Time to revitalize the transformative power of democracy

“Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?” This mind-boggling question lingered in my mind when I departed Myanmar in December 2021. During my tenure as the Korean Ambassador to Myanmar, I witnessed the best and the worst times in Myanmar’s budding democracy. Its transition from a civilian-led government to a state of political turmoil following the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 was akin to a roller coaster ride.

Reflecting on Myanmar’s arduous journey toward democracy, I learned that though elections and open government are the keystones of democracy, they must be accompanied by a healthy political climate and unity of purpose among the parties concerned. Democracies require constant work and maintenance as there are many perils and pitfalls. As former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan observed, “No one is born a good citizen, no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime.”

In recent years, we have seen a concerning retreat of democracy globally. This retreat, as highlighted by Freedom House in 2022, has been marked by alarming trends such as authoritarianism, populism, racism, extremism and polarization. Against this backdrop, US President Joe Biden, calling the defense of democracy “the defining challenge of our time,” convened the inaugural Summit for Democracy in December 2021. The summit aimed to reaffirm our shared belief that democracy offers the best hope for delivering on the issues that matter most to people: strengthening accountable governance, expanding economic opportunities, protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and enabling lives of dignity.

Read more: https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2024/03/10/2339381/time-revitalize-transformative-power-democracy