Deepening democracy in extremely politically fragile countries: networking for historical, cultural and arts research on Parliaments and people

全球民主面临的挑战是长期的、日益加剧的和紧迫的。除非找到实现阿帕杜莱所说的“深度民主”的方法：非政府组织和运动的地方行动主义与与国家合作的全球网络相结合，否则实现更大稳定和实现关于包容性机构和全球伙伴关系的可持续发展目标的前景是遥远的。我们的网络将把对议会和公众参与感兴趣的研究人员联系起来。优先事项将是支持发展研究政治极端脆弱国家民主的国家能力，重点是埃塞俄比亚和缅甸。我们将与社会研究论坛（亚的斯亚贝巴）和开明缅甸研究基金会（仰光）合作，通过以下方式促进研究能力的发展：向研究人员发放小、中、大额资助；指导研究方法和传播；促进受助人之间的学习和支持宣传；刺激辩论;促进多学科合作。国家研究人员将获得支持和机会，对议会与人民之间的联系进行高质量的研究，并与艺术组织合作。这个为期三年的项目将通过以下方式促进学术创新：(a)脆弱国家的政治研究一直以发展研究和政治科学为主。这项研究将为艺术和人文学科的奖学金创造机会，包括人类学，政治和社会史，以及文化研究（特别是性别和性）；(b)虽然发展和政治学者以及致力于全球南方治理的组织倾向于关注公民社会/公民或精英机构，但这个研究网络将解决它们之间的关系；(c)尽管来自英国和印度的研究人员将管理这个项目，但是长期驻扎在“政治上极其脆弱”的国家的国家研究人员将进行研究并影响决策者。我们与合作伙伴共同起草了研究主题：代表文化：在特定的文化和历史中，关于有效代表、性别平等和公众参与的文化观念是如何在当选的政治家和公民中出现的？公民（或非公民）和公民社会组织对议会（国家和地区）和政治家的态度是什么？性别和性行为有什么不同？态度是如何变化的？他们之间发生了什么对话，他们是如何通过语言、表演和仪式来区分性别的？政治家和人民之间的信任是如何增加或减少的？为什么？代议制民主和参与式民主相结合的潜力是什么？可以创造什么样的激励措施？什么样的变革是现实的？2. 排斥和不稳定的历史：历史上，代表制在什么情况下有助于性别平等、促进被排斥群体的权利，以及加强信任、和平与稳定？女性和男性对未来的想象是否不同？他们的历史如何塑造了这一点？性别（包括男性气质）在政治表现、暴力和互动中扮演什么角色？不平等、仪式、语言、自信和权威的主张是如何包括或排斥人的？想象通过媒体和艺术实现更深层次的民主：国家和地区议会如何回应人民、改善外联并加强政治家与公众之间的关系？权力下放和国家和区域立法机构之间的权力动态如何才能更有效地发挥作用？艺术学科或创意产业（艺术、摄影、媒体、社交媒体、戏剧）如何唤起情感，从而改变民主国家的关系并影响政治？我们如何衡量这些变化？特定地点有什么独特之处，又有什么共性？

The challenges for democracy across the globe are chronic, intensifying and urgent. The prospects for greater stability, and meeting the SDGs on inclusive institutions and global partnership, are remote unless ways are found of working towards what Appadurai calls 'deep democracy': local activism by NGOs and movements combined with global networks working in partnership with states. Our networking will link researchers interested in Parliaments and public engagement. The priority will be to support the development of national capacity to study democracy in extremely politically fragile states with a focus on Ethiopia and Myanmar. We will partner with Forum for Social Studies (Addis) and Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (Yangon) to enable research capacity development by: networking and training; allocation of small, medium and large grants to researchers; mentoring in research methods and dissemination; facilitation of learning between grantees and support in advocacy; stimulating debate; and fostering multi-disciplinary co-operation. National researchers will be given support and opportunities to undertake high quality research on the links between Parliament and the People and collaborate with arts organisations. This three year project will enable scholarly innovation through: (a) The study of politics in fragile countries has been dominated by development studies and political science. This research will create opportunities for scholarship in arts and humanities disciplines, including anthropology, political and social history, and cultural studies (especially gender and sexuality); (b) While development and politics scholars, and organisations working on governance in the Global South, tend to focus on either civil society/citizens or elite institutions, this research network will address the relationship between them; (c) Although researchers from the UK and India will manage the project, national researchers permanently based in 'extremely politically fragile' countries will do research and influence policy-makers. We have drafted research themes with partners: 1. Culture of representation: How do cultural ideas about effective representation, gender equality and public engagement emerge for elected politicians and citizens within specific cultures and histories? What are citizens' (or non-citizens) and CSOs' attitudes to Parliaments (national and regional) and politicians, what difference does gender and sexuality make, and how are attitudes changing? What conversations take place between them and how are they gendered through language, performance and ritual? How and why does trust increase or decrease between politicians and people? What is the potential for combining representative and participatory democracy, what incentives can be created and what change is realistic? 2. History of exclusion and instability: In what circumstances has representation historically contributed to gender equality, the promotion of the rights of excluded groups, as well as stronger trust, peace and stability? Do women and men imagine the future differently and how is this shaped by their histories? What role does gender (including masculinity) have in political performance, violence and interaction? How do inequalities, rituals, language, self-confidence and claims of authority include or exclude people?3. Imagining deeper democracy through media and the arts: How can national and regional Parliaments respond to people, improve outreach and enhance the relationships between politicians and the public? How can decentralization and the power dynamics between national and regional legislatures work more effectively? How can arts disciplines or creative industries (art, photography, media, social media, theatre) evoke emotions to transform relationships and influence politics in democracies? How can we measure these changes? What is unique to particular locations and what generalisation can be found across them?