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Another message from Armin: Democracy?
Saturday, 5 January 2008 | posted by Matt_BC
General, Greenwich 2007, Guildford 2008, Politics
Following an intense discussion in the democracy-forum over the last few days I thought it was about time to bring the subject to the front page.
When studying some history books we see that tendencies of democratisation have often been swept away by anti-waves. This process probably started in the early 19th century and hasn't come to a close yet. Looking at where this democratisation movement has been most stable and successful, most democracy researchers point at north-western European protestant regions with a strong public will for democracy, especially in areas with a decent economic development and a culture of tolerance and participation. This observation brings me to the question: What are the promoters for "good democracy" and how can we as young activist be involved in this process?
Some of the best lines I've read in this blog were that someone regarded democracy as a "learning process, as a means, not as an immediate result. The consolidation of democracy is a long process that requires a lot of hard work, commitment and the respect of minorities, freedom of speech, freedom of press, rule of law, etc. It requires the responsibility of the individuals, parties, independent organisations and justice power."
I would like to build up on that by throwing in some more ideas. What most of us would probably nominate as the core principles of democracy are the freedom of speech and political participation. I would like to give you an example of how this is handled in some states here in Switzerland where we can observe one of the oldest and to my understanding purest form of democracy. The eligible citizens of these particular states meet every so often on a central place where they decide on state laws and on expenditures by the council. Everyone is allowed to debate a question and after sometimes quite intense periods of arguing and discussion, people vote by simply raising their hand. (Until 1990[!] when the Federal Court of Switzerland forced the last state to introduce the women's right to vote, men voted by raising not just their hand, but their sword or bayonet. Yeah, that's what we call "armed neutrality"!).
Well, this might be interesting but doesn't answer my question yet. What I wanted to know was if we're actually able to list boosters of "good democracies". Come to think of it: Is there even such a thing as "good democracy"? Do we actually want to achieve this sort of democratic utopia? I mean wouldn't the furthering of global democracy actually require some sort of power? And now it's getting paradoxical: Wouldn't the universal enforcement of democracy in fact be autocratic?
Setting a list of factors therefore seems harder than initially thought, mainly because too many complex and regional characteristics would have to be taken into account. Even assumedly evident promoters such as economic prosperity for instance seem questionable when looking at the German and Austrian socioeconomic levels of development between World War I and II. Moreover, factors such as a strong middle class or an active civic society seem questionable as well after having been thinking about it for a while
What seems rather evident as democracy booster, however, is something some people like to call "process of embedding", both external and domestic. The European Union for instance is responsible for the stability and quality of a lot of European democracies and still has an enormous impact on democratisation in eastern and south-eastern Europe and beyond.
Now, when looking at internal effects I think that democracy can best be consolidated by fostering mutual interactions between everyone involved so that democracy can grow as a system, not as a regime. And that's where all of us come into this "process of democratisation".
Probably the most unquestionable promoter of any form of democracy is education. Being able to raise critical questions and suggestions, being involved in constructive discussions and being capable to take these words and turn them into action is - to me anyways - the very core promoter of democracy.
I hope I was able to raise some questions as well and would certainly be interested in your comments. I wish you many constructive and enlightening discussions while being in Guildford and hope that you'll find the spirit of Greenwich 2007 so you can pass it on to each other, your communities, countries, and possibly the next Greenwich generation!?
Have a wonderful day,
Armin
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5 January 2008
I would like to expand on your ideas a little and state that what we have at this point in most countries is a system that still serves the well off, meaning it serves those with money, religous status, cultrual figures depending on the state your in. the elite still controls the Democratic process in most countries with few exception the people are considered to be the system. “The government is their to serve the people, not the people to serve the government” But this notion does not apply to the U.S or even Great britian were parties are not obliged to go to the people when it comes to major descions such as the War on Iraq or other domestic economical policies.
Democracy means that people rule the Country, not a minority, not few people but the people. The freedoms are something seperate because a democratic regime could pass a law that says no one could have the freedom to express himself. These are liberal ideas that when looking at history books we can see that liberals and democrats hated each other and were enemies in terms of political advancment. So i disagree that freddom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of thought etc….
Democracy if its truly democratic should be direct democracy with one factor in the hands of the government which is protecting of ethic and religious minorities in the countries. Democracy should also be localized. meaning it should exists within the framework of smaller communities like the example you gave in Swis.
Enforcing democracy is a joke and anyone that believes that such a thing would work is not only fooling him/herself but also wasting a lot of time and effort in trying to enforce a system on people who might not really want it or are still not ready to hold such responibilty or have been used to the kind of system they have or its just takes time for them to demand and to be active in creating their own democracy and their own governmental system.
In conclusion, we should i think be asking a more important question is how to reach social and economical justice, How as world citzens can we end the kind of exploitation that exists today, how we could close the gap between the rich and the poor in the world. As activists what can we do and how can we do it.
5 January 2008
I think as Matt that the most promoter of democracy is education. Cause we can find a model of democracy satisfying the utopia of the world; in which the power isn’t in the government and in which the people’s ideas an needs are taken for decisions. With objectivity in the decisions. But if the people isn’t informed about what democracy means and about what their country and their selves needs the democracy still won’t work. At least in my country one of the biggest problem is that the people mostly the one’s in rural communities aren’t informed about new laws, treats, changes in the government…and as they don’t have scholar studies and the access for books the don’t know who their government work so they can be part of the decisions. And when the elections come they simply don’t vote or vote for the one that made the best publicity campaign.
One of the principal ideas of democracy is that all the citizens are equals so they have the same right of voice and vote. But if they don’t have the same sources and opportunities the equality isn’t real. As Aboud Hamayel mentioned “The government is their to serve the people…” And one way to do that is increasing the level of education and making that everyone has access to it.
So when everybody has the knowledge and the information the will have the same opportunities and so the will be equals and they can participate in an equality way in the democracy. Voting for the best thinks for their country and not voting for the best publicity.
Most of the people believe that democratic is another utopia, but we people need to believe that there’s a way to solve the problems where they can gave voice and fight for their rights and necessities. If we don’t have something to believe or to why fight for.
Leticia Oceguera,
Mexico.
7 January 2008
Democracy to me use to mean free and fair. I mean, living in post-Apartheid South Afrca, for many of us democracy meand freedom and equality. But I have now grown to learn that we are all equal, but some of us are just more equal than others. I look at many countries who like SA are still building their economies and staking their claim in the global competitive-economy. What frightens me about these countries (eg.Kenya, RSA,Congo, etc.) is that a large amount of the money that is supposed to fuel the economy goes to the pockets of the individuals that inocent, some almost ignorant, people had elected to government and public-leadership positions.
I think that people need to start to understand that Democracy is not a Feeling, but a state of mind. And it is a mind that has been educated and schooled that can truly understand waht democracy is.
In my country people are still living below the bread-line, many unemployed or working just so that they can one day depend on megre unemployment insurance funds, and a growing amount is still living in shacks. I say “HOW DARE you live in a shack for 10 years and say you are still waiting for a house?Who the hell do you think you are?“People need to realise that with democracy and education comes power and that power needs to be used by them to better themselves and their living situations. “Democracy means that people rule the country,not few people but the people” I suopport Aboud fully in this statement and in turn say that it should not be a biased power struggle to rule and direct a country, but should be a meaningfull struggle that benefits the common good of the people of the country.
I think that to have a democratic countryan access to information has to exist. People need to know who are their leaders. Who the law-makers are. How their economy functions. What is the health status etc. In this way people can start to make informed decisions, but most importantly initiate informed actions.
9 January 2008
Aboud, I could not agree with you more – particularly the conclusion! Remember guys, like I said in one of my blogs: “It’s about You”. It’s very important to discuss and debate what democracy is, however, seeing that we don’t make all the rules and whether we like it or not, politics, is a dirty game, has always been and we can safely assume it will be for a while to come
So, seeing that it’s all about us, I quote Aboud: “How as world citizens can we end the kind of exploitation that exists today, how we could close the gap between the rich and the poor in the world” and I say that some of us are already involved in those projects that reduce, on whatever level, political and economic injustice, projects that teach people about self worth be it youth programmes in schools or community projects.
So, let’s start discussing how we can, in our own way, make a difference and make sure people taste what democracy is all about (in terms of the way we see it) because once they do, they will be willing to take ownership and keep ineffective governments on their toes. So, let’s start doing what we can to make the world a better place.
31 July 2008
For me personally democracy is really a ruling world by people. But, I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that ruling the country by everyone is an absurd. On the head should be a wise ruler elected by majority of people, but fairly. When this person will be doing everything first of all for the people of his country and just than about his own needs, the life of his nation will be the other.
You know, a ruler is everything in each business and according to the Bible ‘‘each people deserves his ruler”. So, when we start from ourselves, when we are wise, obedient and ready to help the other, we will deserve the best ruler in the world and our life will change for better, be sure!