Standing Together for Freedom: A Commitment to 14 Democratic Principles

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Standing Together for Freedom: A Commitment to 14 Democratic Principles
3/28/2023 by Katie LaRoque
This week’s Summit for Democracy provides a moment to take stock of what’s at stake and recommit ourselves to the principles that will help advance a world where all people live freely.



Ukrainian school students participate in a June 2019 opening ceremony of a USAID-supported Parliamentary Education Center.
(Press Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, via the U.S. Department of State / Andrii Nesterenko)

Open any newspaper these days, and there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a story about people around the world fighting for their freedoms: Ukrainians bravely defending their land and democratic values from Russian president Vladimir Putin’s imperialist ambitions. Uyghurs courageously recounting the truth of their torture in the Chinese government’s prison camps. The brave women of Iran leading street protesters in the cry, “Woman, Life, Freedom!”—even as they risk brutal government violence. But as people around the world stand up for democracy and human rights, dictators are learning from one another how to suppress challenges to their rule more effectively. At home, they’re dismantling the institutions that undergird a free society, and taking aim at individuals who expose their misrule.

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The declaration presents 14 core principles that all democratic governments should live up to. Among them are several that promote inclusive policymaking—including by giving citizens a greater voice in government, promoting youth involvement in democratic processes, and supporting gender equality and policies that encourage women’s political participation. Recognizing that all democracies are a work in progress, the declaration states that we must hold one another accountable in pursuit of these principles and work together to reinforce shared ideals and confront common threats. The 14 principles and associated actions in the declaration will be presented during the official summit programming to provide a roadmap for policymakers to fight back against dictators working to extinguish calls for freedom around the world.

This struggle is not an easy one. It will require considerable work and political will from governments and citizens alike. No country can do it alone; it will require a global coalition working to hold one another accountable and to make the powerful case for democracy: it is the best form of government for ensuring peace, prosperity, sustainable development, and human dignity because it is rooted in the recognition of human rights, and allows for the orderly reconciliation of competing views and interests.

The fight for freedom is not the work of months or years, but of decades. This week’s Summit for Democracy provides a moment to take stock of what’s at stake and recommit ourselves to the principles that will help advance a world where all people live freely. This is not a task of governments alone; it requires each and every one of us to remain informed and engaged, and to stand up for freedom for all people everywhere.

https://msmagazine.com/2023/03/28/democracy-summit-politics-government/