Nurturing government-citizen dialogue in the Asia-Pacific

News from the Field, 24 February 2012

In parts of the Asia-Pacific region, traditional systems of representative democracy continue to face serious challenges. Citizens in some countries are increasingly disillusioned with their governments -- citing problems of lack of legitimacy, transparency and accountability. There appears to be a deep and widening chasm between the governing and the governed, leading to mutual mistrust and inadequate opportunities for meaningful dialogue, negotiation and collaboration.

This is why UNDEF funds DG Dialogue, a project in the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen dialogue between citizens and the state. The project has developed and tested a training module throughout the region and established a network of civic education practitioners.  In 2011 the organizers held a national workshop in Kathmandu to customize dialogue, followed by the trialling of new democratic governance activities in remote Doti District, northwest Nepal. Training sessions and workshops have been held in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere. Implemented by the Australian Electoral Commission, the initiative works to bring together citizens and government representatives into a shared and “safe” space; support opportunities for joint reflection and learning; mediate conflict and building trust; guide and facilitate dialogue and joint action planning; support the ongoing implementation of concrete collective actions, and create an ever-expanding pool of trained local facilitators to support processes of democratic dialogue in the long term