Democracy

Photo by D'Arcy Normann (creative commons license)

Democracy

"Meddling is the only way to stay relevant!" (Heinrich Böll). That means that democracy is not a solid state, but has to be fought for every day. Democratization is a chief tenet of green politics and a central issue in political education at home and abroad.

"Civil society" is one important concept which, while widely embraced, is very contentious when it comes to questions of fostering democracy. The roles of political parties and the media are essential elements of our modern democracies.

We stand for more direct representation and support of civil liberties against the challenges of a security state. Our Democracy Program supports societies in developing nations in their aspiration for more democratic participation. We fight for universal human rights including migrants rights which is a cross-cutting theme of our work.

For more information, please contact Sebastian Gräfe at Sebastian.Graefe[at]us.boell.org

Civil Liberties

Article

No such Internet freedom says your virtual landlord

June 19, 2013 - The NSA scandal is not just a problem for the American democracy. Other American, European, Asian, and African people have also a right to know the whereabouts of their private data. Dr. Thorsten Wetzling more»

Report

Thirty Years of Bundestag Presence: A Tally of the Greens’ Impact on the Federal Republic of Germany’s Political Life and Public Culture

- January 11, 2013 - In the run-up to the 2013 German federal elections, this publication considers three decades of a changing political landscape with the emergence of the Green Party. The authors discuss how the Green Party built its “brand” and, in so doing, ushered in a fundamental change in German politics and society. Andrei Markovits and Joseph Klaver more»

Article

Not All Votes Are Equal

- October 29, 2012 - The presidential election this year in the United States, like in many years before, is going to hinge on the outcome in just a couple of "swing states." Why is it that just a few jurisdictions in the country hold the keys to the White House, while other whole regions are largely irrelevant to presidential campaigns? What is the Electoral College and where did it come from? How could a modern democracy still maintain a system that is clearly anti-democratic? Is there any real possibility of reform?
Klaus Linsenmeier and Andrew Eberle more»

Democracy & Human Rights

Policy Paper

A Stable Afghanistan? Training Soldiers is Not Enough

April 26, 2013 - Western governments look like they are turning their back on Afghanistan after a decade of aid and assistance but this is a dangerous approach, as history shows. Sebastian Gräfe more»

Policy Paper

Afghanistan beyond 2014: Elections, Political Settlement, Reforms. Recommendations from Afghan Civil Society

- April 8, 2013 - As international troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, it is important to strengthen the civilian component of international assistance beyond 2014. The Heinrich Böll Stiftung and the Center for American Progress brought three Afghan civil society leaders for meetings with the U.S. administration and United Nations in February 2013. You can find their policy recommendations on the presidential elections in 2014, talks with the Taliban, and broader political reforms here ...
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Study

Afghanistan's Transition in the Making

- December 5, 2012 -

Afghanistan represents a very particular case of military intervention-cum-state-building-cum-democratization. Afghan women parliamentarians and civil society actors have positioned themselves against a complete withdrawal of the international community by 2014. Given the historical legacies and the role played by international intervention actors “good enough” does not seem to be an adequate response vis-à-vis the multi-faceted challenges and high stakes on the Afghan transition process.

Andrea Fleschenberg more»