This document discusses the role of access to information in building economic and social democracy. It argues that true democracy comes from empowering citizens and popular participation, not just representative models. While representative democracy has issues like corporate influence, inequality, and environmental crises, examples from history and around the world show a resurgence of "democracy from below" through activism, social movements, and participatory institutions. The document advocates strengthening these types of grassroots democratic practices in South Africa, such as solidarity economy networks, climate justice campaigns, and utilizing public libraries as community hubs of information and dialogue.

1. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
DEMOCRACY – THE ROLE OF
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Dr. Vishwas Satgar
WITS Academic
Cooperative and Policy Alternative
Center, Board Chairperson

2. Introduction
Historically
significant social
changes taking
place in the world
Also major threats
to species and
planet
20 years of SA
Democracy – But
when did it start?
Interchangeable
use of economic
and social
democracy with
democracy from
below.

3. What Democracy Is Not?
• Democracy is not a text book model. 3 problems
• (I) models are mechanical and an imposition on reality;
• (II) all about elite representative democracy – democracy
from above – western standard
• (III) We must copy
• BUT

4. What is Democracy?
• At its core it is about peoples power!
• Different institutional forms of democracy –
representative, direct, participatory and rights based
• Historically humans have invented democracy out of struggle –
ancients – 2500 year ago Athens and modern democracy
coming out of French Revolution (1789)
• History of inventing modern democracy is about struggle
between democracy from above (representative) versus
democracy from below ( direct, participatory and rights). Ideally
want both contending to brings citizens into politics and
decision-making

5. Trends and Dangers of Democracy from
Above (representative democracy)
• Increasing reach, power and influence of private
corporations over the state and society – hollowing out
democracy- What is the meaning of elections?
• Growing inequality in the world – social conflict
• Deepening ecological crisis – trapped in ‘carbon
democracy’ and heading for climate and ecological
breakdown
• But: Don’t Lose Hope!

6. Global Awakening

7. The Come Back of Democracy From
Below
• Transnational Activist Direct Action – Seatle 1999
• Worker Take Overs and Factory Occupations – Argentina 2001
• Arab Spring - 2011
• Occupy Wall Street - 2011
• Indignados in Spain - 2011
• Peoples Decentralisation and Participatory Budgetting in
Kerala, India and Brazil
• Brazilian Street marches - 2013

8. The State of SA Democracy

9. Way Forward – Strengthen Impulse to
Build Democracy From Below
• Solidarity Economy Movement (SEM) and Food
Sovereignty
• Achieving Climate Justice -Climate Jobs Campaign and
Socially Owned Renewables
• Marikana and Worker Committees
• Assemblies of the Excluded

10. SEM and Food Sovereignty

11. Climate Jobs Campaign and Socially
Owned Renewables

12. Marikana and Worker Committees

13. Assemblies of the Excluded

14. The Information Connection – Embedding the
Library and Advancing Democracy from Below
• The Library as a space of Community Empowerment –
seminars, teach ins, information portal
• As platform of Community Dialogue – exhibitions, book
launches, documentary screenings, supporting
community media production like newsletters, pamphlets
• As a place for fostering a culture of learning – community
education forums

15. Invite to Liasa
• Join the emerging social and environmental justice
coalition to strengthen and deepen democracy -20 years
democracy initiative
• Join with COPAC and the national food sovereignty
campaign to advance food sovereignty in communities –
zero hunger in South Africa!

16. Thank You for Listening and Engaging
• Dr. Vishwas Satgar
• Email: vishwas.satgar @wits.ac.za
• Useful websites:
• www.copac.org.za
• www.amandla.org.za