11/08/2021
An important article that concludes with this call for civically engaged populations:
“Inspiring bold citizens
As democratic legislative bodies debate the parameters of these freedoms, they can still invest time and resources in strengthening civil society. And while a robust civil society is critical to the maintenance of democracies, it is perhaps even more critical in countries where activists are trying to lay the foundations of democracy.
For example, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a whistleblower during the Trump administration, and Belarussian dissident Andrei Sannikov write that for Belarus to succeed in moving away from an autocracy that has governed its country for over 25 years, it "will require the collective action of other western nations committed to the values and principles of basic human rights and freedoms." The United States could take lead on this by "providing material and ideological support to the country's pro-democracy elements."
This kind of aid is far more practical, explains Roland Rich, an assistant teaching professor at Rutgers University and former Australian diplomat. Government-to-government aid, especially when one of the parties involved is not a democracy, is often highly ineffective in bringing about tangible change. However, he argues, "people-to-people aid" can empower citizens and civil society to organize and push for the freedoms they deserve.
For Mawarire, who continues the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe, Rich's thinking mirrors his mobilization efforts on the ground. He explains that one of his country's democratic slogans has become, "If we cannot cause the politician to change, then we must inspire the citizen to be bold."
And while international support for democratic efforts can often play a critical role, Mawarire believes that much of the push for freedom must come from within countries where citizens are struggling against the weight of autocracy. The beauty of his advocacy work, he says, is helping fellow Zimbabweans recognize their agency in the political process and then driving them to say, "I'm not going to sit in the terraces or bleachers to watch other people [build democracy]. I'm doing it myself."
Democracy does not blossom overnight. Mawarire compares it to growing a garden and waiting patiently for the seeds of freedom to blossom. It may take time, but "there's going to be a generation that's going to harvest the fruits of democracy," he says. Until then, all those who believe in the values of a free and open society must tend to the garden, watering, cultivating, and, when necessary, removing the weeds of autocracy that threaten to compromise its growth.”
In the opening essay of "Voices of Freedom," Yaffa Fredrick writes that 2020 was yet another terrible year for democracy across the globe. But there are steps citizens can take to reverse this trend. She showcases the ideas of several dissidents from Russia to Myanmar, Venezuela to Zimbabwe, who exp...
