Kofi Annan Quotes About Democracy
-
No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline.
→ -
The Arab spring reminds me a bit of the decolonisation process where one country gets independence and everybody else wants it. How about us, when do we get it, when do we make our move? And you have a situation where someone has been in power for decades, where the integrity of elections, democracy and security have really not been debated or discussed and most people suspect that elections are rigged and that the democratic rotation that elections are supposed to ensure doesn't really happen. And when this goes on for a while you are sitting on a powder keg.
→ -
Founded on the principles of private initiative, entrepreneurship and self-employment, underpinned by the values of democracy, equality and solidarity, the co-operative movement can help pave the way to a more just and inclusive economic order.
→ -
The report produced by my commission, the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, in 2012 showed the corrosive impact of money in US politics, for example, which undermines the legitimacy of the democratic system in citizens' eyes. Such perceptions partly explain the rise of a phenomenon like the success of Donald Trump.
→ -
Democracy is, in essence, a form of non-violent conflict management. If war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention.
→ -
Education is a human right with immense power to transform
→ -
In countries where democracy is either non-existent or in development, on the other hand, citizens crave those freedoms. Maybe that is one lesson Western citizens can learn from those countries: treasure what you have. Use your rights and freedoms to effect the change you want.
→ -
If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are the conditions for development.
→ -
It is tragic that so few young people in Western democracies vote. They have forgotten that their ancestors fought for the right to choose and change their leaders. They don't realise that their votes are more important than their tweets or Facebook posts.
→ -
Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.
→ -
From this vision of the role of the United Nations in the next century flow three key priorities for the future: eradicating poverty, preventing conflict and promoting democracy.
→
Related Authors
-
Roméo Dallaire Canadian Senator -
Javier Perez de Cuellar Diplomat -
Navi Pillay Jurist -
Bill Gates Investor -
Trygve Lie Norwegian Politician -
Antonio Guterres Portuguese Politician -
-
Dag Hammarskjold Diplomat -
Raoul Wallenberg Architect -
Tony Blair Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom -
Bashar al-Assad President of Syria -
U Thant Diplomat -
Aung San Suu Kyi Burmese Politician -
Lakhdar Brahimi Political leader -
-
Ban Ki-moon Diplomat -
Yasser Arafat Former Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization -
Kurt Waldheim Austrian Politician -
Boutros Boutros-Ghali Politician -
Nelson Mandela Former President of South Africa