VISION That all people have equal opportunity to participate in public decision-making processes that are appropriate, accessible and responsive to their aspirations.   PURPOSE The primary purpose of the Pacific Centre for Participatory Democracy is to identify good practice and effective processes for increasing public access to and participation in democratic systems.   OBJECTIVES 1. To contribute to a measurable increase in transparency, predictability and accountability in democratic systems in the Pacific region; 2. To contribute to a measurable increase in the capability and capacity of civil society organisations to monitor public decision-making plans, processes and outcomes in the Pacific region; 3. To contribute to the identification of both trans-cultural and culturally-specific mechanisms for increasing public participation in decision-making processes.	MODALITIES The Pacific Centre for Participatory Democracy: - Facilitates events and promotes dialogue on issues pertaining to good governance and democratic participation in decision-making by people from cultural, linguistic and ethnic minority groups; - Conducts, collates and promotes empirically-based research on good-practice in public policy decision-making processes; - Provides training and technical assistance to governmental, private and non-governmental organisations in areas related to the Centre's expertise; - Facilitates access to and exchange of ideas and experiences with individuals and organisations within and outside the Pacific region; - Accesses, develops and promotes a range of initiatives, resources and tools for stakeholders to use in their organisational structures and systems.   CORE BUSINESS Our key work has been facilitating events for civil society training to monitor government, business and NGO practices (issues of independence, evidence, etc.) as well as promoting best-practice within public and private/non-governmental organisations and communities for participatory decision-making.   PRIORITY ISSUES Participation of cultural, linguistic and religious minorities in public decision-making processes. Transparency, consistency and predictability in public decision-making processes. Participatory decision-making processes in civil society organisations and communities. Culturally-specific decision-making processes & trans-cultural processes.	VALUES The Pacific Centre for Participatory Democracy aims to uphold a set of aspirational principles that govern the priorities and operation of the organisation. 1. Participation: The PCPD exists not to represent the interests of individuals or groups, but to provide accurate, appropriate and accessible information on mechanisms and processes for improving equitable access to and influence on public decision-making; 2. Fairness & Equity: The rights of minority groups and those excluded from representative election processes to fair representation and the protection of basic human rights are intrinsic to the principles of democracy. All citizens have the right to fair representation and full participation in the political, social and economic systems within which they exist; 3. Lawfulness: In general laws made by democratic systems are inherently flawed if they have not been constructed and enacted with the full participation of all people that will be affected by the implementation of those laws. While the laws of states represent a framework within which activities can take place, they usually reflect the priorities of the social groups who dominate and control the economic, political and military apparatus of the state. If a piece of legislation or statute is considered unjust it is moral to break the law, however if it is deemed just then it can be useful to work within the legal framework established in a society as the most commonly accepted set of rules governing activity in that society. This should always be considered in light of lore and customary laws of different cultural groups that have legitimacy within that cultural system but may not necessarily have been adopted by other groups within a wider jurisdiction. 4. Diversity: Diversity and respect for difference is essential to the well-being of human society. The diversity of cultural practices, languages and world-views make infinite and intangible contributions to the breadth and depth of the human condition, the way we relate to one another, how we understand spiritual and metaphysical dimensions and the ways in which we relate to the natural environment. 5. Accountability: PCPD has accountability for its activities to the investors who entrust resources with the organisation to pursue shared goals. Accountability for activities of the organisation should also be expected by the intended beneficiaries of the PCPD - reasonable questions should be asked of people with responsibility for making decisions on the allocation of available resources to identified priorities. Openness, transparency & integrity are all indivisible from the notion of accountability and we are always looking for ways to improve these. 6. Quality: The PCPD is committed to high quality information collection, collation and dissemination. Robust products based on sound evidence and ethical processes including culturally appropriate and participatory approaches to research are essential.
STRUCTURE The Pacific Centre for Participatory Democracy is a project of Te Ora Hou Aotearoa with input from an International Advisory Group (IAG) made up of experts in various fields from around the world, particularly the South Pacific. The Board of Te Ora Hou Aotearoa are responsible for appointing the PCPD Director, determine the goals and parameters of PCPD activities, monitor the work of the PCPD and approve annual budgets. The IAG take responsibility for providing critical feedback on project plans, progress reports and evaluation findings. Activities and projects of the Centre are determined by a strict set of selection criteria that consider prospective project partnerships, alignment with current priorities, available resources and consistency with the strategic goals of the organisation.	BACKGROUND The issue of representation and participation in democracies is a critical issue for local community development, national political stability, regional cooperation and global security. At present, particularly in New Zealand, there exist varying degrees of awareness and application in terms of institutional capacity and willingness to address the legal, moral and political questions associated with public participation in democratic systems. Civil society has a central role to play in the reform of local and national political structures to more adequately accommodate minority interests - particularly youth, cultural, linguistic and religious minority groups. The Pacific Centre for Participatory Democracy aims to provide resources and robust information from a non-governmental perspective on ways that organisations, structures and systems can improve participation by the public and the integration in decision-making of interests from minority groups. The establishment of a Centre to explore theoretical considerations and promote best practice in relation to these issues provides opportunities to a wide range of civil society organisations, public institutions and political systems. The Centre plans to grow slowly and over time increase the scope of activities - initially it provides an information service and training opportunities. Within two years it is expected to include significant action research capabilities, networking coordination and consultancy services for organisations interested in developing best practice systems and approaches with regards to democratic participation in public life.	LOCATION Located in the provincial city of Gisborne on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, the PCPD is located in offices in Grey Street, Gisborne. PCPD staff have worked in the Gisborne region for many years and have built a robust reputation for facilitating the development of initiatives designed to increase minority participation and representation. The first projects undertaken by the PCPD have involved key sectors of the Gisborne community.