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“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
George Bernard Shaw
Democracy can only be sustained if all stakeholders and everyone concerned can pro-actively foster and maintain democratic values and structures. Democracy has to be instilled at a very young age so that young citizens of the world can have internalized democratic principles and they can grow up to be young adults who are empowered to make responsible decisions.
The establishment of systems where democratic principles abound and are upheld requires a civil society where the youths are predominantly the catalyst of a socio- political and economic culture attuned to democracy, liberty and freedom. It befits to emphasize that democracy does not fall from heaven; it has to be brought about by individuals, groups and social actors who fight for it. Those who can bring about freedom where it is absent and justice where it is denied are chiefly young people. Freedom and justice is a patient and often-difficult struggle that requires the strength, sacrifice, rigor and fortitude of young people to be attained. Often times the youth force retreat to dormancy and apathy for lack of perspective and coordination. In this frustration the youth force is hijacked and brought into conflict by belligerent, insurgent and other terrorist war lords either to resist possible democratic transition or to meet their deadly goals.
There is a need to cultivate a culture of democratic participation, especially among young people. Young people nowadays are equipped with equal and better opportunities to access information and gain knowledge about the concept of democracy.
However, research indicates that young people have not disengaged from democratic and civic behavior, their democratic values are apparently still strong. Young people engage today in different forms of democratic activities appropriate to their own understanding of democracy and citizenship, in a society in which they feel marginalized from the political process. The recent demonstrations, protests or riots in many European countries could be seen as young people’s answer to a political system that they feel does not give them their share of power and full citizenship. Young people have found other ways to make their voices heard.
young people can engage in peacebuilding, leading non-violent revolutions, using new technologies to mobilize societies to bring about change. Young people have demonstrated the potential to build bridges across communities, working together, helping to manage conflict and promote peace. Young people are vital stakeholders in conflict and in peace-building, and can be agents of change and provide a foundation for rebuilding lives and communities, contributing to a more just and peaceful society. youth-led movements for democratic change are on the rise in a number of countries – including in fragile states. Using new communication channels in social networks, young people are making their mark on democracy-building in untraditional ways, like social media.
We live in society today where the media plays a pivotal role in how we see the world, and how our opinions are formed, whether it is from what we watch on television or what we gather from newspapers. It is a very powerful tool with the ability to make and break the opinion of people. Media through its various means of newspapers, television and cinema is what rules the heart and minds of people. The media has helped to make our society a democracy by placing emphasis on issues that at one point in time would have been considered strictly private such as child birth, homosexuality, child care, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.
Democracy is universal value. Just because the institutions of democracy developed over centuries in the West, it does not mean that the idea of democracy is of exclusively Western origin. The principle that ordinary people should have a say in the decisions that affect their lives, and that rulers should be accountable to them, is one that has emerged at different times and places across the world. Democracy is now a universal aspiration, even if it is not realized everywhere in practice.
The European Union is based on a strong commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law worldwide. Human rights are at the heart of EU relations with other countries and regions.
The EU stands up and continues to relentlessly support human rights defenders, to speak out against the shrinking civil society space, and to use political and financial action to support them.
These goals reflect the views of European youth and represent the vision of those active in the EU Youth Dialogue:
Connecting EU with Youth
Equality of All Genders
Inclusive Societies
Information & Constructive Dialogue
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Moving Rural Youth Forward
Quality Employment for All
Quality Learning
Space and Participation for All
Sustainable Green Europe
Youth Organizations & European Programmes;
EU youth cooperation shall make the most of youth policy's potential. It fosters youth participation in democratic life; it also supports social and civic engagement and aims to ensure that all young people have the necessary resources to take part in society.