freedoms and citizens' participation through the exchange of ideas, information and examples of best practices.
The Forum brought together representatives of public authorities and civil society, journalists, from the CoE Member States, as well as Observer States.
“I think the “Forum for the Future of Democracy” is very important, because it gives an opportunity to people from different countries to discuss their experiences and to learn from each other. The problems we have in Eastern Europe concern the whole Europe,” Terry Devis told A1+.
Representatives of “European Integration” NGO, Yerevan School of Political Studies (YSPS), the Civil Society Institute (CSI) and A1+ Company participated in the forum from Armenia.
Sargis Harutyunyan, the representative of “European Integration” NGO, points out that such forums do not give new ideas and opinions. He highlights tête-à-tête meetings during the forums to implement joint programmes in the future.
Artak Shakaryan, the YSPS representative, says that the participants should realise “the purpose of their participation in such forums.” He arrived in Sweden to co-operate with the Turkish representatives and he “took his portion”-an Armenian-Turkish joint programme will likely be implemented in the nearest future.
It is noteworthy that the forum focused on the role of NGOs in democratic processes.
“The mission of NGOs is to form a medium stratum capable of protecting their rights in the society,” Sargis Harutyunyan cited from the forum.
Neither political parties nor state structure can take over the liabilities of NGOs, he said.
The next forum is due in 2008 in Spain.
Karine Asatryan
Stockholm, Sigtuna
