by Dhiman Bhattacharjee/Shasi Kumar

Let’s fight for democracy : International Peace Corps Association

What is Democracy?

"Of the people, by the people, for the people"Abraham Lincoln

Peace News (IPCA) 18, September 2022 – The word democracy comes from the Greek words “demos”, meaning people, and “kratos” meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as “power of the people”: a way of governing which depends on the will of the people. There are so many different models of democratic government around the world that it is sometimes easier to understand the idea of democracy in terms of what it definitely is not. Democracy, then, is not autocracy or dictatorship, where one person rules; and it is not oligarchy, where a small segment of society rules. Properly understood, democracy should not even be “rule of the majority”, if that means that minorities’ interests are ignored completely. A democracy, at least in theory, is government on behalf of all the people, according to their “will”.

International Democracy Day is celebrated at a time when brutality is going on all over the world. Imperialist powers are flexing their muscles all over the world. Arms trade competition has started around the world. Ask yourself, are we living in the 21st century? Can we leave a livable world to our future generations? From Syria, Libya, Afghanistan to Ukraine or China or Pakistan, Sri Lanka…doesn’t it make us worry? Democracy talks about the right of common people to self-respect. Have we got the right to live with true self-respect? What have we done to make the world habitable? Many children have lost their lives in the world due to this war, have become orphans, how many people have fled from Syria and Ukraine and become refugees. If you think that the people who leave the country and go to the border of Pakistan during the war in Afghanistan are in trouble, there is enough doubt that the democracy of the world is real. What is democracy? How many people in the world know. Democracy talks about the right to food, housing, education, employment for all. Who cares about self-respect is called democracy.

Democracy talks about women’s freedom and equal rights in their society. In this twenty-first century, women are still considered objects of consumption in many countries. In the last two years in Afghanistan, many educated women have left their jobs or been prevented from leaving because of fear. Bigotry, oppression of women, religion and politics are all causes of illiteracy. Many still do not know the meaning of democracy. If we want to make the world livable for the future generations, we have to fight for real education, fight for health, fight for health… Peace is the only way. Explain their rights.

There is still a lot of work left. Democracy stage should be built outside the political stage. If we have to create a truly livable world, if we have to present a beautiful and peaceful world to our new generation, then there is no more time.