UBC Democracy Research Network

Throughout the 1990s, however, subtler threats to democracy began to emerge.

We are the Andean Democracy Research Network, a pilot project initially funded by the Glyn Berry Program in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada, and more recently by the Ford Foundation. Project Abstract
Latin America’s history of coups, protests, guerrilla movements, and violent oscillations between democratic and authoritarian regimes appeared to culminate in the 19

80s with dramatic and remarkably enduring transitions to democracy. In the hope of reinforcing the unprecedented wave of democratization, and preventing backsliding into crisis and authoritarian rule, the Organization of American States (OAS), adopted a resolution in 1991 (General Assembly Resolution #1080) that made democracy a condition of membership in the region’s principal multilateral institution. Elected leaders like Alberto Fujimori in Peru, Jorge Serrano in Guatemala, or Carlos Menem in Argentina, acted in ways that seemed to violate basic constitutional and democratic principles, such as the separation of powers and due process, and in some cases the deterioration of democracy made it impossible to hold free and fair elections. In response to events in Peru in 2000, in particular, the members of the OAS created the Inter-American Democratic Charter (IADC, see OAS, 2001) in the hope of establishing a consensus around what it means to be a democracy in the Western Hemisphere. Yet the Democratic Charter neither drew a clear line between democratic and non-democratic regimes (failing to enunciate explicitly what would count as a “unconstitutional interruption or alteration of the democratic order”), nor created effective mechanisms of enforcement within the OAS. In a meeting held at UBC in 2002, a group of experts from across the hemisphere proposed two initiatives: first, the formation of a high-level group of leaders who would become “Friends of the Charter” to promote the more proactive and preventative use of the Charter as an instrument of diplomacy and, second, to create a research network to monitor and report on the state of democracy both for academic purposes-research and publications-and to encourage evidence-based policy-making. On behalf of the newly-launched Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI), Max Cameron and Mark Warren initiated discussions with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) to determine whether the policy-makers in Canada and the OAS support the development of research network for democracy monitoring. This resulted in a “Fast Talk” consultation and a final report that supports the idea of democracy reporting outside the OAS, conducted by independent experts and civil society organizations, based as much as possible within the Latin American region. The mechanism would be organized by the CSDI at UBC, which would assume responsibility for convening an initial meeting of experts and a pilot project on the Andean sub-region. Given the fraught political environment in the Western Hemisphere today, especially the tensions between the United States and Venezuela, and the polarization created by the region’s tilt toward the left, this project strongly emphasizes: (1) academic neutrality (all research will aim at peer-reviewed publications in top journals and university presses); (2) an arms-length relationship with government and the OAS; no funding from sources that implicate the project in bilateral disputes; (3) a strong dedication to generating research from the region with UBC’s role as convener and quality-control guarantor and (4) a willingness to examine the broader dimensions of democratization, including participation and inclusion, rather than an exclusive institutional focus. Initial funding was received from the Martha Piper Fund at UBC and the Glyn Berry Program in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in the Government of Canada to convene the first meeting of experts, in Lima in December 2007, to: (1) bring together scholars from across the hemisphere working in distinct areas of democratization research to discuss key concepts, measures, and indicators of diverse dimensions of democracy; (2) compare and evaluate data and methodologies that have been developed to measure, monitor, and assess the state of democracy in diverse regions; and (3) outline a conceptual and analytical framework for a pilot project on the Andean sub-region.

Behind & Beyond the Reform Act | Centre for the Study of Democratic...

04/22/2014

TODAY!! Join us for conversation w/ on proposed Reform Act , Anne McLellan! http://ow.ly/w3jZM

Behind & Beyond the Reform Act | Centre for the Study of Democratic... RSVP here! April 22nd: Join us for a conversation with MP Michael Chong, The Honourable Anne McLellan, Alison Loat (Samara), and Stewart Prest (UBC...

The "Street Strategy" Deepening Venezuela's Troubles

03/07/2014

Jennifer McCoy & Michael McCarthy in The National Interest on Venezuela: http://ow.ly/umLUd

The "Street Strategy" Deepening Venezuela's Troubles () On this first anniversary of Hugo Chávez’s death and in the wake of the sudden collapse of the Ukrainian government, predictions are swirling...

LASA Forum: “New Institutions for Participatory Democracy in Latin...

02/19/2014

Two articles in LASA Forum that draw on our book, "New Institutions for Participatory Democracy in Latin America": http://ow.ly/tNz8T

LASA Forum: “New Institutions for Participatory Democracy in Latin... The Latin American Studies Association’s publication, LASA Forum, has published two articles that draw on CSDI’s Democracy Research Network’s book...

08/16/2013

Introducing the next generation of democratic leaders in Canada.

Group portrait: Summer Institute for Future Legislators
Place: Legislature, Victoria
Date: 10 August 2013

Citizenship & Democratic Participation: Book Launch | Centre for the...

03/06/2013

The current situation in Venezuela will make for a lively discussion at today's event on participatory democracy in Latin America. Join us at 12:15pm: http://ow.ly/istiE

Citizenship & Democratic Participation: Book Launch | Centre for the... Join us on March 6th! Copies of the books will be available.

Ow.ly - POSTER FEB 2.pdf uploaded by @DRN_UBC

01/24/2013

Human Rights and mining issues in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Feb 2, 9:30am-2:30pm @ St. Mary's Kerrisdale (W. 37th & Larch). Speakers: Jose Oswaldo Lopez, Dr. Andrea Mann, and Rev. Emilie Smith. http://ow.ly/d/10TC

Ow.ly - POSTER FEB 2.pdf uploaded by @DRN_UBC Download and share POSTER FEB 2.pdf uploaded by and hosted by Ow.ly

11/05/2012

Join us Nov 8th! Helen Mack Chang lecture, "Defending Human Rights" http://ow.ly/f2E3q http://ow.ly/i/15YJG

10/17/2012

Join us for this special event at MOA entitled, Current Affairs in Peru: Commodities, Conflict and Democracy.

When: October 30th, 6-8pm
Where: Museum of Anthropology, 6393 NW Marine Drive.

As part of the current exhibit, "Luminescence: the Silver of Peru" program, come join the conversation with Ronald Wright (Historian, novelist, essayist) and Jonathan Manthrope (International Affairs columnist, Vancouver Sun) with Maxwell Cameron (UBC Political Science) and Fabiola Bazo (Adjunct Professor, SFU).

Why Don't (More) Good People Enter Politics?

12/10/2011

See the complete video of the conference hosted by our Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI). While our research network focuses on the challenges of democracy in the South, it's nice to take a moment to look at ourselves and reflect on the serious challenges we face up North:

Why Don't (More) Good People Enter Politics? "Why Don't (More) Good People Enter Politics?", a playlist created by UBCDemocracy

12/06/2011

Celac is shielded against coup attempts - Daily News - EL UNIVERSAL The democratic clause does not provide for independence of powers

11/07/2011

A little background on a conference at UBC later this month.

Why don’t (more) good people go into politics (and what can be done about it)? The following note was prepared for an upcoming conference at the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, at UBC, on November 24-25, 2011. THE QUESTION TO ASK “Why don’t more good people want to go into politics?” I put this question to Mike Harcourt, former Premier of BC, over...

Temo que Humala termine como Obama | Larepublica.pe

09/18/2011

On the prospects that Humala will stay the course...

Temo que Humala termine como Obama | Larepublica.pe El canadiense Maxwell Cameron es uno de los principales estudiosos norteamericanos de la política latinoamericana y, en particular, de la peruana (lo que significa que casi nunca se aburre). En esta entrevista, expresa su convencimiento de que Ollanta Humala se ha alejado del camino chavista pero, a...

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Centre For The Study Of Democratic Institutions, Political Science Department, The University Of British Columbia, C425-1866 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
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UBC Democracy Research Network

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