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Danas obilježavamo Dan antifašističke borbe , a to je važan dan koji nas podsjeća koliko je bitno živjeti u demokraciji. Demokracija je dala moć ljudima da odlučuju kako žele biti predstavljeni. Kao što je spomenuto u Periklovom pogrebnom govoru: “Istina je da smo nazvani demokracijom, jer uprava je u rukama mnogih, a ne nekolicine.”

S demokracijom su došli zakoni i ustavi koji čuvaju temeljna ljudska prava i slobodu. Sloboda govora, pravo na jednako postupanje, pravo na sigurnost i slobodu, pravo na obrazovanje, pravo na privatnost, pravo na pravično suđenje, sloboda udruživanja… To su samo neka od mnogobrojnih prava koja su sticana zajedno s demokracijom. Međutim, održavanje demokratske institucije uvijek je u rukama naroda. Također je važno biti svjestan rasta ekstremističkih stranaka, bilo s desne ili lijeve strane političkog spektra.

Osim toga, demokracija je omogućila pravedne izbore i otvorene rasprave, što omogućava miran prijenos vlasti, otvoreni dijalog i, što je najvažnije, kompromise. Demokracija, više od svega, pomaže zemlji da održi socijalno-ekonomsku stabilnost, a time i stabilniji život za ljude koji u njoj žive.

Osim toga, stvoreni su mehanizmi koji osiguravaju transparentnost i odgovornost onima koji su na vlasti, poput revizija, neovisnih medija i općenito pristupa informacijama, tako da građani mogu oblikovati vlastito mišljenje o javnim pitanjima, političkim osobama i najrazličitijim temama.

Razmišljamo: Kakvo je društvo bez demokracije? I možda još važnije, što je demokracija bez društva? Oboje bi trebalo biti zajedno, ruku pod ruku, jer koristi su mnoge. Bez demokracije, kada jedan pojedinac vlada i djeluje prema vlastitoj volji, povijest nam je pokazala da su ljudi na kraju najviše pogođeni.

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Today we mark the Anti-Fascist Struggle Day, and it is such an important day to remind ourselves how significant it is to be able to live in a democracy. Democracy gave power to the people to decide how they want to be represented. As was mentioned in Pericles’s Funeral Speech: “It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few.”.

With democracy came, in the form of Laws and Constitutions, the safe keeping of fundamental rights and freedoms. The freedom of speech, the right of being treated equally, the right to security and liberty, the right to education, the right to privacy, the right to fair trial, freedom of association… These are just some of the many rights that were earned with and by democracy. However, it’s always in the hands of the people to maintain the democratic institution alive and well. Furthermore, it’s important to keep an eye open for the rising of extremist parties, being that from the right wing or left.

Besides what was mentioned above, it also granted the possibility to fair elections and open debates, being able in this way for smooth transfers of power, open dialogue and most importantly compromises. Democracy more than everything helps a country to maintain social economic stability and with that a more stable life for the people that live in it.

In addition, there were created mechanisms that install transparency and accountability to those who are in government positions, such as audits, independent media and overall access to information so the citizens can build their own opinion about public matters, political personalities and most varied topics.

Let’s reflect: What is society without democracy? And maybe more importantly what is democracy without society? They both should keep being together, hand in hand, because the benefits are many and without democracy, being ruled by one and moved by the will of one, throughout history we witnessed that, in the end, the people were always the ones that suffered most.