Article I- What Democracy Is
I believe that
-democracy is the practice of hearing all voices present and being aware of the voices of those not heard. It is vital in the practice of democracy to be intentional and constantly aware of the voices and experiences that are heard, but also, if not more so, of the those that either go unvoiced or are spoken in the soft whispers of those marginalized by society. Democracy exists only when every person, regardless of age, sex, orientation, religion, ability, intelligence, etc. is provided with the opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and influence change upon the decisions impacting them.
-in order to be considered truly democratic, one must be willing to admit that they cannot, and do not, know everything-that sometimes it is necessary to step back and let others lead. Democracy demands that people become familiar with their beliefs, biases, what they bring to the table and what their limits may be. This is essential because in order to have a democratic community, the members of the community need to contribute to the whole-the greater good. And in order to contribute, we need to have a deeper understanding of ourselves and our role within the greater community.
-democracy, in its simplest form, is the thing that comes so naturally to children and tends to be lost with age. Democracy exists in the childhood games of past; it is the understanding that everyone has an equal opportunity to play, that rules apply to everyone and exist for the good of the community, and that more often than not, success is achieved when the community works together-utilizing the individual talents of all members and playing to the strengths of each.
-democracy is the act of seeing each individual member of society as vital to the positive functioning of the society as a whole in a way that allows the individual to experience her/himself as, not only important and necessary, but as respected and heard.
I believe that
-democracy is the practice of hearing all voices present and being aware of the voices of those not heard. It is vital in the practice of democracy to be intentional and constantly aware of the voices and experiences that are heard, but also, if not more so, of the those that either go unvoiced or are spoken in the soft whispers of those marginalized by society. Democracy exists only when every person, regardless of age, sex, orientation, religion, ability, intelligence, etc. is provided with the opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and influence change upon the decisions impacting them.
-in order to be considered truly democratic, one must be willing to admit that they cannot, and do not, know everything-that sometimes it is necessary to step back and let others lead. Democracy demands that people become familiar with their beliefs, biases, what they bring to the table and what their limits may be. This is essential because in order to have a democratic community, the members of the community need to contribute to the whole-the greater good. And in order to contribute, we need to have a deeper understanding of ourselves and our role within the greater community.
-democracy, in its simplest form, is the thing that comes so naturally to children and tends to be lost with age. Democracy exists in the childhood games of past; it is the understanding that everyone has an equal opportunity to play, that rules apply to everyone and exist for the good of the community, and that more often than not, success is achieved when the community works together-utilizing the individual talents of all members and playing to the strengths of each.
-democracy is the act of seeing each individual member of society as vital to the positive functioning of the society as a whole in a way that allows the individual to experience her/himself as, not only important and necessary, but as respected and heard.
