In November Andreas attended the World Movement for Democracy’s assembly in Johannesburg and two additional events which marked the launch of a South African chapter of Democracy Without Borders
A World Parliament
Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century
Explore the history, relevance and implementation of a monumental idea that can pave the way to a peaceful, just and sustainable world. A book by Andreas Bummel and Jo Leinen.
The updated and revised second edition of 2024 expands the size by around one fifth to 541 pages. Available as paperback, hardcover, ebook and PDF.
"A great gift to humanity.” – Richard Falk
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Andreas Bummel is best known for his advocacy of a world parliament.
He is founder and Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders which coordinates the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly.
He is also one of the founders and convenors of the campaign for inclusive global governance, “We The Peoples”.
His book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” (with Jo Leinen) is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the vision and project of a global parliament. An updated second edition was published in 2024.
Since 2023, Andreas is also championing the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy.
Andreas was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1976 and moved with his family to a town close to Frankfurt am Main in West Germany at the age of six. As a child he was terrified by the possibility of all-out nuclear war between East and West that seemed all too real. The victory over apartheid in South Africa and the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, left a deep emotional impression on him.
Feeling as a global citizen and horrified by the inability of the United Nations to stop the genocides in Bosnia from 1992 on and in Rwanda in 1994, he became involved with the World Federalist Movement, WFM, an international non-governmental organization that was established in 1947 and which is devoted to strengthening of the global rule of law and democracy. One of WFM’s prime objectives was the creation of the International Criminal Court. From 1995 to 2021 the organization has been running the international NGO coalition working on creating and strengthening the court. Andreas served on WFM’s council from 1998-2018.
In 1997, Andreas became involved with the Society for Threatened Peoples, STP, one of Germany’s largest human rights organizations. STP was one of the first groups that called for international action to stop the genocide and “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia. The organization advocates the cause of minorities throughout the world. From 1998 until 2008 Andreas served as an advisor on UN issues. In 2009 as well as from 2017-2019 he was a board member.
Together with a group of world federalists Andreas established the Committee for a Democratic United Nations, KDUN, in 2003. According to the Committee’s founding declaration, the members “are united in the vision of a world in which the rule of law, democracy, subsidiarity, federalism, human rights and peace are globally institutionalized and guaranteed.”
In 2007, KDUN together with numerous partners around the world launched the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, CUNPA, that has been supported by over 1,600 members of parliament from over 120 countries. As the Campaign’s coordinator, Andreas among other things organized the international meetings on a UN Parliamentary Assembly that were held in 2007 in Geneva, 2008 in Brussels, 2009 in New York, 2010 in Buenos Aires, and 2013 again in Brussels.
From 2001-2006 Andreas worked as an analyst at a management consultancy firm. Previously, he was trained in business administration and worked at a global pharmaceutical group in the department responsible for quality management.
Apart from his work and his other activities, Andreas enrolled in the Law School of the University of Mainz and specialized in international law and corporate law.
In 2001 and 2002 he was a scholar of the Deutsche Studienstiftung which sponsors students of outstanding academic achievements. Andreas eventually abandoned university without graduation in order to concentrate on his political work. Since 2006, he is a full-time political activist devoted to the cause of global democracy and world federalism.
In 2015 the Society for Threatened Peoples awarded him the association’s honorary membership. He is a member of the advisory board of the World Government Research Network, WGRN, that was launched in the same year and aims to advance the academic dialogue on global political integration.
Under the leadership of Andreas KDUN was transformed and merged into the international civil society organization Democracy Without Borders, DWB, in 2017.
In addition to advocating a world parliament, DWB is committed to the promotion of global citizenship and democracy in general.
Andreas is a co-founder of the Campaign for a UN World Citizens’ Initiative that DWB launched in collaboration with Democracy International and CIVICUS in 2019. In 2021, this collaboration resulted in the international civil society call for inclusive global governance that was endorsed by leading groups from across the world. It is now know as “We The Peoples” campaign. Since 2023, he is also championing the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy. Since 2023, Andreas is a member of an international study group that drafted a “Second Charter” for the United Nations.
In 2018 Andreas published the book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” (with Jo Leinen) which describes the history, relevance and implementation of a global parliament. An updated and extended edition appeared in 2024.
Events on global democracy in South Africa
UN Summit: the future must wait
In this article Andreas comments on the results of the September 2024 UN Summit of the Future in the field of participation and transforming global governance
A “Second Charter” for the UN
On the occasion of the UN’s Summit of the Future, the draft of a “Second Charter” for the UN was presented. Andreas is a member of the study group. He also co-authored this recent opinion piece.
People’s Pact and Future Summit
Andreas is quoted in this report on the People’s Pact for the Future and in this IPS report on the upcoming UN Summit of the Future
United Nations Summit of the Future
Andreas will participate in the UN’s Summit of the Future on 22-23 September 2024 in New York as a delegate of Democracy Without Borders.
2nd expanded & updated edition
In August 2024, a second expanded and updated edition of Andreas’ book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” was published. Learn more about it here.
Community of Democracies
Andreas Bummel presented the proposed mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy at the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies in Warsaw
Interview from the future
The German newspaper TAZ travelled into the future and spoke with Andreas about the creation of a world parliament. See here.
A selection of recent photos.
With the founding board members of Democracy Without Borders-South Africa in Johannesburg, November 2024
With Gina Romero at the Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy, Johannesburg, November 2024
With Niranjan Sahoo and Vladimir Kara-Murza at Forum 2000 in Prague, October 2024
Speaking at the presentation of the “Second Charter”, Sept. 2024 in New York
Participating in the UN Summit of the Future, September 2024 in New York
With Nudhara Yussuf, Co-Chair of the UN Civil Society Conference 2024, in Nairobi
At the 2024 Copenhagen Democracy Summit
Meeting of the study group on a “Second Charter” in Madrid, Jan. 2024