"Democracy"
is one of the most important principles for a better world. In its truest sense,
a democracy is a community in which all members have an equal say in the running
of that community. Unfortunately in reality, democratic societies have fallen
short of this ideal. Nevertheless, because of its very nature, once a democracy
is established, its citizens can work together to make their society more and
more democratic, if they choose to do so.
The
Global Youth Democracy Campaign is an annual opportunity for youth to observe
October 18 as the World Youth Day for Democracy. The campaign aims to raise
awareness about the positive contributions youth are making to promote democracy
around the world and to mobilize youth to participate in democracy-building discussions,
debates, rallies and educational campaigns about the importance of democratic
principles like human rights and civic participation.
In
1996 a coalition of groups in Toronto and Vancouver organized a Media Democracy
Day to challenge the monopolization of media outlets by a few corporations. Previously,
organizations had organized a Media Democracy Day in Britain on October 18, commemorating
the 1922 establishment of the BBC (British Broadcasting Company). By 2002, Media
Democracy Day was celebrated in cities throughout the world.
Currently
there is an international campaign to urge the United Nations to declare October
18 as Global Democracy Day -- the official international day for democracy
(GlobalDemocracyDay.net)
In
the United States there is also a grassroots movement to have the first Tuesday
in November - Election Day - declared a federal and state holiday. Many countries
help promote democracy by making election day a holiday to make it easier for
people to vote and to remind us about this important civil right and duty.
