This provides an application of the G-Watch monitoring in human rights compliance, particularly on the right to vote of the detainees (or PDLs, Persons Deprived of Liberties).
The Bayanihang Eskwela Manual provides its readers a clearer idea of how a community-based monitoring of school building projects (SBPs) using the G-Watch approach is done from preparation to the result of the monitoring, the response of concerned agencies on the identified issues and challenges and the feedback of stakeholders.
G-Watch Localization aims to engage the local level to develop a G-Watch application that is attuned to local context and realities. It takes into account the decentralized policy context, the situation and condition of citizen participation in local governance, the nature and practice of the local government unit and the backdrop of socio-cultural realities prevalent and strong at the local area like primacy of kinship, prevalence of patronage and machismo, to name a few. It situates itself in the areas of monitoring and evaluation which remains weak despite the mandated avenues for citizen participation due to sheer lack of resources for it, the lack of capability and its seeming lack of urgency in comparison to other concerns.
The implication on this seemingly innocent case of misallocation of projects is arguably a vicious cycle of social injustice where those who in need are further deprived because of their condition of un-having, of not having project pre-requisites such as roads, electricity, land, numbers; while those who have enough or have more are given more because of the condition of having, of being accessible, conducive and having the numbers that bring votes.
The key of the past not repeating itself is us. We know this in our hearts and it is great that there are a lot of us who have taken the challenge of being the difference to make a difference. If we factor in ourselves and be one of the variables that will change the tide, then perhaps, change has a chance. In doing so, we need to dare ourselves to be more. This is the clear lesson from history. We need to do our part and yes, there are good signs that we will.
The news that the FOI Bill failed was frustrating, but it should serve as a wake up call. Not only that we must make power accountable, we must reconstitute power; for as it is now, the power configuration in our society only allows limited reforms and hardly any radical changes. Important legislations that deepen democracy by giving more power to the people and making the exercise of power more accountable like the FOI Bill will hardly have a chance and our toil to make a difference will be more of the same without making any difference in the existing power structure. This is why it is most critical that while we continue our governance work now, we do not lose sight of the important task of developing our political party system, continuing the political engagement with the new administration and creating a reform-oriented context for the next elections through electoral reform and political education.
PoP 2010 is a data pooling initiative of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) that aims to arm the citizens with facts and data on candidates for and selected critical issues relevant to the 2010 elections, thereby, facilitating and empowering their engagement as political actors during elections.
Citizen Reform Agenda 2010 or CReforms 2010 is a consultation process initiated by the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) through its PODER program that aims to bring together the broadest possible representation of citizen organizations in the country to identify key reform agenda or issues that candidates and political parties must address for the 2010 elections.
The study is a cause-and-effect analysis on election-related violence in Nueva Ecija. It seeks to explain the situation of election-related violence in the said province by adopting a action research that looks into its causes and implications, as well as the definitions and types of election-related violence that are present in the province.
The study is a cause-and-effect analysis on election-related violence in Abra, which focuses on three possible causal factors: historical, socio-cultural and institutional. It utilizes three analytical lenses or perspectives, namely institutional analysis, power analysis and socio-cultural analysis.
The spirit of Bayanihan is what this project tries to revive, the spirit of being part of a community, of cooperation, of caring for others. This is what we try to reclaim—the meaning of Bayanihan that has evolved from a simple act of neighbors carrying a whole house of a relocating family to a process of nation-building through people’s empowerment and good governance.
This is a message that says everything is not lost after all. There are shimmers of light, patches of green, light at the end of the tunnel or however you call it that means there is hope. EDSA 1 and 2 were acts of Bayanihan. The fights against social injustice are acts of Bayanihan. And though sporadic, they continue even up to present.
However, while acts of resistance do occur simultaneously at various points of the social system, these actions (to be truly effective) require various instruments of resistance—such as local associations, civic organizations, social movements and even political parties. But a party is just one among a variety instruments that would have to be used in the struggle for democracy and socialism. This is so since the party must not be allowed to permeate all aspects of a person’s life, nor can it be seen as the most appropriate vehicle in addressing issues concerning “life politics.”
Such a situation would therefore have a profound impact on our understanding of a political party, for it would no longer have to be viewed as the vanguard of the masses and pivot of revolution, but as mere participant in a still on-going global discourse.
This is an attempt to superimpose the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to the Social Accountability approach of G-Watch.
This chapter will search for an aspect of political parties that can explain the mal-development of party politics in the country, and can provide a feasible point of reference for party reform measures.
This paper aims to put together the thinking, discussions and debates of the reform-minded societal groups on the proposed Political Party Reform Bill based on the activities initiated by the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in the Philippines.
This paper explores the pros and cons of a people’s initiative, by revisiting the attempts of PIRMA and Sigaw ng Bayan, and examining the barriers to making it operational and applicable.
This paper offers more assurance of legislative oversight in a soft state with a tendency towards heavy-handed presidency.
This provides reflection paper on the Partisan Civil Society discussion series, arguing the case for political party building in the Philippines.
This latest edition presents updated stories of former Governor Josie dela Cruz of Bulacan, Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Governor Grace Padaca of Isabela, all of whom have lead successful campaigns in the 2007 elections.