Böll.Thema 2/24: Democracy
Around the world, democracy is under challenge as personal freedoms, the free press, voting rights, and judiciaries are being curtailed by far-right political forces in open pursuit of anti-democratic agendas. The people, however, refuse to accept that. They continue to champion human rights, democracy, and gender justice, transforming our energy system, and sustainable agriculture and resource management. They insist that courts administer justice and that the population be informed about grievances and solutions. As a token of our solidarity and as encouragement, we dedicate this issue to people who impressed us with their commitment to democracy. Without dedication and action, there can be no democracy. And without democracy, everything is for naught.
With contributions by, among others, Rasmus Randig, Jovan Džoli Ulicevic, Neha Dabhade, Sergio Rodriguez Prieto, a report by Jens Uthoff on the Belarusian exile association Razum, and an interview with Chile’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Antonia Orellana, about her fight for women’s rights.
This article first appeared here: www.boell.de
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Table of contents
Editorial
By Imme Scholz
Where we stand
Democracy lives by its people
By Rasmus Randig
Dossier
Democracy in figures
The state of democracy worldwide - facts, figures, and graphics.
By Heike Holdinghausen
Statement
The constitution I dream of
iLaw in Thailand has boosted democratic participation in the country.
By Kannika Yodnin
The Big Interview
“Activism and politics need each other”
Antonia Orellana, a former activist and Chile’s Minister for Women and Equality since 2022, brings feminist and social concerns into the government.
Interview by Gitte Cullmann and Angela Erpel Jara
In pictures
Switching camps
Activism and politics – what drives people to switch from one camp to the other? Six biographical sketches of people who did just that.
By Christina Focken
Essay
Solidarity as a political decision
Worldwide, women’s rights and LGBTIQ rights are weaponized to destabilize various regions. The only antidote is a return to democratic ideals.
By Jovan Džoli Ulicevic
The backbone of stable democracies
What European democracies can learn from India’s secularism and why protecting religious freedom is crucial for the future of democratic societies.
By Neha Dabhade
The dual nature of protests
How can international donor organizations support social movements while also preventing them from unleashing destructive forces?
By Sergio Rodriguez Prieto
Examples of activism
“We have to let young people make their own mistakes”
Moroccan playwright and actor Hosni el Mokhlis on the power of art, the ability to take criticism, and the need to create spaces for debate.
Interview by Rasmus Randig
A balancing act for Belarus
The association Razam is an important anchor in the daily lives of political refugees in Germany, as well as for activists back home who take a stand against Lukashenko.
By Jens Uthoff
Giving right-wingers an earful
For over twenty years, Banda Comunale and its joyful music have been getting under the skin of Neo-Nazis in Saxony. Recently, the brass band has mostly been playing in support of democratic alliances in rural areas. Can they make a difference?
By David Muschenich
Analysis & Comment
“We neither asked, nor did we listen well enough or look closely enough.”
The German Federal Government’s initiatives to promote democracy in Afghanistan disregarded the country’s cultural and social realities. But there are also positives.
By Schahina Gambir
“We need to get more creative about politics.”
Rosa Balfour attributes the rise of the extreme right to the wrought relationship between citizens and institutions of representative democracy.
Interview by Zora Siebert and Rasmus Randig
The Last Word
“Afghanistan still needs help from Europe”
By Sayed Shoaib Sadaat