Press Release: Handbook Launch at IULA Congress

International IDEA to Launch Handbook on Local Democracy at the IULA Congress

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International IDEA will launch its new publication, Democracy at the Local Level - International IDEA’s Handbook on Participation, Representation, Conflict Management and Governance, at the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) Congress in Río de Janeiro, Brazil 3-6 May 2001.

In today’s globalizing world, there is growing emphasis on local democracy. More than ever, cities need new ideas for ways of managing the political challenges and opportunities that arise from increased urbanization and globalization. Governing effectively at the local level is all the more urgent as vigorous local civic engagement builds the foundation for a strong and more enduring national-level democracy.

Organized in six chapters and written by experts from around the world, the new International IDEA Handbook offers:

• Practical suggestions for designing systems of local governance
  
• Principles and policies for managing culturally diverse cities
  
• Choices for enhancing local elections and representative democracy
  
• Options for expanding citizen participation
  
• Recommendations for the international community for enhancing local democracy

Launch

The Handbook will be launched at the IULA Congress in Río de Janeiro, 4 May at 14:00 -14:30 in the session “Practicing Local Democracy”. Keynote speaker will be the President of IULA, Maximo MM Ng'andwe.

“With this Handbook, International IDEA has made a lasting contribution to our endeavour to govern ourselves with dignity and with respect for our fellow citizens. All those, like me, who greatly value and cherish democracy at the local level owe International IDEA a great debt of gratitude for this contribution”, says IULA President Maximo MM Ng'andwe. “I encourage all those who want to contribute to the empowerment of people to read this book”.

Full text of the Handbook will be available 3 May here on International IDEA’s website.

For more information, contact:

Igor Koryakov
Programme Officer, International IDEA
Tel: +46 8 698 3751, Fax: +46 8 202422, E-mail: i.koryakov@idea.int