The Principles and Values of Democracy Are:
- Democracy is a system of government established by the national constitution.
- Democracy is a system of government in which the citizens are sovereign.
- Democracy is as relevant to locality decision making as it is to whole populations.
- Democracy is a system of making decisions that is free and fair, and with out fear or favour.
- Democracy is not just about giving citizens the vote, but it is about encouraging them to have a say at all levels of decision making over issues that affect their lives.
- Democracy is about understanding the responsibilities and strata of decision making and those decisions that need to be taken internationally, nationally, regionally, locally and by the individual.
- Democracy is about setting up the structures that allows decisions to be made at the appropriate strata of government.
- Democracy is about understanding when consultation is required with higher and lower strata.
- Democracy is about understanding when a joint decision needs to be made with a neighbouring jurisdiction within the same strata level.
- Democracy is above politics.
- Democracy concerns itself with the process by which political decisions are made, not the decisions themselves, except when those decisions are relevant to democracy itself.
- Democracy is about all being equal, regardless of status, occupation, race, religion, creed, age, gender, disability and orientation.
- Democracy welcomes Diversity.
- Democracy requires a system of law, order and justice.
- Democracy is about having the respect for and developing those institutions that promote and support democracy.
- Democracy supports the concept of universal human rights.
- Democracy aims to maximise the personal freedom of all its citizens.
- Democracy aims to maximise the potential of all its citizens.
- Democracy aims to maximise the health of nature, the environment and the planet.
- Democracy is about understanding the views and wishes of the electorate and for the elected to turn these views into actions on behalf of the whole electorate.
- Democracy is about the responsibility to present arguments in a manner that is balanced, truthful and fair.
- Democracy is about the minority acknowledging and respecting that there is an alternative prevailing majority view.
- Democracy is about the majority acknowledging and respecting the minority and that there is a minority point of view.
- Democracy is about the majority acknowledging that they still have responsibility for the care of the minority.
- Democracy is about free speech and the freedom to express oneself safely and freely without duress.
- Democracy is about taking the privilege of free speech and using it responsibly.
- Democracy has a responsibility to uphold and promote the truth and to reflect accurately on the world as it is.
- Democracy is about having a free and responsible press to disseminate the news along with views and opinions in true and proper balance.
- Democracy is about giving everybody equal access to the institutions and processes of democracy, regardless of their means or status.
- Democracy mandates that those who make the decisions are accountable to those on whose behalf the decisions were made.
- Democracy demands the transparency of the consequences or outcomes of who does what, when and why.
- Democracy demands that, when mistaken decisions are made, those on whose behalf they were made have a duty to hold the decision-makers to account.
- Democracy is about the right to demonstrate peacefully and legally
- Democracy has built within itself, the ability to correct mistaken decisions.
- Democracy is not to be taken for granted.
- Democracy is a privilege, a responsibility and a duty to be upheld.
- Democracy should not be used as a means to manipulate the population, either for self-interest or against democracy itself.
- Democracy is about having in place protection for Democracy and the institutions of Democracy.
- Anything that is contrary to the above is undemocratic.
A summary of the above
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