|
ECREA launches book on democracy |
|
|
|
|
Written by admin
|
|
Wednesday, 11 February 2009 |
The Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA) will be launching a book on Thinking about democracy today, written by Fr. Kevin Barr. It will be launched by the former Interim Minster for Labour and Environment, Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau. The launch will be at the ECREA office, 189 Rt. Sukuna Rd. from 12:00 midday on Tuesday 22nd January 2008.
Fr. Kevin Barr in this book said “The military takeover of a democratically elected government in Fiji on the 5th December 2006 has given rise to a number of questions about the nature and meaning of democracy”
He added that “Following the strident calls (both inside and outside of Fiji) for a prompt return to democracy after the military takeover in December 2006, I decided to take a closer look at democracy as practiced in today’s world and I was very surprised at what I discovered. My reflections and readings on democracy raised a lot of very important questions for me. My eyes were opened and I became very critical of my former simplistic assumptions. While I think democracy is an ideal worth striving for, I think we all need to be very critical about how democracy is practiced in today’s world – especially by those who think they have the best models to offer us”
The book also contains questions about the type of democracy that Fiji wants to return to, also the type of economic policies that we as nation have to follow as participatory and be people-centered.
Fr. Barr also stated, “Rather than blindly push for a quick return to “democracy” (as we have known it in the past), we need to re-think what democracy is all about and see how we can build a society which is just, compassionate and inclusive”
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Savu Tawake on 3307588 or email info[at]ecrea.org.fj
|
News