Popular Initiatives Research Articles

Pratiche e progettualità di rigenerazione e welfare: il “Premio triennale Giulio Andreolli – Fare paesaggio”

The “Premio Triennale Giulio Andreolli – Fare Paesaggio” was born in 2016 with the aim of en-hancing landscape experiences in the European Alpine area. It is divided into three sections: plan-ning and programming initiatives, architectural and landscape interventions and education and par-ticipation actions. The success of the award shows the growing and transversal interest in landscape issues, both at in-stitutional and professional level, in the context of spontaneous and “bottom-up” initiatives. One emergent aspect of interest during the various editions is the birth of a large number of activi-ties related to the management of traditional rural landscape, and oriented to the knowledge of terri-tories and to the involvement of the inhabitants. These local communities are often engaged in new organizational methods, driven by sincere enthusiasm and civic sense. That is the reason why one of the most interesting elements emerging from the award experience must be sought in this intertwining between popular initiatives and both professional and institu-tional approaches. Bounding this reflection to the regeneration-driven production, which is the main topic of this issue, it is possible to isolate, among the many cases nominated for the award, some interesting experienc-es in which, with different outcomes, designers and clients have dealt with contemporary architec-ture, touching important themes related to the transformation of alpine landscapes.

‘Authoritarian resilience’ as passive revolution: a Gramscian interpretation of counter-revolution in Egypt

ABSTRACT After a renewed scholarly interest in the politics of revolution and societal transformation following the uprisings of 2011, the defeat of the revolutionary tide in the MENA region has drawn attention to the dynamic of counter-revolution and authoritarian resilience. I criticise binary approaches to the process of regime restoration in the region. I argue that ‘authoritarian resilience’ should be interpreted in terms of Gramsci’s concept of ‘passive revolution’. I explain that this concept should be used not as a regime typology, but as an analytical ‘criterion of interpretation’, revealing the capacities and constraints of elites to deflect popular initiative and restructure historical blocs from above. Through the prism of passive revolution ‘the regime’ appears not as the constant factor, but as one of the forces that constitutes and is constituted by revolutionary struggle. I look concretely at the process of revolution and counter-revolution in Egypt between 2011 and 2013, disentangling the 18 Days of the uprising from the subsequent ‘counter-revolution in democratic form’ and the coda of the military-led ‘counter-revolution from below’.

Switzerland-EU Relations: The Bilateral Way in a Fragilized Position

Relations between Switzerland and the European Union are in bad shape and the Swiss are tearing each other apart on this issue. There are two major issues at stake. First, the Swiss government is dithering over whether or not to initial a new Institutional agreement with the European Union (EU), although it was finalized by the negotiators in November 2018. In the event of non-acceptance by Switzerland, the European Union has already announced retaliatory measures. Secondly, in September 2020, Swiss citizens will have to vote on a popular initiative to scrap the agreement on the free movement of persons between Switzerland and the EU. A positive vote would sound the death knell for the bilateral treaties between both entities as they are bound together by a guillotine clause. These difficulties between Switzerland and the EU are certainly not new. But two fresh developments have arisen. On the one hand, the support of the socialists and trade unionists for the bilateral way is waning. On the other hand, the European Union has become less flexible than it previously was. The worst should, logically, be avoided because the Swiss have always been a pragmatic people and solutions are relatively easy to find. But an accumulation of blunders, combined with misperceptions of the actual power relations, could prove fatal. Switzerland, EU external relations, EU external agreements, European Free Trade Association (EFTA), European Economic Area (EEA), Institutional agreement, Free movement of people, immigration, referendum, Brexit

Tracking societal concerns on pesticides – a Google Trends analysis

We analyze public interest in pesticides and plant protection products over time utilizing Google Trends data for Switzerland from 2011 until 2019. We find that the aggregated public interest in pesticides and plant protection products has increased substantially in recent years, especially since 2017. This trend can be attributed to search terms related to pesticides, while the interest in search terms related to plant protection products remained stable. Since the term ‘pesticides’ has a more negative connotation than ‘plant protection products’, the increased public interest might be linked to a higher negative perception of environment and human health impacts of pesticides. We also find evidence which supports the hypothesis that growing public concerns on pesticide use contributed to the launches of two popular initiatives aiming to restrict pesticide use in Switzerland. At the same time, our results support that the launch of these initiatives amplified public concerns regarding pesticides. We conclude that Google Trends is a useful tool for the timely detection of ongoing environmental and agricultural discussions, which might otherwise be unobserved. Therefore, it can generate helpful insights and contribute to agricultural policy problem framing.

CARTOGRAFIA SOCIAL DA ILHA DE COTIJUBA – BELÉM/PA

O caso da ilha de Cotijuba, município de Belém (PA), é apresentado no texto a partir da visão de movimentos sociais locais sobre as potencialidades e fragilidades da ilha, apontadas em cartografia social, entrevistas e vivências. Observa-se que ações de iniciativa popular apoiam o modo de vida local em contexto de isolamento e controle público da terra, mas tem limitações que só poderão ser devidamente superadas com políticas públicas adequadas e perspectiva de longo prazo, que reconheçam as múltiplas faces e funções da ilha, sem reduzi-la à condição de periferia metropolitana.

Peace in the minds: UNESCO, mental engineering and education

UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – is often associated with its prestigious world heritage list. For a good reason. The list is undeniable the most popular initiative in the organization’s entire history. But UNESCO is of course more than world heritage. It has over the years been preoccupied with a series of what appears to be extremely diverse topics, such as education for global citizenship, literary translation programs, copyright rules, nuclear power research and technical assistance to developing countries. But how exactly are the many different activities related to peace-making and mentality construction and what exact role does education play besides constituting the «e» in the organization’s name? In order to answer that, I will bring the reader back to three unpretentious but rather important seminars that took place simultaneously in Paris at the beginning of the organization’s existence, because I believe the subsequent projects they initiated embody what the employees at UNESCO initially defined as the organization’s core tasks.

La legitimación de los Ejecutivos autonómicos para impugnar leyes de su propia asamblea un conflicto interpretativo entre Constitución y Ley Orgánica del Tribunal Constitucional doblemente resuelto a favor de esta

El Gobierno de la Comunidad Autónoma de La Rioja interpone recurso de inconstitucionalidad frente a una ley aprobada por el parlamento autonómico que tuvo su origen en una iniciativa legislativa popular tramitada con su criterio desfavorable. El Tribunal inadmite el recurso por falta de legitimación del recurrente sobre la base del precedente establecido en la STC 223/2006, de 6 de julio, al considerar que debe prevalecer lo dispuesto por el art. 32 de la Ley Orgánica del Tribunal Constitucional como norma que concreta la regulación genérica contenida en el artículo 162.1 a) de la Constitución Española y restringe la legitimación de los órganos colegiados ejecutivos y Asambleas legislativas de las Comunidades Autónomas, no sujeta a condición alguna en el texto constitucional, al recurso de inconstitucionalidad contra las Leyes, disposiciones o actos con fuerza de Ley del Estado que puedan afectar a su propio ámbito de autonomía. La sentencia cuenta con tres votos particulares que entienden que con fundamento en la primacía de la Constitución como norma suprema debería reconocerse la legitimación del recurrente aplicando directamente sus previsiones.

Human rights referendum: Dissonance between ‘the will of the people’ and fundamental rights?

Referendums and popular initiatives have proliferated in many parts of the world as part of the effort to improve the quality of democracy and enhance citizen participation in policy making. However, even before the surge of populist nationalism in the 2010s, referendums have become a sort of weapon to restrict various rights. Furthermore, the juxtaposition between ‘the will of the people’ and human rights has once again brought back the classical criticism against direct democracy that it constitutes ‘a tyranny of the majority’ that could erode minority rights. With these concerns in mind, this paper is written to analyse the dissonance between human rights referendums and international human rights law through a positivist lens. The overall goal is to determine whether States have an ex ante obligation to prevent a referendum on a subject matter that is contrary to human rights.

FEATURES OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY IN SWITZERLAND

The subject. The article is about the peculiarities of referendum and popular initiative which are the main forms and institutions of direct democracy in Switzerland.
 The purpose of the article is to determine the peculiarities of direct democracy in Switzer-land and characterize its main forms: referendum and popular initiative. In order to achieve the objective the following tasks can be defined: 1) to find the origins and identify the variations of forms of direct democracy in Switzerland; 2) to trace the evolution of en-shrining on the statutory level of such institutions of direct democracy in Switzerland as referendum and legislative initiative from the time of their conceiving till the enactment of the actual Constitution; 3) where relevant, to perform a brief comparative analysis of the forms of direct democracy in Switzerland and similar institutions shaped in other countries; 4) to define the role and meaning of referendum and legislative initiative in history as well as in the modern stage of the development of the Swiss State. 
 The methodology of the study includes the use of general scientific methods (description, deduction, induction, analysis and synthesis) together with formal juridical and compara-tive juridical approach. In addition, throughout the article and, in particular, while working with sources of law, historical approach and systematic approach were practiced.
 The main results and scope of their application. The article presents the analysis of such forms of direct democracy in Switzerland as referendum and popular initiative, character-izing each form. The principle of democracy expressed by the practice of referendum and legislative initiative is present in its entirety. No country in the world has come as close to applying direct democracy to national political issues as Switzerland. Since the mid-nineteenth century, when the country's first Federal Constitution was adopted, Switzer-land has managed to hold more referendums than all other countries combined in the same time frame.
 Conclusions. Referendum enables Swiss citizens to dismiss the measures taken by their representatives and the initiative gives the citizens possibility to put laws into practice in-dependently from the legislative powers. Swiss experience vividly demonstrates that used sensibly and taking into consideration national legislative traditions such forms of consult-ing with the people can be quite promising and efficient for other European countries.

STATE-LEGAL INTERACTION OF CREDIT LEGISLATION AND ARTISANAL POLICY IN PRE-REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA

The peasant reform of 1861 brought to life the intensive development of handicrafts in the rural population. The popular initiative found support in the Russian government, was enshrined in law, and was called artisanal policy. The article explores the basic changes in Russian legislation and the main directions of government activity in the field of cooperation in the artisanal industry of the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Particular attention is paid to highlighting the achievements and problems of handicraft-encouraging activities of the state in the southern provinces, the analysis of the effectiveness of administrative and legal methods in the process of modernization of handicrafts in the post-reform period. The contribution of the agrarian reform of the government of P. A. Stolypin to the development of manufacturing industries is examined. The results of a study of the state of credit legislation, a study of the historical experience of the Russian state in the handicraft industry of this period are summarized.

Descriptive epidemiology of outdoor gym use in an Australian regional setting

Outdoor gym installations have become a popular initiative by local government agencies globally to increase community-based physical activity. Despite their rapid spread, usage rates and user characteristics are not well described, particularly the mode/type of activity performed. This study aims to investigate the proportion and timing of outdoor gym use, and demographic characteristics of gym users across seven locations. The current study employed a cross-sectional research design with observational measures to examine outdoor gym use across seven locations in a large regional area in New South Wales, Australia. An outdoor gym audit including the number of pieces and names of the equipment, and type of outdoor gym was undertaken in the month prior to data collection. A total of 56 h of observation periods were conducted, during which 2950 individuals were observed moving through the observation target areas. Across all parks, 3.8% of individuals (n = 112) were observed using the outdoor gyms for exercise purposes. Males (65%) were more likely to be observed using the equipment than females (35%) and there were more young-to-middle aged adult (83.9%) users than seniors (6.3%), adolescents (4.5%) and children (3.6%). Outdoor gyms have the potential to influence community-based physical inactivity rates as they appear to be a popular strategy by many government jurisdictions globally. To increase usage, local government agencies would benefit from working collaboratively with researchers to determine effective education and promotion strategies and in developing interventions to increase usage of outdoor gym equipment, particularly among women and older adults.

Facing Democratic Crisis in the EU: the New European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation

For some scholars, the possibilities for diminishing the European democratic deficit and the Union’s legitimacy crisis are intertwined with the creation of a European demos and a European public sphere, that, in turn, can create a European civil solidarity. The European citizens’ initiative, which has recently been re-regulated, was precisely designed to help to solve these problems. As we shall see, the new Regulation includes a whole series of positive technical issues that will improve the usage of the mechanism. However, the European citizens’ initiative is still far from being a popular initiative and, therefore, to contribute to diminish the perception of distance between institutions and citizens of the EU or promoting the creation of a European demos. In this vein, after an overview of the European citizens’ initiative new Regulation main innovations and weaknesses, I will present a set of measures in order to achieve a more effective development of the mechanism.

An Overview of Managed Aquifer Recharge in Brazil

In order to face the severe climate conditions in semiarid regions, many managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and rainwater storage systems have been implemented by local communities. Governmental programs have helped to propagate the concept of MAR. Based on a systematic review, popular initiatives, current legislation, and research lines and programs were compiled and analyzed. Although the MAR global inventory points to the prevalence of in-channel modifications among ninety MAR sites, the Barraginhas Project alone has been responsible for the construction of more than 500,000 infiltration ponds up to 2013. In urban areas, aquifer recharge initiatives mostly aim to reduce runoff peak flows. In some cases these initiatives have been stimulated by urban drainage public policies. Compared to countries such as the USA and Australia, Brazil is still at an early stage in MAR initiatives and needs to overcome technical, legal, and socio-cultural challenges to adopt MAR approaches, in order to help in facing water security challenges in a future climate change scenario. This article aims to provide an overview of the state of the art concerning technological, scientific, and legal issues around MAR in Brazil and the respective challenges for the adoption of this approach at a national level.

Socialism, Capitalism, and the COVID-19 Epidemic: Interview with Victor Wallis

ABSTRACT In the context of coronavirus raging around the world, in April 2020 Dr. Mingliang Zhuo interviewed Prof. Victor Wallis, former editor of Socialism and Democracy, on some important issues via email. Wallis points out in the exclusive interview that the US response to the pandemic has triggered a disastrous economic depression. The United States has not done well in dealing with the epidemic. However, China, Cuba, and other countries applying socialist principles have done well by achieving a combination of administrative decrees and popular initiatives and participation. The quality of universal services would be more dependably assured within a fully socialist framework.

Popular Initiative as an Instrument of Migration Policy in Switzerland

<p>The main aim of this article was to present the popular initiatives in Switzerland concerning migration. The initiatives were presented in chronological order and analysed from historical and current perspectives, starting from 1968 with the initiative “Anti-foreign empire” through 2018 with “For the moderated immigration (initiative of limitation)”. The article focuses mainly on initiatives held in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, as they were accepted by the people and led to changes of the Federal Constitution. The main research question is whether Swiss citizens may use popular initiative as an effective instrument influencing migration policy. The main hypothesis is that the popular initiative may be an effective instrument influencing migration policy. The author used the dogmatic method as the research method which refers to the analysis of the legislation and academic literature, based on library searches made in Switzerland. The article presents the main arguments of the initiator as well as the immigration situation, which was always a background for developing the idea. As the article focuses mostly on the initiative “Stop mass immigration” it presents in detail the arguments that encouraged people to vote in favour. Those arguments referred to e.g. real estate market, natural environment, labour market, social security, Swiss identity, culture and religion, criminality and asylum. The author also analysed the implementation of initiatives and attempts to answer the question whether the amendment of the Federal Constitution was effective.</p>

INICIATIVA POPULAR NO BRASIL: ENTRE O POPULISMO CONSERVADOR E O BLOQUEIO DEMOCRÁTICO

Este artigo analisa o instituto da iniciativa popular consoante previsto na Constituição brasileira de 1988. A partir de uma abordagem teórica e da identificação de algumas experiências formais e informais relacionadas à implementação de iniciativas populares no País, argumentaremos que esse mecanismo de democracia foi acolhido de maneira austera pela Carta Política brasileira, neutralizando as suas potencialidades democráticas e de controle do poder. Como resultado prático, há uma tendência clara de utilização da iniciativa legislativa popular que acaba por expandir políticas repressivas no campo político e penal. Diante desse cenário, advogaremos que algumas reformas sejam empreendidas no intuito de alterar ambas as situações identificadas, ou seja, é necessário gerar novos arranjos institucionais de modo a empoderar a cidadania, bem como criar bloqueios à utilização populista conservadora.

Swiss Direct Democracy and Regulation of Banking Sector

The aim of this article is to analyze the influence of the Swiss political system on the country’s banking sector. Is the Swiss direct democracy, which has no counterpart in any other country, an advantageous factor for the development and functioning of the banking sector? In order to fully answer this question, the author has analyzed the results of direct voting on the Swiss bank regulations. He has concluded that there is an important and direct influence of the political system on the functioning of the financial sector. The analysis of the results of various federal referenda confirms the thesis that the Swiss direct democracy (with its instruments of popular initiative and referendum) has a decisive influence on the regulatory process in the country’s banking sector.

Os projetos legislativos de iniciativa popular no Brasil

Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar os projetos de iniciativa popular legislativa (IPL) no Brasil, esclarecendo sua situação e levantando seus pontos críticos. Inicialmente, será narrado o contexto de cada projeto de Iniciativa Popular e, posteriormente, avaliado seu trâmite institucional. Os dados levantados indicam um esvaziamento da IPL tanto em aspectos procedimentais como de mérito.

A new initialization and performance measure for the rough k-means clustering

A new initialization algorithm is proposed in this study to address the issue of random initialization in the rough k-means clustering algorithm refined by Peters. A new means to choose appropriate zeta values in Peters algorithm is proposed. Also, a new performance measure S/O [within-variance (S)/total-variance (O)] index has been introduced for the rough clustering algorithm. The performance criteria such as root-mean-square standard deviation, S/O index, and running time complexity are used to validate the performance of the proposed and random initialization with that of Peters. In addition, other popular initialization algorithms like k-means++, Peters Π, Bradley, and Ioannis are also herein compared. It is found that our proposed initialization algorithm has performed better than the existing initialization algorithms with Peters refined rough k-means clustering algorithm on different datasets with varying zeta values.

Institualization of referendum in EU countries

The evolution of the referendum institutionalization in the constitutions of the EU states is considered. The peculiarities of its initiation, realization and implementation of results in the "old" and "new" members of the Union are highlighted and analyzed. It is concluded that young democracies are pioneering in using this tool of direct democracy both to legitimize government decisions and to involve citizens in the decision-making process. The history of the introduction of plebiscites into the practice of political processes in European countries shows, that they are closely linked to democratic transit: the later the constitution is adopted, the more opportunities for citizens to use referendums not only to control the legislative process in parliament (support or veto certain decisions, draft laws), but also to formulate an agenda - to propose their own initiatives for consideration by public authorities. Accordingly, there are obvious differences between the referendum practices of the "old" and "new" members of the European Union, since the latter are much more active in using them and give citizens real leverage on public policy by holding plebiscites on popular initiatives.