Sun, Sep 01, 2002 page4

• Taiwan should help promote democracy

  John Sullivan is executive director of the US National Endowment for Democracy's (NED) Center for International Private Enterprise, a non-profit affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce working globally to build democracy through economic reform and private sector development. Visiting Taiwan last week for the Asia Pacific Democratic Cooperation Forum, he took time out with `Taipei Times' staff reporter Sandy Huang and praised Taiwan's single-handed transition to democracy as a major asset in the nation's efforts to promote democracy worldwide

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  Taipei Times: Since the NED is partially funded by the US Congress, how does your organization remain independent?

  John Sullivan: Although part of the organization's funds comes from Congress, the organization is not under the control of the government, whose approval of our projects is not required. They do come and audit us and we report on what we did with the money and show them the results.

  

  John Sullivan, executive director of the US National Endowment for Democracy's Center for International Private Enterprise, says Taiwan can help other countries make the transition to democracy.

  PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

  But when we want to do a project, that project is approved by the NED's board of directors and does not get submitted to the government for approval.

  TT: Do you think Taiwan, as a young democracy itself, can follow the NED's model in helping to develop democracy overseas.

  Sullivan: I think you need to study the issues first, but yes it can work. There are plenty of different countries that do this and it can work. In some way it is an advantage that Taiwan is a young democracy because you are still going through the consolidation of your democracy. When I go to a country, I often take with me someone from countries like yours, such as Poland, Thailand or Taiwan itself, because people look at the US and say, "But the US has had democracy for 200 years ... it does not apply to us." And I say "No. That's not true, because my friends here will tell you that they just went through that."

  And Taiwan has got a great story to tell right now with your transition to democracy, and your economic growth. So many countries are saying it can't be done. But here you are, a country that 20, 30 years ago, was very poor. Now you are a very wealthy country. So you can be a model and you can show people that, in one or two generations, with the right kind of policies and hard work, a transition to democracy is possible.

  TT: So what is this great experience that Taiwan can share with others?

  Sullivan: Taiwan's transition to democracy was mainly achieved single-handedly. It wasn't a result of someone coming and forcing you to change; it came out of your own desire, your own way. You want to live this way. That's very impressive.

  I think one of the things you can share is the fact that you have good economic policies and good government. That's very important. Because a lot of young democracies, such as Peru, for instance, experience a democratic transition [but] can't get their economies to work. As a result, democracy becomes a source of pressure and people say, "We became a democracy but we can't see the benefit." Well, Taiwan can say "Yeah. But you didn't do this and you didn't have that economic policy" and so forth.

  Taiwan's small business policy is tremendous. Winston Churchill, the famous British prime minister, once said small business is the backbone of democracy. A country that doesn't have a thriving small business community, is going to have a hard time maintaining a democratic system.

  TT: Based on your experience with your organization, what are things that Taiwan can do to start to engage in the building of democracy globally?

  Sullivan: One of the things we did when we started this national endowment, which was very important, was to spend a lot of time listening. At my center, when we go into a country to do a project, we don't go with a recipe or a cookbook. What we do is we hold a strategy meeting with relevant people. You could do the same thing. You go to a country and meet with NGO people there and talk with them about what they need, what their experience is, what kind of system they need and what kind of ideas they want. Once they have the opportunity to say what they are trying to do, you figure out how you can help.

  Our policy is that the local organizations will have to put up some of the money themselves. That way, you are really going to have a partner that you are working with, and you don't get the problem of interference on local affairs. You are really there to work with them. The partnership has to be real, it cannot be just words, but one that is genuine, in which you are doing something that the local organization genuinely wants to do.

  TT: What might be the challenges?

  Sullivan: Aside from the challenge of finding the right organizations to work with, the other thing is to understand what is really going on in that country, to really begin to understand the issues. It is very easy to make an assumption and to try to rearrange it to look like what is in the textbooks instead of trying to first figure out what's really going on there and what the people are trying to accomplish.

  TT: How can Taiwan consolidate its democracy?

  Sullivan: Consolidation is important and is one of the things that Taiwan, as it continues its transition, doesn't fully understand.

  One thing you can do would be to start civic education, citizenship education. Civic education is extremely important: the whole idea of developing values, tolerance and understanding on how government works, understanding how individuals can participate in politics and government, what your rights are, what your responsibilities are.

  It can be done in a lot of different ways. One way I think is good is to develop a subject called "Civics." It's just about teaching people why it is important to vote and how you get the government you deserve. Once you have democracy, you get the government that you deserve. If people don't participate in it, then it won't be a good government.

  Governance is just as important: how government functions on a day-to day basis, how it makes decisions, how regulations are carried out, where people can participate and so on. These are all important aspects of consolidating a democratic system.

  Taiwan has a real lesson to teach the world and an opportunity to see it happen. It has not happened enough; in Latin America, it keeps on going backward. It is very positive that Taiwan can share its experience with other countries.
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