ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY – THE ROLE OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Dr. Vishwas Satgar

WITS Academic

Cooperative and Policy Alternative Center, Board Chairperson

Introduction

Historically significant social changes taking place in the world

Also major threats to species and planet

20 years of SA Democracy – But when did it start?

Interchangeable use of economic and social democracy with democracy from below.

What Democracy Is Not?• Democracy is not a text book model. 3 problems

• (I) models are mechanical and an imposition on reality;

• (II) all about elite representative democracy – democracy from above – western standard

• (III) We must copy

• BUT

What is Democracy?• At its core it is about peoples power!

• Different institutional forms of democracy – representative, direct, participatory and rights based

• Historically humans have invented democracy out of struggle – ancients – 2500 year ago Athens and modern democracy coming out of French Revolution (1789)

• History of inventing modern democracy is about struggle between democracy from above (representative) versus democracy from below ( direct, participatory and rights). Ideally want both contending to brings citizens into politics and decision-making

Trends and Dangers of Democracy from Above (representative democracy)

• Increasing reach, power and influence of private corporations over the state and society – hollowing out democracy- What is the meaning of elections?

• Growing inequality in the world – social conflict

• Deepening ecological crisis – trapped in ‘carbon democracy’ and heading for climate and ecological breakdown

• But: Don’t Lose Hope!

Global Awakening

The Come Back of Democracy From Below

• Transnational Activist Direct Action – Seatle 1999

• Worker Take Overs and Factory Occupations – Argentina 2001

• Arab Spring - 2011

• Occupy Wall Street - 2011

• Indignados in Spain - 2011

• Peoples Decentralisation and Participatory Budgetting in Kerala, India and Brazil

• Brazilian Street marches - 2013

The State of SA Democracy

Way Forward – Strengthen Impulse to Build Democracy From Below• Solidarity Economy Movement (SEM) and Food

Sovereignty

• Achieving Climate Justice -Climate Jobs Campaign and Socially Owned Renewables

• Marikana and Worker Committees

• Assemblies of the Excluded

SEM and Food Sovereignty

Climate Jobs Campaign and Socially Owned Renewables

Marikana and Worker Committees

Assemblies of the Excluded

The Information Connection – Embedding the Library and Advancing Democracy from Below• The Library as a space of Community Empowerment –

seminars, teach ins, information portal

• As platform of Community Dialogue – exhibitions, book launches, documentary screenings, supporting community media production like newsletters, pamphlets

• As a place for fostering a culture of learning – community education forums

Invite to Liasa• Join the emerging social and environmental justice

coalition to strengthen and deepen democracy -20 years democracy initiative

• Join with COPAC and the national food sovereignty campaign to advance food sovereignty in communities – zero hunger in South Africa!

Thank You for Listening and Engaging

• Dr. Vishwas Satgar

• Email: vishwas.satgar @wits.ac.za

• Useful websites:

• www.copac.org.za• www.amandla.org.za