:: The New Franchise Institute :: building a new ideal for democracy ...

Speaker Series on Democracy (SSDs) are hosted by NFI Members or Friends. SSDs are usually held in homes and are limited to no more than 30 individuals. NFI handles the invitations, the cost of refreshments, and
arrangements for the Guest of Honor who is, usually, from the diplomatic, or related academic community. NFI plans to hold such Series in major metropolitan areas worldwide. These informal gatherings offer attendees an opportunity to exchange ideas on global governance and to help shape NFI's strategy for global democratization. NFI Members and Friends who wish to host or to organize SSDs, are invited to contact The New Franchise Institute.

CDGs are organized by NFI in conjunction with university centers that specialize in international relations, international law, comparative government, diplomacy, international organization studies, or related disciplines. Sponsors and financial backing of such CCGs is sought from a variety of organizations. These CCGs are intended to bring together scholars and practitioners in the above-mentioned fields. The objective of these gatherings is to exchange practical ideas for expanding accountable government among UN member states and for democratizing UN governance.

This research will take off from the IBF System results reported on this web site and in NFI Monograph No. I, and will incorporate input from SSDs and CCGs. Results from this research will be used in the development of NFI's proposals to be submitted for discussion at the World Conference on Accountable Government & UN Democratization.

The Speaker Series on Democracy, the Colloquies on Democratization & Global Governance, and the Research Project on the IBF System, will serve as preparation for a world conference to be held in the summer of 2005. The objective of the conference will be to produce a concrete, actionable proposal for expanding accountable government among UN member states and for democratizing UN governance. This proposal will then be submitted to individual UN member states and to the UN.

NFI will develop other programs, as necessary, to further its primary mission - to help expand accountable government among UN member states and UN democratization.