In her invocation at the Rotary Club of Ladner meeting on October 7th, Ladner Rotarian and international education consultant, Dr. Avis Glaze, just returned from advising the Education Ministry in the Government of Scotland, says she is preoccupied with the issue of democracy, given the issues swirling around the world and actions taken by some leaders internationally. What does democracy look like in practice? What is the commitment needed to ensure that democary endures?
As she has said on many occasions, she is thrilled that I live in what can be described as a mature democracy.
Street Law Inc. identifies 13 principles of democracy:
1. Citizenship participation 8. Control of the abuse of power
2. Equality 9. Bill of Rights
3. Political tolerance 10. Accepting the results of elections
4. Accountability 11. Human rights
5. Transparency 12. Multi-party system
6. Regular free and fair elections 13. Rule of Law
7. Economic Freedom
Quotes from some of our leaders are instructive.
“The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they ensure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.” Barack Obama (2009).
I have great admiration for my chosen country of Canada.
Joseph’s Nye Lessons for Canada said: “…Canada’s influence in the world depended almost entirely on soft power, or the capacity to influence others through example, attraction trustworthiness and persuasion…”.
“A country’s soft powers must be used regularly and maintained like a well-oiled machine. If neglected or abandoned, they risk being irretrievably lost.”
As an educator, I believe that we must start early by seizing opportunities to instill and inculcate these principles in our homes, schools and civic institutions.
Our children learn these principles by example. Political tolerance, the principles of human rights and citizenship participation are three from this list that we can work on every day.
Volunteerism is one that can help foster these skills and attitudes and can, in turn, help our communities thrive. Democracy, as we know it, must not be allowed to die under our watch. We do know that democracy is strongest, where education is strongest. A publicly funded education system is the hallmark of our democracy.
I will say with resounding emphasis, that as Rotarians, we will not stand by idly and watch democracy die under our watch. The things we value are worth fighting for.