Social Trust,Corporate Governance and Participation Experiences in Germany, Europe and Developing Countries

Up growing mistrust in Soviet-Stalinist and capitalist institutions and politics had led to the breakdown of the iron curtain and the Berlin wall. The expectations of destruction of Eastern bloc and so called “state socialist economy” were getting more democracy and efficiency by direct participation of the people, workers and citizens. Social trust in institutions as participation, industrial democracy and corporate governance was very high in former eastern bloc and developing countries. There were big political changes from Russia, former Soviet Union, South Africa and other African countries till South East Asia and China.

After more than 27 year’s German and European unification and a lot of worldwide political changes there is a high mistrust in existing democratic systems, institutions and politics, which are in crises. Economic and monetary systems are in crises and the national and international institutions (governments, European institutions, IMF and world bank as well as UN) are unable to present useful solutions for up growing humanitarian and world problems. The way out will be seen by a lot of people and movements by turning back into nationalism, destruction of international organizations, institutions and up growing new national conflicts.

The contribution will summarize the results of empirical studies of the author made in different countries and regions in Europe, Africa and Asia. Touching some crucial points will questions as “how can be re-established social trust in economies, social life and in the global world development?”

“What a role can play peoples, citizens and workers participation and basic democracy in a process of re-establishing social trust as precondition for a working global economy, for way out of financial crisis and the crisis of capitalist institutions? How can be re-established democratic inter-organizational, -personal and -social co-operation connected with the communal and individual actors?