Democracy Initiative through Sustainable Community Discussions (DISCUSS)
(Please note that this is a closed, archived program.)
(May 2003)
On July 27, 2003, Cambodian citizens will go to the polls to vote for National Assembly members, thus marking the third election of this kind since 1991. Previous elections have been marred by biased election officials, unequal media access, violence, and intimidation. In addition, Cambodia's elections have focused on voting for parties rather than issues. This has created a gap in the democratic process whereby the elected officials are not held accountable to core development issues important to Cambodian citizens.
It is essential that Cambodian political parties participate effectively in the electoral process and improve the overall political environment surrounding the upcoming 2003 national elections. To support this goal, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) will organize multi-party activities, such as debates and public forums, to provide candidates with an equal platform from which to present their views to the public. Part of NDI's success will depend upon the ability of Cambodian citizens to actively engage candidates in discussing priority development issues rather than being passive voters.
Pact's Approach
Pact has developed a methodology called Democracy Initiative through Sustainable Community Discussions (DISCUSS) that engages local communities in determining priorities for development. This methodology trains local NGO partners in a community facilitation process whereby the community identifies major shortcomings in development, and also challenges them to identify solutions.
DISCUSS builds on the opportunities of decentralization by bringing democratic dialogue to the local level. The approach engages local NGOs, CBOs and community members as catalysts in a process that supports discussions about local issues and action. Through DISCUSS, NGOs/CBOs organize community meetings, facilitate focused discussions and work with communities to develop action plans to address local issues/problems.
Results
Pact trained 12 NGO partners in the DISCUSS methodology to facilitate village level discussions on local issues and concerns; the information will be used to guide candidate debates in local districts leading up to the national elections as funded by NDI through USAID. The total number of discussions has reached over 2500 villagers throughout the country. This is the first time that the needs of villagers will have been taken into consideration into the parliamentary election campaign debates. The process initiated by Pact empowers villagers to play a more active role in demanding issue-based political platforms for the July 27th elections.
