=============================================================== IR+R NEWS - news about democratic reform, citizens' initiative, referendum, recall of elected officials. A service of Citizens' Initiative and Referendum I&R ~ GB ===============================================================
3) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
OR ETHICS LESSONS? Citizens' initiative
1) FROM A RECENT LETTER TO AN I&R ~ GB MEMBER
As you probably know, Douglas Carswell MP presented his "Citizens'
initiative (legislation)" bill* in the House of Commons a few weeks
ago.
Apparently in response to that the HoC library has produced a paper on
direct democracy, which is not bad.
I propose that we should attempt a campaign drive to influence input
into the coming debate on this bill -- the second reading was announced
for October 2008. You might wish to suggest an amendment for
veto-referenda. In addition I would like to see the "initiative" given
more bite ...;-)
More broadly, the time is ripe to step up the I&R ~ GB campaign.
Why now? Because people across the country are (a) in favour of the dd
principle (survey results) and (b) in recent years across the country
there has been an
impressive increase in (mostly local) citizen-initiatives which demand
referendum. One I&R ~ GB campaign strategy is to recruit active
volunteers. A plan for this can be found at a new/modified www
presentation available via the link "Contribute, work" on the front
page of INIREF.ORG. Volunteers for the various tasks could start to act
very soon -- please approach suitable candidates and spread the
information.
About your remark on elected mayors. We should try to convince mayors
and local councils to adopt I and R (and why not "recall" too). This
idea has been included in our past appeals for action in the run up to
local election. Of course, we need more people across the country to
start applying the ideas ...
*D Carswell's bill
Video http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/7375745.stm
Bill
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2007-08/citizensinitiativelegislation.html
Hansard
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080430/debtext/80430-0004.htm#08043089000003
2) MORE DEMOCRACY IN FRG: THE ECONOMIST, DER SPIEGEL
Recent articles which illustrate the growth of citizens' direct
democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Spiegel Online 25th April 2008
"Citizens' Participation and Direct Democracy, a research group at the
University of Marburg, has studied
the phenomenon and come up with statistics to corroborate the trend
toward citizens taking matters into
their own hands. In the mid-1990s there were fewer than 100 referendums
a year in Germany. Last year
there were about 300, with half of them ending in victory for the
rebels."
The Economist (print edition) Direct democracy in Germany: When voters
want a say
May 1st 2008
"Bavaria's ruling party, the Christian Social Union (Ed -- formerly an
opponent of direct democracy), credits direct democracy with giving
citizens a way to disagree with the government on single issues without
voting for the opposition. Tempelhof (Ed. Recent topic of a referendum,
Berlin's city airport) may close, but direct democracy will soldier on."
3) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OR ETHICS LESSONS?
In the city-state of Berlin, Germany, the citizens' initiative Pro Reli
proposes that school pupils should be able to choose to take either
ethics lessons or religious education lessons. The Land's government,
the Senat, prefers to maintain the status quo by retaining ethics as a
compulsory subject for all pupils and allowing those who wish to take
religion in addition.
In order to trigger a referendum which could overrule the Senat, Pro
Reli must within four months collect 170,000 endorsing signatures.
More detail: Religionsunterricht: Abgeordnetenhaus berät
über
Volksbegehren
http://www.welt.de/berlin/article2015157/Abgeordnetenhaus_beraet_ueber_Volksbegehren.html
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About I&R ~ GB
We advocate the introduction of direct democratic procedures such as
citizens' initiative, issue-ballot, referendum, and recall in the
countries of
Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. With over ten years' experience
we put forward proposals, provide campaign resources, offer to
provide
speakers, organise workshops and conferences.
Web site: http://www.iniref.org
Contact: info@iniref.org