The Local Democracy Conference, set for 11 February in Istanbul, Turkey, is poised to spotlight the transformative power of participatory democracy, drawing from global examples and local aspirations for a more inclusive governance model.
Opening the event will be Unity for Democracy (DİB) spokesman and former European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judge Rıza Türmen, who, in a recent article, underscored the critical role of upcoming local elections in fostering a participatory democracy that empowers citizens at the grassroots level.
Türmen’s insights offer a compelling vision for the conference, aiming to draft a roadmap towards a governance model that is not only democratic but also inclusive and responsive to the needs of the community.
He advocates for a shift away from centralised power structures, urging for the redefinition of local-central relations to enable genuine local autonomy. “The upcoming local elections present a significant opportunity to initiate a ‘democratisation’ process, offering a new vision for Turkey based on participatory democracy,” Türmen stated.
Echoing the spirit of successful participatory governance models, like those in Porto Alegre, Brazil and the transformational leadership of Julio Chavez in Torres, Venezuela, Türmen emphasised the potential of local governance to radically reshape political engagement and community empowerment. “These examples of participatory democracy practices show an end to the alienation of people from politics, transforming public assemblies into schools of citizenship and trust,” he noted.
The conference aspires to articulate the foundational principles of a people-centric, democratic local governance system, prioritising equality, freedom and pluralism. Calling for the creation of institutional arrangements that foster participatory budgeting and the devolution of powers to local entities, Türmen added, “Participatory budgeting is the fuel of participatory democracy. Without it, the engine of democracy cannot start”.
Türmen’s reflections serve as a guiding framework for the conference, aiming to catalyse a movement towards a more democratic and inclusive Turkey. The conference will establish five workshops under the themes “Democratic Restructuring of Local-Central Relations”, “Urban Rights”, “Ecological Local Governments”, “Populist Socialist Local Governance”, and “The City for Everyone”. This initiative comes in response to perceived government efforts to undermine public influence by appointing trustees to replace elected local officials or by imposing financial and administrative constraints.
The preparatory meetings highlighted the government’s attempts to enforce a system where the public lacks authority over their living spaces and future, through increased oppression and removing local leaders from power. The workshops will draw inspiration from various resistance movements across the country, starting with the Gezi Park protests, to defend living spaces and learn from participatory local governance models like the Fatsa municipality in Turkey.
