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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>FROM THE DESK OF THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Internal governance: Responding to the challenge of
civil society legitimacy, accountability and transparency</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Release Date: 28 February 2005 <BR><EM>By Kumi
Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer</EM> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I write this amidst energetic preparation for the
next meeting of the CIVICUS Board of Directors, which starts on 2 March here in
Johannesburg. The CIVICUS Board is elected by a unique process seeking to ensure
maximum ownership and direction exerted by CIVICUS members and partners. Any
citizen on the planet can nominate candidates for the CIVICUS Board. Last year’s
election drew close to 100 candidates from 65 countries.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>An independent nominations panel made up of two
outgoing Board members, who are not eligible for election, and three others
drawn from the CIVICUS family, reviewed these candidates and developed a slate
of 26 candidates that were then put to the CIVICUS members via a postal ballot.
CIVICUS, as a membership-based organisation, has to place a very high importance
on the role of the Board as its principle governance structure. While we have
made many positive improvements in Board governance over the last three years,
we are constantly looking at how to improve the internal governance of
CIVICUS.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is an important issue for all of civil
society, particularly at a moment when civil society is under threat from
certain quarters which argue that while governments derive their mandate through
elections to make and implement policies, civil society organisations (CSOs) are
‘self-appointed do-gooders’ who have no mandate to represent the voices of
marginalised citizens. What this critique ignores is the deepening democratic
deficit in most countries around the world, even where elections are held, and
even in long-standing democratic countries. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some features of this democratic deficit include:
(1) fewer citizens feeling motivated to vote in elections; (2) the
inaccessibility of political office, for example in the United States, where it
has become prohibitively expensive to run for national political office, thus
ruling out many good candidates; (3) the continuing gender imbalance in
parliamentary and government institutions; (4) the skewed media environment in
several countries that do not allow equitable access to the media; (5) the lack
of internal democracy in political parties; and, (6) the high return rate of
incumbent candidates, suggesting that those that hold political office are able
to exploit their position to seek re-election.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To read more, see </FONT><A
href="http://www.civicus.org/new/content/deskofthesecretarygeneral6.htm"><FONT
face=Arial
size=2>www.civicus.org/new/content/deskofthesecretarygeneral6.htm</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Warmest regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kumi Naidoo</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please send your comments and suggestions to e-mail
</FONT><A href="mailto:kumi@civicus.org"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>kumi@civicus.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></DIV>
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