Democracy

crowd in a park
Photo: Jedrzej Blaszkiewicz. Licence: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0. Original: Flickr. 

Introduction

Democracy

Democratisation is a chief tenet of green politics and a central issue in political education. Still it is often far from clear how to translate the general notion of democratisation into concrete projects, campaigns, or educational programmes. "Civil society" is one such concept which, while widely embraced, is very contentious when it comes to questions of implementation.

Other such issues are the crisis of party democracy, the media and democracy, as well as numerous fundamental questions surrounding the relationship between politics and science. All of these are part of the foundation's activities. A further focus of our work are programmes that tackle far-right extremism and racism.

Promotion of Democracy

Perspectives Middle East

Syria's Revolution: Society, Power, Ideology

- February 8, 2012 - It is almost a year ago that Syrian citizens, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, courageously took to the streets in protest against the decades-long denial of their basic rights by the Assad regime. But Syria as a topic for research has long been marginalized in cultural, social, and political studies. This publication written by authors from the region wants to give new perspectives on Syria. more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket

Syria: "There Must Be a Freedom Square, And We Have Set the Date"

- November 21, 2011 - As the Syrian popular uprising continues, so does the brutal response by the regime. A recount of daily confrontations with arrest, torture and disappearance of family members, friends and fellow activists. Through the cracks of repression, though, shimmers an undaunted dream of freedom. Razan Zaitouneh more»

Interview

New constitution: Kenyan Member of Parliament awarded with German Prize

- October 26, 2011 - Last year the people of Kenya approved a new democratic constitution. The Member of Parliament Abdikadir Mohamed Hussein was awarded this year's German Africa Prize for his great contribution to the document. In an audio interview, he talks about the benefits of the new constitution, the Kenyan bill of rights and his countries role in the international community. Maria Kind more»

Feminism and Gender Democracy

Rabia’s Free Kick - Women's soccer in Lebanon

January 16, 2013 - Women's soccer is slowly gaining ground in parts the Lebanese society. The sport is not only empowering young women, but also helps building bridges between the different religions and sects in the country. But it's still a long way to go until it will be recognized by the media and be accepted by society as a whole. Florian Sonntag more»

Publication Series Ecology, Volume 21

The Future We Want - A Feminist Perspective

- March 15, 2012 - The Future We Want – the motto chosen by the UN in the run-up to the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – is certainly forward-looking. Rio+20 is supposed to define routes towards a safer, fairer, greener, and cleaner world. But the blueprints for a green economy are devoid of gender perspectives. Christa Wichterich’s essay takes a closer look on the relations between feminism and ecology.  more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket

Gender Equality in Israel: Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325

- October 31, 2011 - Exactly 11 years ago, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on Women and peace and security. This groundbreaking document calls for representation of women in peace negotiations and increased protection of women and children against violence in conflict situations. In Israel, our parter organization Itach-Maaki is working for the national implementation of the resolution. Anat Thon Ashkenazy more»

Contemporary History

Video

The Whole Jewish History in One Hour

August 31, 2012 - The aspect of learning is central to the Jewish culture. David Solomon, scholar, publicist, translator and kabbalist, gives an insight into Jewish history. Internationally known for his innovative, inspiring and dynamic way of teaching, he presents within just one hour the whole history of the Jewish people - from its origins until today and beyond.
  more»
Copyright Gabriella Csoszó

Dossier

Focus on Hungary

- The Heinrich Böll Foundation has compiled a dossier containing articles and interviews on the situation in Hungary since the right wing government came to power in April 2010. The driving goal behind the project is to analyze and interpret the changes in the domain of public life at ‘half-time’, two years before the next parliamentary elections.  Photo: Gabriella Csoszó mehr»

Women in the Arab Spring: New and distinct forms of political participation

- December 15, 2011 - During the Arab uprisings, an unprecedented number of women took to the streets, paving the way for a more important role in politics. However, in the transitional period that follows, they now have to fight against their exclusion from the political arena. This fight will blur the conflict lines between the „traditional-religious“ and the „urban-modern-non-religious“ blocs.  Dalal al-Bizri more»
Cover: Protesting Woman with sign

Perspectives #2 Mai 2011

People's Power: The Arab World in Revolt

- May 6, 2011 - The 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests seemed unexpected, but were they really that unexpected? This publication addresses many questions, among them: First, what has happened? And second, what has invested these regimes with such long-lasting resilience? Layla Al-Zubaidi, Doreen Khoury, Anbara Abu-Ayyash, Joachim Paul more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket
Cover: Years Of Upheaval

Documentation

1989–2009 Years Of Upheaval: Beginning Of Inclusion Or Exclusion?

- November 12, 2009 - On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Bosnia-Herzegovina organized an international conference "1989-2009 Years of Upheaval: Beginning of Inclusion or Exclusion?". It dealt with the transition process from an authoritarian to a democratic state model, with the changes in society and politics. more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket

Media Democracy, Hungarian Style

- January 17, 2011 - In other countries, the political control of the media is mainly effected through economic pressure. It seems that in Hungary this mechanism worked insufficiently, thus necessitating direct political control through legal means and a monopoly on the organs controlling the media. An article by Wolfgang Klotz more»

Institutions and Governance

Protests in Spain

A Vision for a Social Citizen's Europe: The European Commonfare

October 4, 2012 - The current crisis is not a crisis of confidence, nor is it purely financial in character. The current crisis is, above all, a device for domination, spoliation, and precarisation. What we witness today is the depredation and expropriation of common goods, of wealth, and of rights. What we need is a common social, fiscal, and budgetary policy. Aitor Tinoco i Girona more»

The new Education Act – regulation and centralisation

- September 6, 2012 - A chain of rapid and unprecedented changes in Hungary’s Higher Education Act have been adopted and implemented recently by the government of Viktor Orbán. The changes share the intention of centralising power and establishing supreme control over all levels of education. Zsófia Deák more»

Civil Society Goes Brussels

- August 9, 2012 - Businesses have long since grasped it – and now civil society is following suit: Whoever wants to make political gains can no longer afford to be solely active in their respective capitals. Whether it is about the environment, about consumer protection, about civil society in the digital age – increasingly Brussels is the place where the action is.  Falk Lüke more»

PUBLICATION SERIES ON DEMOCRACY

Inside a Champion

- June 7, 2012 - The international community likes to see Brazil as a socially oriented, economically successful state that is sensitive to environmental and climate-friendly issues – a great power on its way to the top; a champion. But in Brazilian civil society, another perception of its own state and the politics it pursues prevails. This publication takes a closer look at this discrepancy between how Brazil is perceived by those outside of and within its borders. more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket

Interview

"We have succumbed to some very weak arguments"

- April 17, 2012 - The British government is considering new Internet surveillance laws, which would allow investigation authorities to monitor users’ email traffic, visited websites, phone calls and text messages in real time and without court authorization. Civil rights activists fear a far-reaching intrusion into the privacy of British citizens. Heinrich Böll Foundation has talked to Nick Pickles, director of the privacy and civil liberties organisation Big Brother Watch, about the proposal.
  more»

Executive summary

Solidarity and strength: The Future of the European Union

- November 8, 2011 - Economic and environmental challenges that threaten to overwhelm the European project. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has set up a commission to examine the future of the EU. This publication puts forward a series of proposals in areas such as foreign and security; agricultural; energy; economics and monetary and enlargement policy. more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket

Interview

New constitution: Kenyan Member of Parliament awarded with German Prize

- October 26, 2011 - Last year the people of Kenya approved a new democratic constitution. The Member of Parliament Abdikadir Mohamed Hussein was awarded this year's German Africa Prize for his great contribution to the document. In an audio interview, he talks about the benefits of the new constitution, the Kenyan bill of rights and his countries role in the international community. Maria Kind more»

Four Years after the World Food Price Crisis: The Governance of World Food Security

- October 14, 2011 - The 2007–2008 world food price crisis caused political and economical instability and social unrest in both poor and developed nations. This was only the latest example for a functioning food system being an indispensable pillar of a stable economy and a society capable of reproducing itself. A new study outlines steps how the intergovernmental Committee on World Food Security could be expanded towards a politically relevant international steering committee. Nora McKeon more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket
Portrait: Mario Telo

The Belgian Presidency of the European Union - An assessment

- January 27, 2011 - Did the Belgian Presidency of the European Union go beyond playing the honest broker and take on the role of providing the necessary driving force required by the EU with regard to internal and external developments? An assessment of Implementing the Treaty of Lisbon, Policies to overcome the crisis, the European Citizens’ Initiative and external relations. Mario Telo more»
Portrait: Mario Telo

The Belgian Presidency of the EU: Foreign Policy Priorities

- December 22, 2010 -
The Belgian Presidency of the EU is coming to its end. A review regarding European Foreign Policy covering the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, successes and failurees of international summits and noticeable progress at the European Council.
By Mario Telo more»

Political Parties

Interview

The Czech Greens after the Senate and Regional Elections

November 9, 2012 - The Czech Greens (Strana zelených, SZ) were successful in the October 2012 Senate elections, and are now once again represented in the Czech parliament following their electoral defeat in 2010. Eva van de Rakt, Office Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Prague, spoke with Czech Green Party Chairman Ondřej Liška. more»

Opposition in Hungary: Left-of-centre Co-operation - the Risky Imperative?

- October 29, 2012 - As expected, the 56th anniversary of the hungarian revolution occasioned a symbolic battle between the Prime Minister and his left-of-centre opposition, with both sides seeking to present themselves as the true heirs of 1956. Whereas Orbán and Fidesz clearly won the battle of numbers, the show was stolen by Gordon Bajnai, the former Prime Minister. Kristóf Szombati more»

Perspectives #02/2012

Do Parliaments Matter? African Legislatures and the Advance of Democracy

- August 9, 2012 - The articles in this issue of Perspectives seek to reflect on the extent to which African legislatures have taken steps that mark their shift from being the “weakest link” of government to stronger, independent institutions. In essence, we ask – do African Parliaments really occupy the privileged position accorded to them in representational democracies? more»
Download (PDF)
Add to basket

The EU – A Maze of Acronyms?

- August 7, 2012 - They play a key role in Europe's democratic processes but for a majority of the population they resemble a black box: the European political parties. To fulfill their importance public awareness should be strengthened and it has to become clear that European elections are about European parties, not purely national ones. Annalena Baerbock more»

Democracy Needs Attention

- 8. August 2012 - Yet for several years Europe's academics and politicians have stressed the need for a European public as a basis for a vital European democracy - but how this public could be constituted remained unclear. The Europe-wide protests against ACTA showed: a European public has to emerge from above. Jan Philipp Albrecht mehr»

Could Viktor Orbán’s Dream Come True?

- June 14, 2012 - Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has projected fifteen to twenty years of governance in a “central political space”, rather than the customary shifts of power between left and right. In the elections 2010, Fidesz had the support of roughly half of all voters, and during its first half-year the new government enjoyed strong public approval. But since then the political landscape has changed dramatically. Peter Kreko more»

The Future of Progressive Politics

- 25. Mai 2012 - Having fulfilled their historic mission to build the welfare state, social democrats struggle to articulate a vision beyond the status quo. Where should they turn after the third way?  Ralf Fücks mehr»
People protesting at night

Opinion

Israeli Social Protests: The Key To Changing Everything?

- August 15, 2011 -

For the first few weeks of the social protests in Israel the press happily dismissed everything else – Palestinians, Iran, September, democracy barely reached back pages of the papers. The question at stake is, will the movement ultimately be forced by its own goals to confront and possibly re-interpret critical issues such in light of the newfound empowerment and social consciousness?

Dahlia Scheindlin more»

Media Democracy, Hungarian Style

- January 17, 2011 - In other countries, the political control of the media is mainly effected through economic pressure. It seems that in Hungary this mechanism worked insufficiently, thus necessitating direct political control through legal means and a monopoly on the organs controlling the media. An article by Wolfgang Klotz more»
Four men in front of flags of Hungary and EU

What is happening to Hungary?

- January 13, 2011 - Hungary was long considered a model for democracy in the former Eastern Bloc countries. It currently hits the headlines because of the controversial media laws and other moves by the national conservative Fidesz party, which endanger essential elements of the constitutional framework. By Peter Rauschenberger more»

Integration

Cover of the Study

Study

Diversity seeks Council: Councillors with a migration background in German cities

December 19, 2011 - Do the institutions of our democracy reflect the increasing diversity of our society? For the first time, a study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity has investigated this question concerning the councils of major German cities. The summary presents the main results of the study. Karen Schönwälder, Cihan Sinanoglu, Daniel Volkert more»
Your basket

 

Go to the basket
Terms of delivery
General Terms and Conditions, Heinrich Böll Foundation (hbf)

Following is information concerning your orders: postage and cost, data security policy, exemption clauses, and where to call for further information. more»
Help
A Step-by-step Guide on How to Place an Order on boell.de
A step-by-step guide, explaining in detail how to order publications on boell.de. more»
Video: The German Energiewende
Events
18.2. "Allein unter Deutschen" - Lesung und Gespräch mit Tuvia Tenenbom
21.2. „A Lot Like You“ - Filmabend und Diskussion - Filmreihe “Her Stories - Filmmakers with African Roots”
28.2. Green Lecture mit Rob Hopkins: Transition – Modell für eine zukunftsfähige Lebensweise? - Internationale Vortragsreihe zu Zukunftsfähigkeit, nachhaltiger Entwicklung und Ressourcengerechtigkeit
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
6.3. Symposium: Im Bann der sinnlichen Natur - Wege in eine lebensfördernde Gesellschaft
14.3. „The Place in Between“ - Filmabend mit Diskussion - Filmreihe “Her Stories - Filmmakers with African Roots”
22.-
24.3. 		Energize, Polarize, Mobilize! Human Rights, Participation, Activism, Internet. - International Workshop Conference
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
9./10.
4. 		Energiewende – Think European! - International Conference
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
17.5. „Footprints of my Other“ - Filmabend und Diskussion - Filmreihe “Her Stories - Filmmakers with African Roots”
13.6. Kurzfilme von Afro-Europäischen Fimemacherinnen - Filmreihe “Her Stories - Filmmakers with African Roots”
1.-
11.9. 		Chicago - Hamburgs Partnerstadt in den USA
All events / search
Energytransition.de DOHA Banner eng Banner Focus on Hungary
more websites
Discover the Böll Stiftung
Blogs
loader
The Foundation in Social Networks
Icon Facebook, CC-BY-SA jwloh01 at gmail dot com Facebook Icon Twitter, CC-BY-SA jwloh01 at gmail dot com Twitter
Icon YouTube, CC-BY-SA jwloh01 at gmail dot com YouTube Icon Flickr, CC-BY-SA jwloh01 at gmail dot com Flickr
Icon SoundCloud SoundCloud Icon RSS-Feed Feeds
Blog Euro Crisis Banner: Triple Crisis Blog Women's Voices, Women's Choices - 100 years of international Women’s Day The Climate Network-Transatlantic Solutions for a Low Carbon Economy