Welcome to the Democracy Roundtable, an online forum dedicated to exploring the form of government that British statesman Winston Churchill famously described as the worst, except for all the others.
This site gives you a chance to weigh in with your ideas about democratic governance and see what representatives from nongovernmental organizations in a variety of disciplines have to say. I’ll be offering ideas, asking questions, and doubtless learning some interesting things, but this is your platform for your conversation.
Personally, I’m a product of the American brand of democracy and a fan of the U.S. political process, especially with how it plays out in political campaigns. (You can find out more about that on America.gov’s U.S. Politics page.) But in the Democracy Roundtable, I’m looking forward to hearing from you about the different faces and forms democracy takes in other nations.
Comments (6)
laszlo g meszaros
4 July 2008 at 07:51 EDT
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It is really nice to initiate this kind of discussion. However, it would be fruitful to define democracy first. I would even suggest to go back to the basics: do the people really have a chance to rule? Western democracies are failing, because this question was never asked. The rest is b.s.
Hayatu Sanusi
4 July 2008 at 09:20 EDT
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I am extremely glad to bump into this wonderful site. My search for the beauty of democracy has lead me to the conclusion that a return to DIRECT DEMOCRACY will better serve the goal of equitable representation even in a country (like America) with a different historical background from mine (Nigeria), which is made of hundreds of different ethinic and religious groups with an even greater variety of interests, which, in turn, cannot be reasonably handled by political parties - that even in America, where they have been fairly successful - they are run like ‘company’ properties of the [owning] members. The fact that they are investing their own money (even if legally) to compete for power to rule, poses a very serious ethical question before the constitution that gave them such [monster of a] power to call into play the jungle rule for suvival!
How can you do without political parties? Very simple. Government spends tax payers’ money to organize defence, health, education, the economy and a host of other national assignments; why can’t it supervise a once-in-a-while excercise of asking the people to finger their own representatives in governance?
Where I come from, each of the dozen scores of ethinic groupings will develop a sense of belonging and a feeling of security among others that are not holding hidden agendas, but coming to respect the interest of the others in order to promote their own - undiluted by the ‘politicals’
I may be advocating simplistic solutions, but I also am working on practicable proposals for putting democracy at the service of all mankind as I understand you also do.
Please, feel free to publsh my e-mail [open source] address on your site - hayatusanusi@yahoo.co.uk
Hayatu Sanus
4 July 2008 at 12:27 EDT
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The response to Comment (1) should have come from the moderator, but I cannot wait for the chance to modestly take up the comment.
Democracy is a political system in which every person has the freedom and equal right to participate in a political process of electing representatives of the people by the majority of the people to rule through any form of government they (the people) choose to establish.
BUT the gullible and the not-so-gullible have been conned into believing that a mechanism of transfer of power to rule from all manners of dictatorship to the hands of the people has been devised by the introduction of political parties into the equation.
BUT, again, the governed are deceived into believing that the ability to make a choice between varous parties of different colours and shades tantamounts to political freedom and thus to democracy.
There is no denying the fact that all political parties are self-appointed and owned by both their visible and invisible promoters and run as businesses while the only part left for the governed is casting votes to elect the parties’ nominated candidates.
Adams
6 July 2008 at 10:15 EDT
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Talking about Democracy in Africa is meaningless as long as the current heads of states remain in power. Let us first get rid of them so that we can talk about it later. After what they have done with the case of Zimbabwe I have put an end to my hopes of Africa becoming democracy. I am proud of Botswana though.
james chuol pal
7 July 2008 at 07:33 EDT
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democracy by the definition is not only a freedom to vote in election as the odinary persons know i n africa.
please democracy is a totalelement of change in leadership style in africa so western cuontries are asking to help the governments in africa as only aelement not just a poltical enforcment for in thier cuontries.
if first world want the african nations to be free from the internal conflicts and curopetons rather poltical discuontibility.
thanks
james////
Hayatu Sanusi
11 July 2008 at 10:40 EDT
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It is definitely be meaningless to only talk about democracy; I believe this site is not provided for talk alone, but for bringing out fresh ideas about how to go about the business of ‘righting’ the wrong that is being commited in the name of democracy! And this may vary from country to country depending on the various factors that make democracy practicable and sustainable. It is not enough to lament about the abuse of democracy that is common in most African countries or to state the obstacles inhibiting the success of democracy; we must profer workable solutions, no matter how difficult or daunting; any form of dictatorship can only be toppled with the support of the people whom democracy is supposed to free and serve. The first step therefore must be to educate the people to stand up to undimocratic forces.
The removal of Patrice Lumumba, Mobutu, Bokassa, Idi Amin, and a host of other tyrants did not bring democracy to their respective countries; the removal of Mughabe is only a tiny portion of the problem of Zimbabwean democracy.
What will the Africans be doing after they are freed by the ‘first’ world? Sitting under trees’ dancing and guzzling local brews while the rape of democracy and their offsprings goes on unhindered?
The loss of our freedom, national wealth and esteem counts very little against any suggestion of the loss of hope - all, except hope, can be recovered from the opressor, for hope is the one thing no one can take from you and if you should volunteer to loose it, then you do not deserve to BE!