Between 2006 and 2023, the global democracy index fell from 5.52 to 5.29. These figures may seem quite close to each other, however, a fall of 0,20 globally is colossal and meaningful: the situation is alarming. Our democracy has been worldwide threatened for a long time, but it has clearly worsened throughout the past few years.
The International Democracy Day offers a glimmer of hope during these dark times. Occurring every 15 th September since 2007, this day reminds us of the importance of free speech, civil liberties, the rule of law and everything that shapes democracy. Because it should never be taken for granted, even within the most democratic countries, plenty of events are created to raise awareness about this essential topic and to take action.
During the past few years, some countries have significantly increased their democracy index, as proof that these actions work: Taiwan and Malaysia are the countries with the best progress since 2006 (Taiwan’s index rose from 7,82 to almost 9; Malaysia’s index rose from less than 6 to 7,30).
As an example of action that can be carried out, Praxis Organization organized an online event on September 28 th, to raise awareness about this day and check what people already knew and what their opinions were. We are convinced that these kinds of reminder are mandatory, all the more so since we now have to face new challenges.
This year’s theme for the international democracy day was indeed entitled “Navigating AI for Governance and Citizen Engagement”. Over the past few months, AI has taken on an increasingly role in our lives. An opportunity for us to ask ourselves what limits we should place on this technology, since every new one can become a danger to society if it’s not properly controlled.
One of the scariest issues in AI may be identity theft via deepfakes. You’ve probably already seen those hyper-realistic videos of politicians or celebrities going viral on social networks. Even if most of them are harmless, some others are a real threat to peace and democracy. For example, a deepfake of V. Zelensky (President of Ukraine) telling Ukrainian troops to surrender went viral at the start of the conflict with Russia: proof that AI can become a fully-fledged weapon during a war, even if this deepfake was quickly debunked.
On the other hand, AI may be used as a great tool, especially to fight AI itself. In fact, this technology can analyze and detect non-authentic details in videos and thus, the use of AI.
However, it is essentially the role of institutions and politicians to take action on this subject.
However, it is essentially the role of institutions and politicians to take action on this subject.
But now, how can you act?
Of course, political activism and participation in citizen workshops are noble ways to make your voice heard. Nevertheless, this type of action is not accessible to everyone. In fact, being involved in citizenship is way easier, here is a list for both young people and adults:
- Getting informed: Read newspapers, watch the news and learn to understand what's going on in your country and around the world,
- Discussing with friends and family: Share your ideas and listen to others to better understand different points of view,
- And above all: Voting. For many years now, there has been a global trend towards abstention, which clearly threatens democracy as people no longer take advantage of this fundamental right. For instance, during the lasts elections in Greece (the legislative ones in June 2023), only one Greek in two went to vote (Almost 70% of abstention in Athenes).
Moreover, the digital revolution has led to greater democratic participation. For instance, the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), introduced with the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007 gives EU-citizens a voice and it's easily accessible online (https://citizensinitiative.europa.eu/_en). Once an initiative has reached 1 million signatures, the European Commission must decide on which laws to create.
Now, you know what you should do next.
Now, you know what you should do next.
Léa Zwisler
Lea is a French volunteer involved in the International Democracy Day.
