Witness sessions
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Thursday 28 April, Manchester
Manchester United Stadium
Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA
Times: 12.20-4pm
The Manchester session took the Inquiry further into establishing where political power is located in today’s Britain, and how to ensure adequate participation by citizens in political decision making.
During the first session, the Commission heard from a group of local community activists who have successfully implemented their agendas through grassroots work (Gaafe Ali, Mandy Powell, Nasima Rahman and Anne Stewart). The second session discussed the impact of corporate and supranational bodies over the democratic process with Professor Colin Crouch (University of Warwick) and John Palmer (European Policy Centre). Unfortunately due to the cancellation of his flight from Europe Dr Michel Ogrizek (World Economic Forum) was not able to attend.
Discussions and statements
Listen to the discussion & read transcripts and summaries
How can excluded groups participate more effectively in decision-making?
Gaafe Ali, Mandy Powell, Nasima Rahman, Anne Stewart
Listen to the discussion |Download summary|Download full transcript
How do corporate and supranational bodies affect democracy?
Professor Colin Crouch and John Palmer
Listen to the discussion
|Download summary|Download full transcript
(Transcripts and summaries will be available soon)
Timetable
| 12-12.20pm | Registration |
| 12.30pm | How can excluded groups participate more effectively in decision-making? Gaafe Ali, Mandy Powell, Nasima Rahman & Anne Stewart: local community activists share their experiences of having successfully implemented their agendas through grassroots work. |
| 1.30-2pm | Audience questions |
| 2pm | Break (unfortunately we are unable to provide refreshements) |
| 2.30pm | How do corporate and supranational bodies affect democracy? Professor Colin Crouch University of Warwick Dr Michel Ogrizek World Economic Forum John Palmer European Policy Centre |
| 3.30-4pm | Audience questions |
Witnesses
Jaafe Ali is a leading activist in the Sudanese Cultural Association. He has promoted the agenda of immigrant communities as a committee member of the Manchester Refugees and Migrants Network.
Professor of Governance & Public Management, University of Warwick
Colin Crouch graduated in Sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science and went on to take a doctorate at the University of Oxford in 1975. He has been a Reader in Sociology at the LSE, a fellow and tutor in politics at Trinity College, Oxford, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Oxford. He is also the External Scientific member of the Max-Planck-Institute for Social Research at Cologne.
Until 2005, Colin was Professor of Comparative Social Institutions & Political Sciences at the European Institute, Florence. He is Chairman, and former Joint-Editor, of The Political Quarterly, and Chairman-Elect of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE). He has published extensively in the fields of comparative European sociology and industrial relations, on economic sociology, and on contemporary issues in British and European politics. He is currently studying processes of institutional innovation in the economy and in public policy, in an approach critical of recent deterministic tendencies in neo-institutionalist theories.
His recent books include Industrial Relations and European State Traditions (1993); Are Skills the Answer? (with David Finegold and Mari Sako, 1999); Social Change in Western Europe (1999); and (with others) Local Production Systems in Europe: Rise or Demise? (2001); Postdemocrazia (2003); and (with others) Changing Governance of Local Economies: Responses of European Local Production Systems (2004).
Dr Michel Ogrizek Managing Director and Head of Communications, World Economic Forum
Michel Ogrizek started his career as a medical doctor working as Chief Medical Officer at the French Ministry of Cooperation. He worked as a bush doctor in Africa and went on to work as a trainer for Médecins Sans Frontières. In 1983, Michel took up the position of Medical and Public Affairs Director at Warner Lambert. From 1987 to 1991, he was Director of Healthcare, Environment, Issues and Crisis Management at Public Relations firm Burson-Marsteller, before becoming President and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, France, and Head, Eurosciences. In 1995, Michel was appointed President and CEO for Europe and US Board member of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. In 1997 he worked as Global Head of Corporate Relations at Unilever (London and Rotterdam), before joining UBS Warburg in 2000 as Managing Director and Global Head, Marketing and Communications.
Michel joined the World Economic Forum in 2002 as Director of Communications and as an Associate Member of the Managing Board. He was appointed Managing Director in August 2003.
Michel is the author of several books, including Environnement et Communication (1993); La Communication Médicale (1996); La Communication de Crise (1997); Communicating in Crisis (1999).
John Palmer
Director, European Policy Centre, Brussels
John Palmer graduated from the London School of Economics. After several years as Finance Reporter, then Industrial Correspondent, Chief Economic Leader Writer and then Business Editor, he became European Editor at The Guardian, based in Brussels, in 1975. John left The Guardian in 1997 to become Director of the European Policy Centre. Between 1983 and 1987 he was a director of the Greater London Enterprise Board and between 1986 and 1987 he was a board member of London Transport.
John Palmer is the author of three books dealing with aspects of the European Union and its future.
Mandy Powell has been involved in a number of regeneration projects in Moss Side, Manchester. She is currently working in the East Manchester area on a project aimed at enabling older people to get involved in regeneration issues, and in particular housing market renewal.
Nasima Rahman works for the Salford Community Empowerment Network as a Community Organiser. She has sought to mobilise Asian women to participate in community affairs and to address the barriers they face.
Anne Stewart is an activist for Community Pride Initiative. She has worked with a number of local women’s groups on the issues of gender and engagement. She has also focused on disability issues as
