OpenDemocracy.net and Club de Madrid to work together to promote Democracy for a Safer World

• Summit in Madrid to take place from March 8-11, 2005
• Citizen participation via the web site debate.safe-democracy.org

OpenDemocracy (www.opendemocracy.net), the online global magazine of politics and culture, and the Club de Madrid are to work together to promote the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security (www.safe-democracy.org), taking place in Madrid from March 8-11 2005.

More than 50 former and current Heads of State and Government, decision and policy makers, world experts on terrorism and security and citizens from around the world will participate in the forum, taking place one year after ten bombs exploded on four trains during the busy rush hour in Madrid.

OpenDemocracy will put its expertise in participatory politics to use by creating a worldwide online debate in advance of the Summit. The debate will be based around the goal of learning, discussing and investigating democratic responses to the increasing threat of global terrorism and the lack of domestic security. In addition, OpenDemocracy has launched the website http://debate.safe-democracy.org/ which people around the world can use to arrange their own private meetings on March 11, where they can discuss the ways in which civil society can respond to threats of terror with family, friends and colleagues.

Speaking from OpenDemocracy's London office, editor Anthony Barnett said: "The Club of Madrid is doing a great thing in hosting the Madrid Summit and developing principles to assist citizens around the world. OpenDemocracy is happy to do all it can to widen the Madrid debate and calls on everyone to discuss these issues for themselves."

According to Kim Campbell, Former Prime Minister of Canada and Club de Madrid's General Secretary: "Our idea is to broaden the reach of our Summit to include as many ideas as possible. Having the ability to gather information from the on-line community will add value to our discussions, and permit input from people not physically at the Summit"

Further Information

About the Conference
The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security is a non-partisan event, which aims to unite all democratic forces from across the political spectrum. Since terrorism is a global phenomenon which requires a global response, it is our objective to provide an international forum to debate fresh ideas, stimulating dialogue and comparative learning.

About the Club of Madrid
The Club of Madrid is an independent organisation whose purpose and priority is to contribute to strengthening democracy in the world. It stimulates, promotes and conducts initiatives and activities and participates in projects seeking this objective. The Club of Madrid acts as a consultative body for governments, democratic leaders, and institutions involved in processes of democratic transition. The personal and practical experience of its members —44 former heads of state and government— in processes of democratic transition and consolidation is the Club of Madrid's unique resource. Along with the experience and cooperation of other high level political practitioners and governance experts, this resource is a working tool to convert ideas into practical and feasible recommendations and action plans for implementation. The President of the Club of Madrid is Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil. The Secretary General is Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada. www.clubmadrid.org

About openDemocracy.net
OpenDemocracy.net is an online global magazine of politics and culture. We publish clarifying debates which help people make up their own minds. We seek the finest writing, the strongest arguments, the most compelling views and truthful voices on key issues, great and small. We use the web’s potential to build and map intelligent discussions which we accumulate and index in our back pages which now include over 1,500 articles. Written by and for people across the world, from South and North, from the powerless to the influential, we seek to bring together those who are not well-known with writers and thinkers of international repute.

For more information:

www.safe-democracy.org

Media Contact:
Andrew Hazell or Isabel Luque
Tel: 34 91 131 9570 or 600905483
e-mail:

www.opendemocracy.net

Media Contact:
Chloe Davies
23-25 Great Sutton St London EC1V ODN-UK
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