SOK MODULE 1

SOK Module 1 : Democratic Values and Citizenship

Types of Democracy
Democracy started in Ancient Athens with aim to organize political system to make Athens a great city and great empire. All citizens were duty bound to participate in politics since city- state was the most important (Direct Democracy = political decision taken by people of the country) Disadvantage : not all citizens were prepared or able to participate in politics Hence Plato defined democracy as the dictatorship of the ignorant masses Representative/ Indirect democracy (modern) = people vote for their representatives in Parliament (we have no say) through elections Disadvantages of Modern Democracy : Passive citizens instead of active : not participating in decisions that affect them, their families and country ( forfeit their rights and responsabilities) Unable to participate in decision making Corruption Demos Kratia (people rules) = ethmology of the word democracy Democracy not only in politics (eg. President of band, club etc). A system that affects the life of every citizen in all sort of ways

Democracy = a way of life and best political system to attain justice/ provides best conditions for citizenship to gain and flourish Values : Liberty (freedom therefore rights) Equality Tolerance Participation Patriotism
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Loyalty Rights: Freedom of movement, belief, expression and association Gender equality

What Is Citizenship?
Education is the main agent of socialization. One has to understand the concepts in the process of becoming a democratic citizen. Democracy has to be nurtured if we dont want to lose it altogether. Aim to develop capability for thought and responsible in political, economical, social and cultural life. Rational and critical persons for education to function smoothly (medium to control egoism and selfishness generated by capitalism and free-market economy) . Sense of community, appreciation of value of solidarity and mutual cooperation and willingness to communicate and exchange ideas Society = people who are able to make informed choices and decisions to take actions. Respect each others identities and ideas to be reflective Safety net (eg. Stipend and pension) = a way of redistributing resources generally, a matter of universal membership regardless of gender, class and ethnicity Heater points out that citizenship should be understood as a mosaic of identities According to Heater and Oliver: a good citizen is one who enjoys freedom and is vigilant to defend it against the abuse of power; and participates as effectively as possible in public affairs, especially in local community

The Benefits of Democracy

An open society is one where all forms of knowledge and all social policies can be openly criticized (eg. Refugees reaching our shore have no freedom of speech etc)
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Advantage of democracy: Freedom of speech and press (complain without any fear of being persecuted by state authorities Self-expression Practise whatever religion one wants even though its not the faith of the majority (association with any organization one likes) Decisions not taken by one person only Referendum: important decisions taken by whole population not only deputies in Parliament (eg. Divorzju etc) Private organizations can operate freely without state interference (eg. awareness for archeological and historical heritage Heritage Malta; charity groups Puttinu, Noahs Arc, L-Istrina; environmental awareness Tree4u, Birdlife) Disadvantages of democracy : Majority may be wrong Money misappropriation leading to corruption scandals Abuse of liberty and harass other of a different creed or race Stevenson: a free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular One must not overlook the Rule of Law if s/he commits a crime. However in Judiciary (Courts of Justice), unlike in dictatorships, one is free from lawful arrest and if one is taken to court, one has the right to a fair trail

The Concepts in Practise: Prime Minister for a Day

Parliamentary Republic (eg. Malta, Italy) = President elected by members of Parliament. It is the Prime Minister who is directly elected by the people therefore s/he has strong executive powers. Prime Minister = authority and responsibility for all major decisions Prime Minister of Malta = head of government and minister in his own right with portfolio responsibilities for strategic matters OPMs mission (Office of Prime Minister aka Kastilja) to support the prime minister I providing leadership and direction for stable and effective government

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Legislature = refers to the duration of parliamentary life according to the constitution from the opening session of parliament to its dissolution Maximum Legislature (in Malta) is 5 years, after which the parliament is dissolved and a date for the general election is announced by the incumbent (defending his position) prime minister President of Republic summons leader who got the majority. He now has the task to name a cabinet of ministers as his closest collaborators and set the date for the opening session of the parliament. If the same party is elected, prime minister has option to retain his cabinet, reshuffle the ministers portfolio or introduce new-comers (parliamentary secretaries) If Opposition is elected, Leader of Opposition = new prime minister. Shadow ministers (assists minister in other party)s, in normal circumstances would be confirmed as ministers by taking the oath of office of loyalty to the constitution of Malta Presidential Republic (eg. France, USA) = President elected (directly) by the votes (people). It is the President who nominates his/ her Prime Minister

Constitutionalism
The basic problem in making democracy work is to establish a reasonable balance between freedom and laws, which by their very nature restrict freedom to some extinct (balance between authority and power of the government) Constitution = the instrument that determines the extent to what rights can be limited. Often confided in written document (rules and principles by which an organization is governed). Define fundamental political principles and establish the power and duties of governments and citizens A constitution (essential in bands, religious order, basketball clubs etc) makes it clear to members of a society just what is expected of them in a society and what they can and cannot do Constitutionalism = principle that the actions of a government are regulated by a set of agreed rules (laws) which are known to those who are affected by them
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Rule of Law = intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary rulings in individual cases. Implies that authority is only exercised in accordance with mainly written laws Constitutional Redress = when the constitutional court orders the legislature to correct a law which is not considered to be constitutional Executive power = cabinet of ministers = decide on government policies Legislative power = House of representatives = transforms policies into laws by parliamentary majority Judicial power = law courts/ constitutional courts = arbiters of ordinary legislation and constitutional law Eg. Divorce issue = Legislative power won over executive power

Democracy and (Ethnic) Minority Rights: The European Experience

Majority rule seems to be a relatively easy and straightforward exercise in government. On the other hand, democratic governance rests upon the assumption that majorities should not vote to persecute minorities. Whenever this occurs the political system degenerates into dictatorship or civil war Most viable democracies are those that safeguard their ethnic minorities Ethnic minorities are usually staunch (firm or steadfast in principle) nationalists because their diverse historical experiences, provenance, culture and traditions render them different amongst themselves and the ethnic majority. Besides, homogenous ethnicities might have internal divisions (eg. German-Swiss and Romands differ on religious grounds, since the two ethnic groups have protestant and Catholic communities within their ranks Defuse independent aspirations of their ethnicities by offering devolution (heredity succession) or federalism Devolution = political power passed from the central to the regional levels. A devolved government remains constitutionally subordinate to the government that empowers it (therefore central government could revoke the same power)

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Federalism = state authority is subdivided into regions (cantons or constitutional states) which enjoy effective autonomy from the central government (eg of federal state: Switzerland = 20 cantons, 6 semi-cantons and one federal city and capital, Bern. Canton = responsible for education, police, construction, public health, each having its own distinctive legal system. Federal government = responsible for issues of national interest (defence, foreign, monetary policies) Constitutional arrangements satisfy the nationalistic claims of ethnic minorities in such a way that they opt not to press for secession (titlob Indipendenza) Europes political architecture on a country-by-country basis is proof of the delicate balance between state institutions and extremely diverse ethnicity over the years European Economic Community integrate their national markets in order to be better equipped to face the challenges of globalization (eg. Lidl) EU what the political class is proposing does not enjoy the support of all the majorities of the EU member states. This goes to prove that in a democratic set-up, minorities do not just have their own rights. They also have the power to block any constitutional development, which might be perceived as overriding their ethnicity or political autonomy

Globalization: A General Introduction

Since Industrial Revolution, impressive developments in science and technology, making the world became a global village and the advertisement that presents a leading financial institution as the worlds local bank is certainly not a paradox Globalization is as old as capitalism inventors risk capital in economic activities that are expected to yield enough profit that render the risk worth taking. Furthermore, the providers of consumer goods (eg. Adidas, lacoste, benna, kellogs) or services (eg. Melita, go mobile, Vodafone) know that they may increase their margin of profit if they succeed in securing either a larger share of the internal market, or if they manage to penetrate and dominate foreign markets European colonization = first step towards globalization. Once the European powers established their political supremacy in their overseas territories (colonizers could buy or exploit the natural resources and raw materials found there)

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Shipped into mother countries, converted to consumer products and sold in colonies. Foreign competitors were not allowed to dominate their respective imperial economic space. Once secured, considerable profits were guaranteed. 2nd World War proved that US was the strongest and most technologically advanced economy in post-war era. After 1945 empires stopped. Relative small nations were outperformed by becoming prosperous. US started penetrating markets . US started replacing the former European colonial powers in the contemporary globalization process. US achieved by controlling the world markets from Wall Street or Washington: energy sources and other raw materials (eg. Metal) through ownership or becoming major stakeholders concerning supply of primary product (competitive edge or leading role in international markets) Competition for US from Western European countries relocating their industries. Eventually various components of American and European consumer goods were produced cheaply in the Third World and subsequently assembled in the mother country or subsidiary plants located elsewhere. As the larger and more successful companies bought up their smaller competitors, decisions as to what to produce where dependant on the directors of fewer but very powerful multinational companies. McDonaldization of the global economy = the ability to be present worldwide

Globalization
Global Youth Work give and take (Maltese young people affect others through their lifestyle choices) Because of globalization; technological developments and the way economies and politics have become more closely knit over the past 45 years have led to people gaining greater awareness of global issues like political instability, war, environmental disasters and poverty. However a citizen will only make use of such awareness if s/he follows up that awareness with a developing interest for it.

My Role as a Democratic Citizen

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The fact that we have rights does not mean that we do not have duties, responsibilities and obligations toward the community where we live and society in general. Political Literacy = a compound of knowledge, skills and attitudes, to be developed together, each one conditioning the other two (eg. Jekk tmur tivvota ma tivvotax bl-addocc, tkun qed tghix fdinja). Citizens in society should be able to think critically and deliberate. Being aware of knowing how it works without the need of being an expert. Young generation are the people who push for change (eg. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando with the divorce issue). Older generations prefer for things to remain the same. This is why young people should have a practical understanding of concepts drawn from everyday life and language and try and do something about the issue at hand in a manner which is effective and respectful of the sincerity of other people and what they believe (eg. Rights for gays in a majority we are discussing a minority problem). Everyone has a right to their rights. Participation is essential, not leaving the choice up to representatives. Without losing the elements of the family, democratic citizens should try to change inegaliterian families to places where people treat each other as equals (eg. Maltese families often influenced by husbands decision) The Value of Tolerance in a Democracy: Illegal immigrants fostering racism and xenophobia in the Maltese society (eg. Emigrant qeghdin jiehdu post fix-xoghol imma xogholijiet bhallkenniesa, construction sites etc). Situation becoming serious as people pass racist comments about illegal immigrants. A message must be put forward about how one should react towards these immigrants from a Christian and democratic point of view. All persons are born equal equal, have the same dignity irrespective of skin colour or creed, and is the bearer of the same set of fundamental rights.

Human Rights
Article 1.

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All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, nonself-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Philosophers: could not agree on a set of human rights since they are controversial, excessively pretentious. Trying to suggest one universal moral tradition and pave the entire planet with it is tantamount to ignorance. Decision must be moral. Whereas the world is economically more integrated, citizens still belong to nations and so expect their political leaders to defend their level of well-being against other nations. Intolerance and patriotic loyalty easily join hands, giving rise to xenophobia and racism. The Maltese unemployed will see a member of another ethnic group who is working as a threat. Human dignity and well-being face novel threats (rights for HIV positive people and AIDS sufferers, mental illness, awaiting death penalty etc). Violation of human dignity: political killings, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, torture, rape and socio-economic conditions where abuses tend to be repeated. Awareness and political literacy go hand in hand. The most efficient and immediate protection of human rights is at a national level. A fundamental condition is the Rule of Law. Rule of Law = it follows that human rights need to be promoted, with the consequent need to educate citizens to respect and live the principles of human rights. It has already been suggested that the human rights code is basically a moral code and, as with all the other moral codes, the main benefit is its main influence on our actions. The moral code is an instrument and therefore, unless it is well known, it will be useless. It is in this perspective that education assumes an important function. This leads to an awareness of how important it is to accord a proper place to human rights in our educational institutions,
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not only in subject content but also in institutional practi ce. Morality linked to action ends up stronger than that linked to nature.

Citizenship Rights and Duties

Democracy and citizenship go hand in hand. Democracy implies the participation of the inhabitants in the running of the country in which they live and certain other freedoms such as freedom of conscience, thought and expression. Such inhabitants in a democracy therefore assume the role of citizens, that is individuals who are expected to be actively responsible for ensuring the preservation and development of democratic living in their country through the exercise of rights and duties. In Athens, power was shared among those considered as citizens. However this did not constitute the vast majority since slaves and foreigners were denied citizenship since slaves were the property of the person who bought it. Polis = politics in Greek. The Revolution transformed the French population from being the faithful and loving subjects of the king to citizens of the state, with rights and duties. Decl aration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Citizenship was granted to practically every inhabitant while the institution of slavery was abolished. The Citizen in the national context: 1) Political Participation = The notion of development of power (Local Council), even in a small country like Malta, has been given a concrete form through the acceptance and putting into practice of the principle of local government. The residents of the town have the right to both elect and present themselves as candidates or election to serve in the local council (4 years). However, Maltese citizens participate in national elections to a considerably greater extent than they do in the local ones. Reasons as to why this is: blind loyalty towards ones political party, fear of change, sense of being fed up with an administration that makes the Maltese population so strong in national elections. 2) Participation in Voluntary groups = These groups strive to influence the general public as well as the local and national government through a variety of lobbying strat egies (eg. Protection of flora and fauna and the physical and historical environment). 3) Citizens use of the Media = expression of opinion on issues of local or national interest . Informs citizens of the present situation and his/ her rights and duties, while at the
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same time providing him/ her with an ever more accessible means for the expression of opinion. The invention of internet has increased the possibilities in both regards.

Democracy and Pluralism in Broadcasting: The Maltese Experience

Freedom of opinion and of its expression is achieved through pluralism in the mass media. Besides providing a platform for debate, pluralistic media in a democracy have the fundamentally crucial role of informing and educating the citizens, thus contributing to their own personal development as well as enabling them to be in a better position to contribute to through their informed opinion to the community as a whole. Earliest medium of mass communication = printing. Church and State created their own mechanisms to censor printing. It had to be firstly approved by authorities. Individuals reading material which was not approved was punished. For the first time ever, the ordinary citizen could voice his/ her opinion to a wide audience through the writing of letters to the press. Radio, Television, Internet = next major developments in mass media. At first radio and tv stations belonged only to the State. Some of the first stations were set up by the political parties and the Church (reflected the strength of such institutions as well as their need to influence and even mould public opinion. Internet = a way of interacting with others across the globe. Any attempt at controlling or censoring such medium has proved futile. It is up to what the consumer wants to get via the net. Disadvantages of Pluralism: massive advertising, amount of time spent by the individual using such media and child abuse.

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