Last monday, September 15th all the world celebrated the day of democracy. Since the beginning of civilization, the good leaders and the people are trying to improve this system. The huge manifestation in Brazil last year proved that the Brazilians are disappointed with politics as usual and have a wish for more participation. Including a poll of the Senado showing that the more wished idea from the political reform, would be referendums and plebiscites used frequently. As you can see in this link THE PEOPLE'S TEACHER: LXVI - Political Reform: An effective democracy is so important that through history so many have fought and died for it, so many have been suffering to reinforce its values and principles, and so many have dedicated their little spare time trying to educate the people about the importance of a functional democracy. The first step to a real democracy is respect for human rights and the constitution. All political system needs improvement, inclusion and renewal because if not it makes too many citizens apathetic or alienates them, losing legitimacy as a result. The internet offers a chance for new forms of participation, transparency, civic awareness and activism. The politics can be better than actually it is, and this is precisely what the almost of two millions of Brazilians that went to streets to protest last year want. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Democracy. The second was published at http://www.un.org/en/events/democracyday/. The third was published at http://www.idea.int/about/international-day-of-democracy-15-september-2013-strengthening-voices-
In 2007 the U.N. resolved to observe 15 September as the International Day of Democracy, with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy, and invited all member states and organizations to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that contributes to raising public awareness. In September 1997 the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopted a Universal Declaration on Democracy. that Declaration affirms the principles of democracy, the elements and exercise of democratic government, and the international scope of democracy. At the suggestion of the IPU, 15 September date of the Universal Declaration on Democracy, was chosen as the day when the international community would celebrate the Day of Democracy. The IPU has urged parliaments to celebrate through some form of special activity. the day will be an opportunity for: Emphasize the importance of democracy, what it involves, the challenges it faces as well as the opportunities it offers, and the central responsibility that all parliaments have as the key institutions of democracy. Examine and discuss how well parliament performs its democratic functions, possibly on the basis of a self-assessment, and identify what steps it may take to strengthen its effectiveness. The 2013 year`s theme was "Strengthening voices for democracy." IPU launched an online contest to hear and gather stories from local democracy champions that managed to make their voices heard. These stories were to inspire people to take action in their own community. For the celebrations in 2014, IPU says youth participation has a special meaning for it and that a programme to promote young men and women`s involvement in the democratic process is getting underway. The IPU announced it will organize the first Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians on 10 and 11 October 2014.
Democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives. While democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy. The U.N. General Assembly in 2007 encourage goverments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15th September of each year should be observed as the International day of Democracy. This year`s theme, Engaging Young People on Democracy, highlights the challenges and opportunities of young people engaging in democratic processes. Study after study shows declining faith among young people in politics as we know it, with decreasing levels of participation in elections, political parties and traditional social organizations across the world. This applies to both established and emerging democracies. at the same time, informal, youth-led movements for democratic change are on the rise in a number of countries. Using new communication channels in social networks, young people are making their mark on democracy-building in untraditional ways.
One of the strongest global trends today is the empowerment of citizens and their desire for dignity and freedom. It is quite appropriate then for the Democracy Day to celebrate the strengthening of citizens` voices for democracy. the role of the citizens in improving the quality of democracy and in political and institutional reform is fundamental. During the past year alone the world has witnessed many examples of citizen-led movements across all continents demanding more responsive government. When huge citizen movements spring up as a response to socio-economic crises, this is clear call that 'politics as usual' needs to be re-examined. Citizens are the driving force for democratic change and international actors should respect their leadership in building their democracies. It is through citizen-led and owned democracy assessments that citizens can periodically assess the quality of their own democracies and build consensus around an agenda for broadening and deepening their democracies.
