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  • Everybody Took His "Portion"

    EVERYBODY TOOK HIS "PORTION"
    Karine Asatryan

    A1+
    [01:02 pm] 18 June, 2007

    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 tete-a-tete 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.
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