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.