The World Movement for Democracy meets February 1 to 4, 2004 in Durban, South Africa for its Third Assembly.
"Building Democracy for Peace, Development and Human Rights is the theme of the Assembly which will take place at the International Convention Center in Durban".
More than 600 democracy activists, practitioners and scholars from over 100 countries including Pakistan, will discuss practical solutions to a wide range of challenges.
Akhlaq Ahmed, Chairman Pakistan Diploma Engineers Federation, Co-Chairman Saarc Diploma Engineer Forum and Chairman Technical Committee of Pakistan National Textile Garment Workers Federation (PNTGLWF), will attend this meet from Pakistan and present paper on "Role of new technology, media, e-mail and internet to promote democracy."
In more than 10 workshops, participants will speak on a variety of topics including "how to expand and strengthen democracy in their countries and regions," "how to strengthen civic groups, political parties and the media"; "how to increase accountability of political institutions," and "how to use civic education and culture" as means of promoting democratic values.
Other areas of discussion include increasing women's participation, the challenges of working in conflict-ridden societies and transitional justice among other.
Three South African partner organisations - the African Center, for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Center for Policy Studies (CPS) and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa are working with the World Movement Secretariat to organise the Assembly.
Initiated in 1999 to "strengthen democracy where it is weak to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is long standing, and to bolster pro-democracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition.
The World Movement is a global network that meets periodically to exchange ideas and experiences and uses new information and communication technologies to foster collaboration among democratic forces around the world.
It is governed by a distinguished International Steering Committee, and the Washington DC-Based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) currently serves as its Secretariat.