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Voices and Choices:
Gardening Good Governance and
Democracy in the Pacific
What is it?
What
specifically does it aim to do?
What will
the project do to meet its aims?
Who does the project
hope to benefit?
What is the reason
for this project?
Who will the project
work with?
What does the
project hope to produce?
What
will the Pacific communities gain from the project?
Where
can you get more information on this project?
1. What is it?
This innovative Pacific regional initiative seeks to address the threats
to peace and sustainable development by fostering or "gardening"
civil society, democracy and good governance with "pilot"
communities in four Pacific nations - Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu,
and Kiribati. The idea of nurturing and caring for a "garden"
is applied to growing Pacific democracies so that like a productive
and fruitful garden, Pacific democracies may produce vibrant civil
societies and governing systems serving the needs and aspirations
of Pacific peoples.
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2. What specifically
does it aim to do?
The project aims to work in 3 major areas:
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3. What
will the project do to meet its aims?
The project will run activities at the three different levels it aims
to work in:
- At the community
level it will do Community
Governance Mapping in the four target countries. This exercise will
engage communities in a process of analysing governance and human
rights from a village perspective. It will assist local communities
identify effective traditional/local forms of governance that can
enhance existing western systems, and will engage communities in
a long-term process of reflecting on their "vision of the future"
as it relates to local and national governance. Mapping will highlight
Pacific-appropriate training tools and methods needed for capacity
building for human/civil rights and civil society. In addition,
results will be collated into a Regional Governance Map, and used
as
advocacy tool by the Pacific Centre for Good Governance (see below).
- At the national
level it will do In-Country
Human Rights and Civil Society Capacity Building, incorporating
identified issues/needs emanating from community governance mapping,
and focusing on grassroots communities, as well as local and provincial
governments where appropriate. The project will also develop country-appropriate
materials for school curricula and rural communities on rights.
The project will work with partners in the region to catalyse civic
and citizenship education, combined with teacher training and curriculum
development, as integral components of nation-building.
- At the regional
level it will - establish the Pacific Centre for Good Governance,
acting as a regional governance nexus, and including regional leaders
(political, church leaders, committed individuals), academics, regional
NGOs and multilateral agencies committed to promoting good governance,
democracy and civil society in the Pacific region. This group will
guide and provide policy advice and direction in good governance,
democratic principles and human rights issues such as transparency
and anti-corruption, gender, civil rights and indigenous rights.
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4. Who does the
project hope to benefit?
The project seeks to build upon its work with pilot communities in
the four target countries to eventually benefit all Pacific communities,
enabling Pacific peoples to fulfil their rights and responsibilities
as citizens, including expressing their needs to achieve sustainable
development and combat poverty.
As well, the project intends to bring together other stakeholders
who are working or planning to do so at all levels, in the promotion
of good governance in the Pacific to share experiences, skills and
information in a "learning portfolio," initially through
the Pacific Virtual Centre For Good Governance. This would include
other NGOs, Churches, Academic Institutions, Local Governments, Donors
and INGOS
such as the CROP Agencies. The purpose of this "learning portfolio"
will be to bring together "practitioners" in the area of
rights and governance to analyse effective approaches to building
community capacity in rights and governance.
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5. What is the
reason for this project?
Recent tensions in the Pacific and their ramifications both for the
countries directly concerned and the wider region, dramatically illustrate
the need for greater attention to be paid to the issue of democracy
and governance in the region. Simmering discontent with governance
system was manifest in the May 2000 coup in Fiji. The unease continues
despite a return to democratic rule. The June 2000 coup in the Solomon
Islands was also a result of long-term tensions over land and ethnicity.
The country's governing structures remain unstable, crippled and virtually
broke. Vanuatu's well-documented problems during, and immediately
after, independence were serious, and political volatility continues.
Kiribati also faces governance difficulties, particularly in the areas
of land ownership and access to natural resources. In addition, this
project recognises the commitment to good governance made by the signatories
of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, 14 of whom are from the Pacific
region.
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6. Who will the project
work with?
The project will be run by the Foundation of the Peoples of the South
Pacific International Secretariat (FSPI) and network affiliates, including
Just World Partners (JWP) in
the UK, PCDF/Fiji,
FSP/Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
Development Trust (SIDT),
and FSP/Kiribati. It will
also form partnerships with the Law School of the University of the
South Pacific;
the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia programme of the Australian
National University;
the Regional Rights and Resources Team (RRRT) and other stakeholders.
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7. What does
the project hope to produce?
The project will produce specific outputs at the three different levels
of its focus:
- From the community
level it will yield:
A selected number of "pilot" communities engaged in a
long-term process of analysing their local and national governance
structures as they relate to their "vision of the future";
Community Governance Maps created for the four target countries,
detailing governance pressure points, traditional forms of governance,
tools for follow-on governance training, and other relevant information;
These will feed into a Regional Governance Map distributed to over
100 leaders and partner institutions, containing community maps,
analysing/drawing comparisons and highlighting regional governance
and rights themes.
- From the national
level activity of Human Rights/Civil Society Capacity Building
it will yield:
Package of Pacific island-appropriate human rights and civic awareness
materials created both regionally and for the five target countries;
Dramas on human rights/governance for community extension in appropriate
target countries;
Human rights/governance school curricula developed in appropriate
countries.
- From the regional
level it will yield:
Representative Pacific Centre for Good Governance that includes
men and women throughout the region who are committed to promoting
good governance and human rights in the region;
Regional good governance web-site;
Regional media campaign on good governance and human rights.
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8.
What will the Pacific communities gain from the project?
- Pacific governance
structures and potential difficulties in rural/ grassroots communities
will be identified.
- Aspects of local
governance systems that can influence existing governance procedures
and systems to render them more relevant to Pacific cultures will
be documented and disseminated nationally and regionally.
- Relevant linkages
between local governance structures and post-colonial governance
systems will be established.
- Long-term dialogue
and analysis of communities' "vision of the future" as
it relates to local and national governance.
- There will be
increased awareness of human/civil rights among students and teachers
in the target countries.
- There
will be increased awareness of human/civil rights among at community
members in the target countries, and a related increase in civic
engagement.
- A regionally and
culturally representative "virtual" Pacific Centre for
Good Governance will be established in the Pacific (in Vanuatu or
Fiji), with associated increases in regional networking and collaborative
activities on governance issues.
- In the long term,
we anticipate that there will be demonstrated commitments on the
part of target countries to engage in good governance practices.
- In the long-term,
we anticipated that there will be demonstrated commitments on the
part of target country governments to support the role of civil
society and local communities in national decision-making.
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9.
Where can you get more information on this project?
Contact :
admin@fspi.org.fj
       
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