Democracy started in ancient Athens and it was called direct democracy. Main aim was to organize its political system and at the same time to give more power to the people to safeguard the city state from the landowning aristocracy. Keeping democracy alive is the end; citizenship is the means to achieve the end. To illustrate the nature of democracy , one may compare it to a raft which never sinks but where one’s feet are always in the water. Where a state does not have a tradition of active citizenship, that state is running great risks.
One of the most worrying and common symptoms of modern democratic society is that most citizens, especially young citizens, who should be full of energy and keep society on democratic lines, believe that they do not have this responsability. Young citizens should be aware of their rights and gain what they need from society, as well as contribute to its development (and therefore to their own as well as other’s well-being) by making use of their skills and beliefs. Acquiring citizenship should also encourage one to be ready to change one’s views and lifestyle for the better, and not be afraid to interact with people who hold different identities and eventually appreciate diversity within society. Education in general should emphasize the skills, attitudes and understanding that the modern citizen needs in order to live as a democratic citizen in society. Democracy implies the participation of the inhabitants in the running of the country in which they live and certain freedoms, foremost among which are freedom of conscience, of though and of expression. The Athenians considered citizens who did not participate in public affairs as useless citizens.
The ever-increasing variety of available mass media – from print to the internet – is an indispensable vehicle for the citizen in a pluralistic society. Such media serve two functions in the regard, namely informing the citizen of the present situation and of his/her rights and duties. Technological developments, the economy and politics have led to people gaining greater awareness of global issues like political instability, war, environmental disasters, and poverty.
Democracy survives when the people choose it as their system of government and it is always given a different moulding (basic values but different interpretations) depending on many aspects including the culture of the country where it is put into practice. If people do not nurture democracy an unrestricted or illiberal democracy is likely to become a dictatorship of the majority in which the rights of popular individuals or minorities are insane.
Points: Malala Yousafzai – ‘Some people only ask others to do something. I believe that, why should I wait for someone else? Why don’t I take a step and move forward.’