International Democracy Day: Why Democracy Is Important?
Many of us opened our eyes in free, democratic countries and therefore, fail to see the importance of the system. We fail to see the struggles that went into coming up and implementing the system. We fail to see what a blessing it is. We fail to acknowledge that democracy is an ongoing process that doesn’t end and requires constant shaping. The truth is, most people, in this day and age, are too invested in their own lives to care about ‘trivial’ matters like democracy.
Communities are organised because of the government system. This has existed for more than 5,000 years. There have been a lot of approaches made to run civilisations, but the most effective and popular method is democracy. But, because of how comfortable we have become with it, many have forgotten what democracy really is. So, today, on International Democracy Day, let’s delve deeper into what democracy is and why it is essential. Celebrated on 15th September, every year, International Democracy Day encourages governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy.
Did you know that democracy comes from a Greek word that means ‘rule by the people’. It is, therefore, a system where the power is in the hands of the citizens. Only the officials elected by the people have the power to make important decisions to run the country the people belong to. Democracy is based on freedom and equality of all. As the number of votes directly affects democracy, it’s known as a system where ‘rule of the majority’ is implemented. There are two kinds of democracies:
Direct Democracy: Every person in the population has the ability to affect the outcome of a decision. The Brexit referendum is one such example.
Representative Democracy: This is how governments are formed. People vote to elect the officials that have decision making power. The idea is that these people reflect the wishes of the majority. The UK parliament and the US Congress are examples of it.
Democracy has been developed a lot over time. It has been established that democracies should protect the best interests of people, regardless of their gender, race, religion, sexuality, or political views.
A very famous quote by Winston Churchill that is often quoted while talking about democracy is,” Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”. So, there are no two arguments that democracy has many flaws and isn’t perfect, it’s also a fact that, so far, it is the best solution we have to run countries and maintain law and order. Democracy’s main aim is to bring the most benefits to the people, such as:
Protection of Citizens Interests: People can raise their voices in a democracy. They can run protests over the policies they are against; they can vote to make changes in the governing bodies and be the key in making rules and laws of their country.
Equality: A key principle of democracy is equality. So, regardless of one’s caste, creed or religion, everyone is equal in front of the eyes.
Preventing Power Abuse: The officials who are elected by the people can’t abuse their power in a democratic system. If they do so, they can be removed from the positions or simply not be re-elected.
Creating Stability: Human rights are protected in a democracy. The laws provide stability to the democratic structure, and governments have the ability to make amendments to the laws based on the best interests of the people that elected them.
Why is it Important to Know About Democracy?
Democracy is not only a process; it’s a goal. It’s a goal of achieving a society where equality and justice prevail. This ideal community can only be formed with the involvement of everyone. Unless you know about democracy, your rights and responsibilities, your country and nation can’t thrive.
Therefore, it is important to not only teach kids about democracy since a young age but for companies to commemorate the International Democracy Day too. Sending a simple reminder of how important democracy is on 15th September is enough to remind your employees why they need democracy and why they should always vote in elections. Take HowMuch for example, on the morning of 15th September, brochures talking about the importance of democracy were spread as a nice reminder for its need!