Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Cooperation and dialogue in Bali for peace and democracy in Asia-Pacific region


Delegates from 21 NGOs will also be present, people like Lenin Raghuvanshi, director of the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh, India).

Raghuvanshi spoke at one of the conferences held on the sidelines of the forum on 'Advancing Substantive Democracy in Asia: The Roles of Civil Society and Democratic Governance,' which was held on Monday and Tuesday.

For him, "castes, patriarchy and communal thinking" are the most urgent concerns that "hinder the advancement of democratic principles at the global level."

Improving governance means "starting and ending with the people." At the same time, "Great efforts are needed to promote popular sovereignty in a violence-free Asia on the basis of democratic values and structures."

In India and across South Asia, the main cause of violence is a "caste mindset," a "feudal remnant that is extremely dangerous for effective and global democratic governance" because it works "against international peace and security, economic development and effective enjoyment of human rights."

At the Bali democracy Forum, Raghuvanshi and representatives of other civil society groups will present a joint statement, based on nine points.

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