What does it mean?

The Including the Excluded in Global Politics (IEGP) project starts from the observation that many people are marginalised due to the historical accident of where they were born, geographically and socially. These arbitrary inequalities run against the democratic principle that all affected persons should have equivalent opportunities of participation and control in public affairs.

For example, people in the global north tend to have greater say in global politics than people in the global south. Other arbitrary marginalisations in global governance often work against indigenous peoples, informal workers, people living with disability, rural dwellers, Dalits, people of colour, sexual minorities, women, and youth.

How are we doing it?

To explore creative ways that unjust exclusions can be countered, the Including the Excluded in Global Politics project brings together leading researchers, social movement activists and officials who have documented and pursued struggles for inclusion in the governance of global affairs. As ever in the Building Global Democracy programme, participants in the IEGP project are drawn from diverse regions, cultures, disciplines and political visions.

What will be achieved?

Case studies have been commissioned. These papers will examine cases of: Afro-descendent women, national minorities in Russia; global peasant movements; Pacific Island countries; Islamic finance; urban informal settlements; children; indigenous peoples; Dalits; and sexual diversities. The research will seek to identify any common elements, as well as distinctive steps, in successful efforts to gain hearings for those who normally go unheard in policy processes on global affairs.

How will the findings be shared? 

The workshop for the IEGP project was held in Rio de Janeiro on 13-15 April 2011. Thirty five people from 28 countries participated in the workshops lively debates and help develop new understandings of how to identify and overcome exclusion. A summary of the workshop findings is available now together with video clips, daily updates, photos & biographies of participant.took part. Summaries of the case studies have also been published on our website. The full studies will be published in book form.

Read more about:

rio workshop | authors & case studies | publications | other bgd projects

Get involved!

We have published live updates from the workshop. Photos and videos of participants have also been posted. Please input to the project through our website and Facebook page.

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