Economic and social democracy : the role of access to information – Vishwas Satgar
1. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
DEMOCRACY – THE ROLE OF
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Dr. Vishwas Satgar
WITS Academic
Cooperative and Policy Alternative
Center, Board Chairperson
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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!
7. 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
9. 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
14. 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
15. 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!
16. 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