| In the News: Popular Participation. The Litmus Test |
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Winston House Alumni Seminars Thursday, March 12, 2009 7-9 p.m. POPULAR PARTICIPATION, THE LITMUS TEST: Background Historically, we can discern three main methods of constitution making. The first classical example of constitution making may be called the Philadelphia model. The Philadelphia constitutional Convention of 1787 comprised representatives of the 13 states and combined the function of a drafting Commission as well as (partially) of a Constituent Assembly. The constituent character of the Convention was partial in that the Draft coming out of the Philadelphia Convention had to be ratified by the legislatures of each one of the several states. The second example is a model followed by countries with established democratic systems. Under this model the drafting is left to the Parliament, or a committee of the Parliament, and ratification of the Draft is done by a larger majority of the next Parliament, or b popular referendum. The third example is typified by the use of constitutional commissions. In recent years, the use of specially mandated drafting Commissions and an elected Constituent Assembly to ratify the Draft has gained currency. Seminar In this presentation, Professor Habe Selassie offers us a summary of model constitution making methods in the post colonial and post-Cold War era. This model contrasts with what has been called the Lancaster House model under which colonial draftsmen imposed the will of the imperial powers on subject peoples on the eve of their independence. The key feature of the new model is that it puts popular participation at the center of the process, as well as expert consultation. Registration Details: The talk and reception are free and open to Carolina alumni; refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by March 6, to the Winston House facility manager: 3 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3RA,
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, or 0207-631-1545. About Habe Selassie Habe Selassie has spent a lifetime working for human rights and democracy. He is currently William E. Leuchtenburg Professor of African Studies & Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina— Chapel Hill. In Ethiopia, he served as Federal Supreme Court Judge, Attorney General, and the Vice-Minister of the Interior of Ethiopia. He was an attorney at the World Bank in Washington, D.C, and Chairman and founding member of the Eritrean Relief Association; he served as the Eritrean Representative to the United Nations from 1985-1991. His many publications include eight books that range from works of scholarship to fiction to personal essay and memoir. The recipient of many awards and honors, he earned both his LL.B with Honors and his PhD at the University of London; he studied Italian Language and Literature at the University of Perugia. Winston House Alumni Seminars are a joint project of Winston House and the General Alumni Association of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Winston House is located at 3 Bedford Square London WC 1 B3RA, immediately adjacent to the British Museum. Directions to Winston House are posted at winstonhouse.unc.edu. |


