Lest We Forget

international | elections | opinion/analysis Wednesday February 23, 2005 12:27 by iosaf mac diarmada

Today the 23rd day of the 2nd month is traditionally a day of symbolic statements.

Democracy does not spring up out of the ground.
The rights to equal suffrage regardless of socio-economic class, gender, or creed in a secret ballot are European rights.

They have rooted in the arguments of Greek sychophants and intellectuals, who never allowed their wives, concubines, slaves or migrants the same rights.

They have roots in the declaration of the rights of man of the French Revolution.

every visitor is shown the bullet holes he left. "to remember"

They share roots with the constitution of the USA.

They have some roots in the equal decision making of the Calvinist and Presbytarian and other dissenting christian faiths.

They owe much to those men and women of the First International who yet again called for -

The Universal right to participate in your society and the decisions which effect it, without prejudice or hindrance on grounds of Race, Gender, Creed, Socio-Economic Class, Ownership of Property, and _in secret_.

Today marks the 24th anniversary of a failed coup d'etat in Spain on Feb 23 1981 by some members of the military "estate" which saw the congress held at gunpoint, and tanks on the streets of Valencia. A situation which lasted till the King Juan Carlos took to that then "new media" TV and called for a return to the democratic contract.

The Democratic contract, between state and people, between institutions of state and government and the "estates" of any nation or state, be they military, church, media, academia, or civil service, police, trade unions, political parties and social assembles, must never be taken for granted.

Nor is the only expression of Democracy found on "ballot day" when the enfranchised are called to poll.

The expression of democracy must be found every day, if it is to remain in any good health. Its expression relies on the rights of man, as articulated in the French Revolution and First International and United Nations charter of Human Rights.

Freedom of Expression.
Freddom of Association.

are amongst the most important.

In most recent times we have as social assemblies in Europe moved to define in _de facto_ terms if not _de jure_, additional rights of "civil disobedience" and "democratic dissent".

We will continue no doubt, to do so.

The values of Democracy, of Liberty and Equality and Fraternity are threatened when any of the estates party to the state or nation exert imbalanced and undue power.

These values are undermined by militarised societies, by unchecked police forces, by xenophobic political parties which move against migrants or minorites on ground of creed or race, by trade unions who do not properly represent the interests of their workers, by media owners who attempt to monopolise public opinion and stiffle or limit public debate or manipulate public opinion.

Democracy is about much much more than voting once in a while.

It is more than saying "yes" or "no", in our high technological society of today it is also about "abstention" and "participation". Democracy is about learning and teaching the values of participation in society. From the smallest communities to the largest international stages.

Democracy is a system of values, a constant search for dialogue, a constant re-affirmation of the Rights of Mankind.

It is my opinion that the anniversary of the last coup d'etat attempt in Western Europe is a fitting day to again urge all in the estates of society-
Military, Church, Media, Academia, Civil service, police, trade unions, political parties and social assembles, to continue to listen to each other to respect each other, to recognise that any modern society is a tapestry of cause and effect, injury and gift, hurt and understanding.

Together we teach the next generations, so that together we move, for we must all realise that our democracies are imperfect. As were the democracies of the ancient greeks, as was the republic of Rome, as was the time of the First International when the majority of Europeans did not vote on gender or class grounds. Together we must realise our democracies are "emergent".

Our role in social assemblies and as media collectives ought be to help that future democracy emerge, and curtail the threat of monopolised commercial media and opinion.

Our role is to balance the damage done in the name of free speech to the minds of the next generation who weren't born in 1981 and for whom February 23 is a day to "worry about spam".

(as always I thank sincerely the imc ireland collective for the space which is "ar oscailt")