Mediaboss Marketing

Voters in eight Wisconsin communities cast ballots April 4 for a constitutional amendment to reclaim democracy from moneyed interests and overturn the Supreme Courts Citizens United ruling.

The non-binding referendums asked voters whether the U.S. Constitution should be amended to establish that:

n Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings and not to government-created entities such as corporations or limited liability companies.

n Political campaign spending is not a form of free speech protected under the First Amendment.

Early returns showed voters approved referendums in Racine, Monona, Fox Crossing, Crystal Lake, the town and village of Blue Mounds, Jordan and Caledonia.

More than 100 communities in Wisconsin have approved referendums or resolutions, according to Wisconsin United to Amend.

We cannot solve any of the pressing issues in front of our country as long as our politicians do not represent us and they wont until we get the big money out of politics, said Racine activist Bill Earley.

The vast majority of voters know their voices arent being heard by their representatives. Politicians take their orders from the moneyed interests that keep them in office, said Karen Ingvoldstat, an activist in Marquette County.

The first such ballot question in Wisconsin was approved in Madison in 2011, a year after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

In that 5-4 decision, the court said the First Amendment prohibited restrictions on political expenditures by corporations.

The ruling, as Barack Obama said a week later in a State of the Union address, reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests including foreign corporations to spend without limit in our elections.

Nationwide, 18 state legislatures and 730 communities have called for passage of a constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, DFL-Minnesota, has introduced the We the People Amendment in Congress.

Its time to establish once and for all that corporations are not people, money is not free speech and our elections and public policymaking process are not for sale to the highest corporate bidders, Nolan said.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, is among the co-sponsors.

The amendment essentially has two provisions, Pocan said. It says that money is not free speech and that corporations are not people. A simple but vital premise that would even out the playing field by reversing the deeply corrosive impact of corporate interests on our democracy.

Read more:
Balloting boosts campaign to reclaim democracy from corporate interests - Wisconsin Gazette

We all know about reading, writing and arithmetic, but have you ever thought about the importance of our children learning civics? Arizona is leading a push to make sure civics is a part of our curricula. In 2015, Governor Ducey and legislators made sure students had to pass a civics test to graduate from high school. That begins with this years senior class. Arizona was the first state in the nation to make this requirement.

But years before that, in 2009, an Arizona legend began another effort to bring civics into the classroom. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor founded iCivics to restore civic education in our nations schools. As Justice OConnor said, The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned anew by each generation of citizens.

Sen. Kimberly Yee

I had the honor of standing alongside Justice OConnor a couple weeks ago in the Arizona Senate, as I read SCR 1026, a resolution I authored to express our continuing commitment to the promotion of civics education in Arizona schools. Coincidentally, in addition to our interest in civics education, Justice OConnor and I are the only female Senate Majority Leaders in state history.

So how concerned should we be about a lack of civics education? The National Assessment of Educational Progress found only 23 percent of 8th Graders performed at proficient level in civics. A survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found only 36 percent of adults could name all three branches of government. More than one in three individuals couldnt even name one branch. More than half of Americans do not know which party controls the U.S. House and Senate.

The success of our Republic depends on the active participation of its citizens. As it says in the Resolution, the lack of an educational foundation regarding the fundamentals of the democracy established by this countrys founders and defended by generations of American soldiers increases the potential for incivility and threatens the sustainability of our American democracy.

Civics education helps teach children the principles and history of constitutional democracy. I encourage parents to join me in promoting enhanced civics education in our schools. Civics education is vital to our nations future. Lets make this happen together.

Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, is the Senate Majority Leader.

___________________________________________________________

The views expressed in guest commentaries are those of the author and are not the views of the Arizona Capitol Times.

Read more:
Civics education a building block of American Democracy - Arizona Capitol Times

The private sector had mixed reactions to the new constitution, expressing satisfaction about the upcoming general election but also worried about the prospects for political reconciliation.

Diplomatic corps in Bangkok told The Nation that they will continue to monitor the political situation in Thailand closely, as the country was considered for years a model of democratic achievement in the region.

We note that the promulgation of the new Constitution is a step along the governments road map towards a return to elected government, said US Embassy spokesperson Melissa Sweeney.

The US, since the 2014 coup that toppled an elected civilian government, has not minced words in criticising the juntas suppression of democracy and human rights. Washington, however, has lowered its critical tone since the new administration under President Donald Trump took office this year.

Like other European countries, Belgiums Ambassador to Thailand Philippe Kridelka said the international community was closely following the situation in Thailand as the country was a model in the region for not only economic development but also democratic achievements, freedom of media and a creative and independent-minded civil society.

As friends of Thailand, we hope the promulgation of the new Constitution will speed up the process towards democratic elections, including the adoption of the needed bylaws, he said.

Portuguese Ambassador to Thailand Francisco Vaz Patto expressed hope that the promulgation of the new constitution will help Thailand return to full democracy. With a new constitution, we now have more clarity regarding the road map that we hope will lead to elections as soon as possible, he said.

International scholars and civic groups were, however, spoke plainly about new developments in Thai politics and the promulgation of the new charter will not change the political atmosphere in the country.

Foreigners, notably investors, would view the promulgation of the new charter as a belated, nonetheless important, step forward to political normalcy, said Yasuhito Asami, a lecturer of Thai studies at the Department of Global Politics, Hosei University in Tokyo. However, the promulgation of the Constitution alone will not do much to improve their confidence in Thailands investment climate, he said.

Political stability

The continuation of a ban on political activities even after the enforcement of the new Constitution will be viewed as evidence that Thailand remains many steps away from true political stability, Asami said in an e-mail interview.

While the new Constitution set the stage for general elections and offered a wide range of rights and liberties, it did little to correct the dire human rights situation in the country, said Champa Patel, Amnesty Internationals director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The new constitution keeps in place the full gamut of orders and decrees imposed by the military government since the 2014 coup, which have facilitated widespread human rights violations, from muzzling freedom of expression and peaceful assembly to torture and other ill-treatment, Patel said in a statement.

Stanley Kang, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce, yesterday welcomed the new Constitution. Its alright. Were comfortable with Thailands political road map after [promulgation of the] new Constitution, he said.

Politics may not count much in investment decision-making, but other factors like public investment in infrastructure and the streamlining of regulations are important parts of the picture, he said.

There are still impediments to private investment such as restrictions on work permits, issuance of visas and the high cost of setting up a company here. Foreign investors have proposed many revisions to regulations to make it easier to do business here but nothing much has changed so far, he said.

Tanit Sorat, a businessman and vice chairman of the Employers Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, expressed confidence in the juntas road map. It has become much clearer about the general election, which will be held in the middle of next year, he said.

That does not mean investors will rush to build factories here, as they have to look at other variables, such as production costs, profitability and the availability of skilled labour. He also expressed concern about the prospects for political reconciliation. The election may not necessarily lead to reconciliation, as Thailand has been deeply divided. Many issues remain unresolved, he said.

Kobsithi Silapachai, head of capital-markets research at Kasikornbank, said it would have a limited positive impact on financial markets stocks and foreign exchange because the next general election remains many months away.

The timeline for drafting organic laws is still uncertain and political parties have not yet been allowed to hold political activities.

Read more:
Diplomats and businesses mix hope with caution on return of democracy - The Nation

Russias civil society and judicial framework score less compared to 2016.

Facebook

Pinterest

WhatsApp

Democracy takes a hit in the former Soviet Union, as authoritarianism grows. Source: Vladimir Astapkovich/RIA Novosti

Russia is one of the least free countries in Eastern Europe, according to experts from Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world.

The level of freedom and democracy in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe has declined for the 12th consecutive year, according to the groups annual report. There are now more consolidated authoritarian regimes than consolidated democracies.

The state of democracy deteriorated in 18 out of 29 studied countries. Six countries, on the contrary, improved their performance while five remained in the same positions. The last time such a high number of countries showed such a decline was after the global financial crisis in 2008, the report says.

Freedom House studies six indicators in each country: National democratic governance, electoral progress, civil society, independent media, local democratic governance, judicial framework and independence, and corruption. Each indicator receives a mark from zero (high level of democratic progress) to seven (the lowest level). The scores are added up and then divided to find an average, which is the final mark for each country.

The least free countries of the former socialist block are Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Both received a score of 6.96. The most free is Estonia, with 1.93 points. Russias freedom decreased slightly in the past year, from 6.5 to 6.57. In total, Russia remains 23rd (between Belarus and Kyrgyzstan) out of 29, just like the year before.

According to some Russian media, the report does not explain exactly why Russias position on the rating decreased.However, not only does the report specifically address the reasons for the decline, it also contains a 7,530 word summary detailing the research on Russia alone.

Russias situation worsened regarding two indicators. The first, the Civil Society rating, declined from 6.25 to 6.50. This, according to the authors of the report, is due to the "continuing offensive of the government against NGOs, manifested in the widening number of activities covered by the 'foreign agents' framework." The report also mentioned the large emigration of activists from Russia and the first conviction of an activist under the foreign agents" law.

The Judicial Framework and Independence rating also declined. It went from 6.25 to 6.50 "due to the Constitutional Courts determination that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights could be ignored by Russia, the continued increase in political prisoners in the country, and evidence of the Chechen leaderships direct control over the courts in Chechnya."

In an interview with RBK, Alexei Chepa, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee for International Affairs, noted that Moscow has always been sceptical about these reports. He claimed that conclusions from the report of Freedom House should be considered "relative" and you can trust them, but with caution.

Aside from its findings in Russia specifically, the reportfocused mainly on the number of countries that show a decline in democracy scores. For the first time since the study started in 1995, there are now more consolidated authoritarian regimes than consolidated democracies. In Eurasia, personalist authoritarianism has gone from a burgeoning trend to an entrenched norm, the study reads.

Another key finding of the report is that Hungary now has the lowest ranking in the Central European region. Polands score reached its lowest point in the survey. According to Freedom house, this is because populist leaders have attacked constitutional courts, undermined checks and balances, and have turned public media into propaganda arms.

All in all, the report shows few bright spots. The last key finding, however, shows some hope. Ukraine and Kosovo gained some points due to structural reforms. Also, Romania has been addressing a number of outstanding issues, such as problems in the voting process during the previous elections.

Read more:
Freedom house: Democracy takes a hit in the former Soviet Union - Russia Beyond the Headlines

ROME (CNS) -- In an Italian nature reserve surrounded by a forest inhabited by wild boar and foxes, a group of families is seeking to embrace the lifestyle of New Testament-era Christians.

"In the Acts of the Apostles, it is written that they lived with one soul and heart and held all things in common," said Susanna Scifoni, a member of the Nomadelfia community on the outskirts of Rome.

Following that principle, community members live together and share the responsibilities involved in their work of welcoming visitors and with cooking, cleaning and gardening for the community. They grow bok choy, fennel, lettuce, spinach and chicory, raise chickens and assist their local parish in its Caritas operation.

Nomadelfians, as they are sometimes called, receive no pay for their work, but they also do not need money for anything within the group's 25-acre property.

"If work is an act of love, an act of love can't be paid for because it has a price that would be infinite," Scifoni, 24, told Catholic News Service.

"There should be neither servants nor masters, for we are all brothers and sisters," she said.

An Italian priest, Father Zeno Saltini, founded Nomadelfia in 1948, naming the community after the Greek expression meaning "the law of fraternity."

Paolo Matterazzo, 29, said that if the group's ideas sound revolutionary, they should.

"In the DOCAT," the Catholic Church's youth-oriented compendium of social teaching, it says, "if you want to be a Christian, in spirit you have to be revolutionary; if you aren't revolutionary, you aren't Christian," Matterazzo said.

Though there may be a temptation to compare some of Nomadelfia's ideas to communism, members said there are important differences between their economic philosophy and Marxist ideology.

Even Pope Francis has been accused of espousing communism when he promotes an economy based on solidarity and sharing. But, Matterazzo said, the pope has responded, "I am not communist; I am Christian."

"In communism there is no forgiveness," Matterazzo said. "Our purpose is to lead people to God."

And, he said, "communism wants everyone to be communist. We don't ask everyone to become a Nomadelfian."

Nomadelfia members have been encouraged by the pontificate of Pope Francis, who often critiques modern economic values and the "idolatry of money."

The pope "insists a lot on the fact that money should not govern but serve," Scifoni said.

While relationships within the community are money-free, Nomadelfia does accept donations for the community's upkeep and uses money in its relationship with the world, paying for tools, cars and supplies that make its religious life possible.

The challenges of living in common and sharing property are such that Nomadelfia members describe their lifestyle as impossible to sustain without a vocation to live it.

To avoid members becoming overly attached to possessions, or even to the family groups they live in, they rotate homes within the community every three years.

The life is clearly not for everyone. Nomadelfia members report that 70-80 percent of children raised in the community leave at 18 to seek work and a life in the world.

Some, though, leave for university or work only to discover later that God is calling them back to Nomadelfia.

Maria Paolucci, 28, moved into Nomadelfia with her family when she was 9. After leaving the community for university and spending time traveling internationally, she decided to return to Nomadelfia last September.

Having an experience of the outside world "reinforced the idea that Nomadelfia could be a response to many of today's problems, starting with those of the family, problems of loneliness," Paolucci said. For such social ills, living in "a community context is undoubtedly a winning proposal."

Nomadelfia's main campus is located near Grosseto in the region of Tuscany, where the group of 60 families owns 990 acres of rural land and runs its own school for the children raised within the community. The smaller branch located in Rome occupies buildings once part of a Benedictine convent, and it has a special mission of evangelization.

"We want to show that even today, despite everything, even in cities like Rome where we are now, it is possible to live out the principles proposed by the Gospel," Scifoni said.

Nomadelfia's Rome site, called the John Paul II Center for Spirituality, welcomes 2,000 visitors each year. Carlo Sbaraglia, the 67-year-old in charge, said there is a cultural reason more people are inquiring about their way of life.

The growing interest in Nomadelfia Sbaraglia reports coincides with a broader international interest in alternative Christian communities.

For example, Rod Dreher's new book, "The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation," details the approach of many such communities and landed on the New York Times' best-seller list last month in the United States.

"Many people are looking for a new world to live in," he said, pointing out that despite modern means of communications, "there is a lot of loneliness."

There is a need to rediscover human relationships that are "not fiction, not online, but real, authentic, concrete," Sbaraglia said.

Link:
Christian, not communist: Catholics in Rome embrace counterculture - Catholic News Service