Centre for Local
Democracy
LEADERSHIP, VOICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Global and local perspectives
An International Conference organised by the Centre for Local Democracy,
University of the West of England, Bristol
Conference dates: 8th to 10th September 2003
Keynote speakers
Marion Barnes - Director of Social Research, Department of Social Policy &
Social Work, University of Birmingham
Tony Benn - Peace Activist; Former Member of Parliament and Labour
Government Minister
Sir Bernard Crick – Chair of Government’s Commission on Citizenship in
Schools
Keith Grint - Director of Research, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
Sally Keeble MP - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International
Development
Hilary Wainright - Senior Research Associate at the International Centre
for Labour Studies, University of Manchester; Editor of Red Pepper
Conference Organisers
Mike Broussine: + 44 (0)117 3443471; [log in to unmask]
Chris Miller: + 44 (0)117 3448758; [log in to unmask]
Richard Kimberlee: + 44 (0)117 3448460; [log in to unmask]
Jan Green (Conference Administrator): +44 (0)117 3448788;
[log in to unmask]
Leadership, Voice and Accountability are the themes for the third
conference organised by the Centre for Local Democracy at UWE. This will be
an opportunity inquire into, and develop our understanding about –
the ways in which citizens, users, communities and organisational members
experience, understand, and engage with issues of power and the processes
of decision-making that shape their own and other people’s lives and
localities.
The conference will attract a wide range of people – community activists,
representatives of local and voluntary sector organisations, local
politicians, public service managers and practitioners, policy makers, and
academics. It will provide an opportunity to examine local, national and
global perspectives on how people pursue and engage with local democracy in
their communities, organisations and countries. Alongside UK, European and
North American perspectives, the conference will include examples from the
theory and practice of local democracy from around the world, e.g.
Argentina, India, Belarus and Ukraine.
The Conference Organisers wish to acknowledge the generous assistance of
the Community Development Journal in supporting our bursary scheme.
CONFERENCE VENUE AND DATES
University of the West of England, Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour
Lane, Bristol, United Kingdom BS16 1QY.
Monday 8th September morning to Wednesday 10th September afternoon.
THE NATURE OF THE CONFERENCE
Our key purpose is to bring people together with their experience and ideas
to explore associated with three critical democratic concepts
of 'leadership', 'voice' and 'accountability'. The event will enable
participants to develop theoretical perspectives and reflect on practical
experiences of extending democracy and participation of citizens, users,
local organisations and organisational members. We will consider our day-to-
day struggles with issues of leadership, with finding our voice or enabling
others to do so, and with the challenges of democratic accountability.
The conference structure will act as container for wide-ranging but focused
explorations. It will provide opportunities to –
 explore the lived reality of these themes in the here-and-now experience
that the conference offers
 reflect, network and exchange ideas with other participants
The conference has attracted more than 50 research-based papers, reflective
accounts of practice, and theoretical contributions on the themes of
Leadership, Voice and Accountability. It will also include several workshop
events that will enable you to explore the themes in a participatory
format. Some of the issues and questions that will be addressed include -
 Forms of organisation which provide effective leadership
 Organising for accountability and transparency
 Leadership which encourages citizen participation
 Capacity-building in and between organisations, and in communities
 How citizens may voice their concerns effectively
 Local action in a global context
 Developing sustainable and accountable local organisations
 Effective networking between organisations and communities
 How users’ voices may or may not be heard by agencies
 How user bodies may represent users’ needs authentically
 Methods of inquiring into leadership, voice and accountability
 Accountable, ethical and transparent research methods
We have especially welcomed proposals that examine the theory and practice
of local democracy from the developing world to provide global
perspectives.
Four types of session will run through the conference -
 Parallel sessions in which papers, cases, and workshops are presented
 Keynote speaker sessions
 Experiential and conference community sessions
 Panel plenary sessions
A detailed conference programme will be available to participants on
registration and will be posted on our web site www.uwe.ac.uk/hsc/cld
USEFUL LINKS: TRAVEL, ACCOMODATION, MAPS, TOURIST INFORMATION
www.uwe.ac.uk
www.bristol-city.gov.uk/index.html
www.uwe.ac.uk/hsc/cld
Bristol City Council Tourist Information
Visit Bristol
Bristol Connect
Bristol International Airport
UWE Maps
For accommodation and hotels, go to UWE web site www.uwe.ac.uk, click on
Visitors to Bristol UWE, then bed and breakfast list for the Frenchay area.
Delegates are responsible for booking their own accommodation.
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR LOCAL DEMOCRACY
CLD is concerned with the ways in which citizens and communities
experience, understand, and engage with issues of power and the processes
of decision-making which shape their lives and localities. The multi-
disciplinary Centre brings together academics and practitioners from across
and outside UWE to contribute to current policy debates.
More than ever, citizens seek assurance that the agencies and authorities
shaping their daily lives are meeting their needs efficiently and
democratically. The scope of the Centre is consequently wide. The
development of local democratic institutions, improvements in relationships
between public service providers and users, and the evolution of better
ways of organising and delivering welfare, require dialogue with
representatives not just from local and central government, but also from
the health service, care organisations, education authorities, private
companies and voluntary bodies, among many others.
CLD’s values reflect a commitment to -
 Localities - place-based identities (neighbourhood, town, city etc)
matter, particularly at a time when they are threatened by global economic
forces
 Inclusiveness - all groups in society should have a voice and attention
needs to be given to those who have been socially excluded
 Accountability - the decision-making processes which shape people's lives
and localities should be more open and decision-makers should be answerable
for their actions
 Influence - activities of the Centre should contribute to public policy
and local action as well as enhance academic understanding
 Social result - the Centre aims to benefit communities
 Effectiveness - the Centre recognises the importance of good management
in delivering high quality services and high quality government.
Through research and consultancy, conferences, seminars and publications,
the Centre aims to guide both policy-making and practical activity to
improve the ways in which citizens take action in their local communities.
CLD Executive
 Chris Miller (Director), Faculty of Health and Social Care
 Mike Broussine, Bristol Business School
 Dave Garnett, Faculty of the Built Environment
 Paul Hoggett, Faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences
 John Lee, Faculty of Education
 Morris Williams, Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
REGISTRATION
Please complete this form by 30 June 2003 and either e-mail, fax or post to
Jan Green, Conference Administrator, Centre for Local Democracy, University
of the West of England, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Glenside Campus,
Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, Bristol, United Kingdom BS16 1DD
[log in to unmask] Fax: +44 (0)117 344-8421 Tel: +44 (0)117 344-8788
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SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS (including dietary and access):
REGISTRATION FEES: Please tick fee(s) that apply to you. All prices are in
Pounds Sterling. Conference fees include daily refreshments and lunch.
Delegates will also be supplied with a CD containing all conference papers.
Standard conference fee: £120

Concessionary conference fee for students, unwaged, members
of community/voluntary organisations: £75

Conference daily rate: £45 (standard), £25 (concessions)

Please tick day/s you intend to attend the conference
Monday 8 September 
Tuesday 9 September 
Wednesday 10 September 
Conference dinner (optional): £25, 9 September evening

Bursaries: there are a limited number of bursaries available. Please
contact the Conference Administrator for further details:
[log in to unmask]
Please make cheques payable to "UWE, Bristol". We regret that we cannot
invoice individuals or organisations.
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