Decentralization and Participatory Governance

1. 1 Decentralization and Participatory Governance John Anderson Centre for Social Justice and McMaster University Universitas capitalization study

2. 2 Fighting Urban Poverty Interrelation with fight against poverty in cities and decentralized participatory democracy The puzzle of poverty and democracy On the one hand, real democracy is impossible without an end to poverty On the other hand, we cannot fight poverty without democracy

3. 3 Two other important variables Local Economic Development Equity Programs for Women, Ethnic and racialized communities

4. 4 Three counter tendencies Privatization, deregulation and neo-liberal strategies: national and municipal utilities, health etc. Multinational corporate strategies e.g. Guelph and Walmart Free Trade NAFTA, FTAA and beyond

5. 5 Long history of decentralized democracy In North America Iroquois 6 nation confederacy Basis of participatory democracy Basis of federal system Harmony between federal and local State and the Nations

6. 6 Political Tradition World-wide traditions of community rule De Toqueville and municipal democracy; local liberal democracy Local Control of school boards, hospitals a tradition Various forms of Socialist Theory and Practice Co-operative Movement starting in 1844 in Rochdale Credit Union movement started in Quebec Alphonse Desjardins

7. 7 What was the essence of this tradition? Control over own lives and decisions affecting them Balance between local and national Antidote to hierarchical anti-democratic Capacity building means people running their own lives

8. 8 1995 Copenhagen Declarationon Social Development Democracy and transparent and accountable governance and administration Indispensable foundation for Social and people centred sustainable development

9. 9 Urban democratic governance needs all these elements Constitutional, Political, Fiscal,Judicial,Administrative Social, Economic, Cultural elements Democratic Industrial Relations and labour movements Critical cultural and educational institutions

10. 10 Let�s look first at decentralization�. There are two main parts to urban participatory democracy Decentralization and democracy One without the other is not complete But even the two together do not result in success without other elements

11. 11 Decentralization Need a political system which recognizes positive values in decentralization Unlike the Napoleonic bureaucratic system Federal, different types State/Provincial or Regional; Municipal/ Neighborhood Self-determination National Autonomy or even Independence: Nishga and Nunavut

12. 12 Dangers of Decentralization Hierarchy of transition Admin., fiscal, political.. the last (US model) Too much decentralization can weaken central states to the point of incapacity e.g. Canada Power of regions or national groups which are closer to foreign or corporate interests enhanced Co-operation purely technical nature e.g. city to city support No fiscal powers only political Rich and poor cities: no leveller

13. 13 Let�s look at the other essential: Participatory Governance Break with the Legal-Rational system of top down bureaucratic administration Foundation of Western as well as Chinese administration Weber called this �soulless steel cage�

14. 14 Problems with centralized bureaucratic administration Impersonal Hierarchical Universals or National merit suppresses local needs Often national or ethnic or religious groups suppressed as minorities

15. 15 What Core Values for PG ? Participation mechanisms Effective rates of representation Equality and equity: Gender, race, ethnicity, class Recognition of all neighbourhoods Accountability Transparency of choices and information Education around the issues Decision-making power Countervailing Institutions

16. 16 Problems with participatory governance Powers transferred without fiscal or financial power Toronto housing Richer cities or neighbourhoods benefit Often avoids crucial issues of class, gender, race and ethnicity, Avoids link with rural migration and return Cities need to be placed in the context of wider geographic entities No sustained participatory governance unless the lives of people improve and poverty is eliminated Economic and job creating strategy needed

17. 17 Can we combine? Decentralization and PG Decentralization without the �idiocy� of localities, without a national purpose and vision Local power without unequal regions where the richest regions insulate themselves from the poor Recognition of nations, national and racialized groups without returning to a complete Balkanization of the polity Participation that is real and meaningful

18. 18 Western democracies no great model Canada perhaps too decentralized, J-Y Morin Too centralized at the provincial level: power over cities No constitutional guarantee for cities No national autonomy as a right No widespread economic empowerment Public institutions bureaucratic and not democratic in general First past the post system

19. 19 Models of decentralized participatory governance: the base A political system where power is exercised not only at the central but a federal and municipal as well as neighbourhood Judicial and administrative reform in a decentralized sense Media and higher educational independence and the critical institutions

20. 20 More base.. Economic models include co-determination, co-operatives as well as Democratic public institutions such as hospitals, school boards Gender equality programmes Empowering workers and union rights Indigenous rights in a political sense

21. 21 New techniques of decentralized and participatory governance Participatory Budgets in Brazil Porto Alegre Kerala, India Alternative Budget experience in Canada Decentralized delivery of services e.g. CLSCs

22. 22 New Models of International Development Decentralized Co-operation Can help build urban PG Came as a result of cuts to international development Canada somewhere less than half of .7 of GDP Bosnia Herzegovina Atlas project 30 Italian cities PDHL local human development programmes WHO, ILO etc.

23. 23 International co-operation on the bases of decentralization City to City Region to Region Indigenous peoples Unions Co-operatives Public Sector

24. 24 Education and Countervailing Power Integrated Strategy around poverty and governance Key link in building a real decentralized participatory governance Capacity building Education and training on these issues Building the national and local countervailing institutions Allowing experimentation Maintaining local public, social and co-operative institutions against assault