opinion

Needed: democracy
and courage for 2008
by Clarence E. Pilgrim

With the changeover between the old and new years, the written or unwritten resolution which is most applicable is the one which calls for goodwill among and between individuals, communities, religions, nations, etc. If we are to have a world with a future whose history would be one of remarkable development as opposed to the disintegration into chaos that some with an alternate view would prefer, it would seem to be desirable to have established social structures. The people who don't share such a desire say that it's a case of destroying to re-build. But is this the way?

The recent assassination of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has thrown her country into turmoil and left democratic institutions and nations worldwide in a state of shock, grief and condemnation for this calculated murder. Her death, along with the deaths of her followers in this attack, is to be considered a direct attack on the Fundamental Freedoms, which are enshrined in the United Nations Human Rights Charter.

This act, and all actions of this nature, pose a direct threat to democracy and international security.

But how does a leader walk the line of exercising certain fundamental rights and freedoms while safeguarding his or her life and property against destructive attacks by hostile and in this case deadly elements?

Bhutto, in an October opinion article in The Wall Street Journal said "We do not want to endanger our leadership unnecessarily, and we certainly don't want to risk potential mass murder of my supporters.... If we don't campaign, the terrorists have won and democracy is set back further. If we do campaign, we risk violence. It is an extraordinary dilemma.''

It is therefore important for countries and governments who are serious about protecting democracy, to step up to the plate and put in place measures to protect their citizens from crime, violence and acts of terrorism. We must come to the reality that no place and no person is immune from the potential threat of deadly acts committed in the name of religion, ideology or out of undefined madness.

The undertakings pledged by states at the UN Millennium Summit, must become more than just promises. 2008 must be the beginning of a new direction for increased development assistance, fair trade, market access and debt relief for developing countries. We must work to remove the creation of fertile grounds for extremism and terrorism. With the stability and future of the entire human community jeopardized by negligent and/or dangerous acts, we must take heed of the warning signs.

Scientists have proven that there will be serious if not dire consequences if we fail to solve the problems involving energy and climate change. The very living systems upon which civilization depends. Therefore, we must reaffirm our support for an "Earth Charter" which endorses the rights-based approach to the use of the Earth's natural resources for the benefit of all of mankind.

In this regard it is important for social reengineering to occur. A course of action should be a "bottom-up and outside-in" approach. The power of the people must provide an impetus for continued democratization.

A new world "consciousness" is needed to break away from the shackles of historical bondage and political dogma, with self-recognition, devotion to democracy, and the understanding of shared destiny. This is where generations to come prosper and pass on their legacies.

Let us not let the death of champions for democracy like Benazir Bhutto go quietly into the sunset of this fading year and the hardly read pages of obscure history books. Let her life and what she and others like her, stand for, be the symbol of courage and achievement to herald in a new year and a new dispensation for the ongoing quest to fulfill humanity's drive for continued excellence.

The author is an educator and senior civil servant in Antigua & Barbuda