ParlAmericas participated in a seminar hosted by the University of British Columbia on the Inter-American Democratic Charter
In preparation for the upcoming IX Summit of the Americas, ParlAmericas contributed to the Round table on the Inter-American Democratic Charter: Learning through dialogue with academics, civil society, and democratic leaders, hosted by the Department of Political Science & School of Public Policy and Global Affairs of the University of British Columbia.
Senator Rosa Galvez (Canada), 2nd Vice-President of the ParlAmericas Board and President of the Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PNCC), participated in the panel alongside academics from the University of Pennsylvania (USA), Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico), Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil), and the University of British Columbia (Canada), who presented case studies on relevant democracy issues from the hemisphere. Moreover, Andrew Stevenson, Special Advisor at the Summits of the Americas Secretariat, addressed the linkages between the IX Summit and the Democratic Charter.
During her presentation, Senator Galvez expressed her perspective on the role parliaments have in building strong and inclusive democracies, and the manner in which parliamentarians are integrating an intersectional perspective to achieve an equitable and sustainable future: “In order to restore political confidence it is clear that we need to make sure that all decisions are transparent, evidence-based, and we need to improve mechanisms for citizen participation on public issues, update social protection systems, transform production and consumption models under sustainable paradigms, and curb the negative effects of climate change. As we start to consider the perspectives of others, especially from those populations that have been traditionally marginalized, we can start making systemic changes that get at the root of the problems that our societies face”.
This presentation was part of the pre-Summit of the Americas activities that ParlAmericas is undertaking to engage parliamentarians in discussions with stakeholders, including civil society and academia, on the themes of the Ninth Summit of the Americas centring on Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future. Hosted by the United States of America, the IX Summit will take place this year in Los Angeles from June 6-10, and ParlAmericas, as part of its institutional mandate, will support parliamentary engagement with the process.
