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I have heard the term 'democracy' far too many times throughout the years I've been in existence. I have used it a couple of times myself, probably without bearing in mind the full weight of what it actually means. I took it lightly. Now as I have grown a little wiser I am faced with the task of defining the one term I've been advocating for and singing about for as long as I can remember. When I hear 'democracy', what echoes at the back of my mind is freedom.
Democracy is the freedom an individual has to express their views and opinions without fear of intimidation or being shut down.
Democracy is strength. It is the will to push for change, to turn weaknesses to strengths and to turn threats to opportunities.
Democracy is a tool for bringing forth ideas from one's mind into the mainstream. It paves way for expression of how one feels about a particular subject and encourages contributions of different people towards change.
It brings on board individuals from different backgrounds, diverse fields of specialty and varied schools of thought.
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Through it, a wide spectrum of ideas is brought to life and most of these ideas are very beneficial in realising development that most communities and countries are driving towards.
Democracy helps to shed light on areas that actually need attention. Allowing people to air their concerns is very important. For instance, a community faced with issues such as poor waste management, unemployment among the youth and poor conditions of social amenities among others, would need residents of that place to speak up and address those issues.
If the people affected directly by the issues mentioned above have no right to speak about what problems they face, their issues would never be solved.
Democracy is important because it advocates for participatory approach.
All stakeholders, from politicians to the residents ought to be involved in every step of decision making. The top down approach has since been done away with. Involving everyone regardless of their background, religion, political affiliation, age or academic qualifications ensures that none of them feels left out.
Development for instance, requires the input of every member of society from the grassroots to the urbanized regions. If for example a country fails to involve the people who are directly affected by certain issues in decision making, the concerned parties will only make blind decisions. They would have no idea, whatsoever, of what challenges people actually face, the contribution of local knowledge and the possible solutions to problems. They would definitely base their decisions on generalizations and assumptions and they would eventually settle on implementing solutions based on impractical data.
Democracy is a driver of action. Before action is taken there is need for drafting simple, specific and conceptually clear plans. As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. Absence of democracy makes it difficult to table viable plans because input from other people would be discouraged. Only the contribution of few 'chosen ones' would be encouraged. These people are bound to make plans that cater for a specific group of people and eschew the other groups. They would make plans that would favour their interests alone. Absence of democracy breeds the vice of individualism and the worst case of selfishness, on a large scale level.
Many people are bound to suffer under the dictatorship of a few individuals in positions of power. This power may be abused and these people subjected to tough conditions that stirs fear and in willful subordination in them. Surely development is not and will never be a one-man responsibility. It requires the efforts of everyone. We all need to contribute in time, talent and treasure. Without democracy, the only plans that will be put to action are those that are personal as opposed to plans that aim at the common good.
Nonetheless, democracy gives a platform for people to openly and confidently share their visions, wishes, opinions, ideas, dreams, hopes, ambitions and expectations. A visionary person is an asset to the society. Having a vision sets your course to success. Democracy challenges a person to move out of their comfort zones and fly to new horizons. It inspires a person to take a risk and actually strive to leave behind a legacy. It pushes people to live a life that is worth remembering.
An additional benefit of democracy is that it drives to extinction the 'unfair society'. It supports equality and justice among all people. It makes people aware that they can achieve anything they put their mind to because the environment around them has created that ambience that favors growth. Democracy is a boost especially to those people who are passionate about making progress.
No matter how important democracy is, there are a few challenges associated with it. First, freedom comes with responsibility. Therefore, people need to exercise the highest degrees of wisdom before speaking about something. We ought to get facts right before complaining about something. We need to shun prejudice and bias because these evil twins have the potential to radiate the worst attitudes. People should try their best to understand that democracy is a way of life as much as it is a privilege.
Secondly, some people would potentially abuse the privilege of democracy. What do I call them? Insensitive opportunists, with no intention of a pun. This group of people is made up of individuals who use democracy to intimidate others, to spread false information and to taint the image of other people. They have no regard whatsoever for the emotions of others or basically they do not care about how much damage their insensitivity would cause a fellow human being. To them democracy is a means to an end. Democracy is among the many options they have to whip justice out of the society.
I say, may that democracy that they use irresponsibly be the same democracy that brings them to justice. The masses have a voice and even the walls have ears. Sooner or later the web of justice catches every perpetrator of acts of injustice.
The bottom line is that democracy is a force for good. It is a combination of duties, rights, privileges and responsibilities. It is the sun that puts everyone on the same level, everyone is under it. It is the hope of the vulnerable and the bane of the oppressors. It is the mighty hand of justice that would grab a culprit by the neck and put them to book.
What Democracy Is and What It Means. (2022, Nov 18). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/what-democracy-is-and-what-it-means-essay
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