Democratic mundialization

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Mundialization is the name of one of the movements aiming at democratic globalization.

Democratic globalisation is the concept of an institutional system of global democracy that would give world citizens a say in world organizations. This would, in the view of its proponents, bypass nation-states, corporate entities, NGOs, etc.

[edit] Purpose

Proponents state that democratic globalization's purpose is to:

expand mundialization in a different way to economic globalization and "make people closer, more united and protected" though what this means in practice is only vaguely defined.
have it reach all fields of activity and knowledge, not only the economic one, even if that one is crucial to develop the well-being of world citizens. This implies some intervention not only in the economic and political life of the individual but also in their access to culture and education.
give world citizens a democratic access (e.g., presidential voting for United Nations Secretary-General by citizens and direct election of members of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly) and a say to those global activities.

[edit] Global democracy

Mundialization also includes asking about Global Democracy, this is, global votings to elect the world leaders (specially, presidential elections for UN General Secretary) and more democracy in international organizations (i.e. United Nations Parliament). Thus, it supports the International Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, that would allow for participation of member nations' legislators and, eventually, direct election of United Nations (UN) parliament members by citizens worldwide.

[edit] Difference to anti-globalization

Supporters of the democratic globalization movement draw a distinction between their movement and the one most popularly known as the 'anti-globalization' movement, claiming that their movement avoids ideological agenda about economics and social matters although, in practice, it is often difficult to distinguish between the two camps. Democratic globalization supporters state that the choice of political orientations should be left to the world citizens, via their participation in world democratic institutions and direct vote for world presidents (see presidentialism).

Some supporters of the "anti-globalization movement" do not necessarily disagree with this position. For example, George Monbiot, normally associated with the anti-globalization movement (who prefers the term Global Justice Movement) in his work Age of Consent has proposed similar democratic reforms of most major global institutions, suggesting direct democratic elections of such bodies by citizens, and suggests a form of "federal world government."

[edit] Procedure

Democratic globalization, proponents claim, would be reached by creating democratic global institutions and changing international organizations (which are currently intergovernmental institutions controlled by the nation-states), into global ones controlled by voting by the citizens. The movement suggests to do it gradually by building a limited number of democratic global institutions in charge of a few crucial fields of common interest. Its long term goal is that these institutions federate later into a full-fledged democratic world government.

And they propose the creation of world services for citizens, like world civil protection and prevention (from natural hazards) services.

[edit] Proponents

One of its most prolific proponents is the British political thinker David Held. In the last decade he published a dozen books regarding the spread of democracy from territorially defined nation states to a system of global governance that encapsulates the entire universe.

Jim Stark has initiated a process for a Democratic World Government through a Global Referendum. As of July 10, 2008, 9,305 individuals have voted in favor the initiative (93.28% of the total votes) through an online ballot at voteworldgovernment.org.