In this post, we will be looking at the meaning of Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, the importance, Civil Society & Media and Elections.
INTRODUCTION
Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) programs expand space for a vibrant civil society and independent media; strengthen political and government institutions to be responsive to citizens’ needs; promote transparency and accountability; cultivate the rule of law; foster equitable economic growth; advance tolerance and inclusiveness; protect human and labor rights; and support credible elections.
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DRG programs expand political participation by training domestic election observers and providing voter and civic education for millions of citizens. Programs strengthen the capacity of human rights defenders and national human rights institutions, and train justice and security sector personnel on human rights norms and practices. DRG programs provide technical leadership through research, training, and dissemination of best practices in anti-corruption, security sector reform, and legislative strengthening. Since the launch of our Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) strategy, USAID has been committed to integrating democracy programming throughout our core development work, focusing on strengthening and promoting human rights, access to justice, accountable and transparent governance, and an independent and politically active civil society across all our work.
We approach these four goals of our DRG strategy by protecting and promoting human rights, ensuring the possibility for free and fair elections, combating disinformation, strengthening digital safety, both for new and traditional media, and incorporating rule of law and justice in our human rights programming. Fundamental rights of citizens are the bedrock for managing and mitigating conflict, spurring economic growth, and protecting human dignity. Countries with democratic freedoms are more just, peaceful, and stable, and citizens can fulfill their potential. Through its democracy, human rights, and governance programs, the United States remains committed to protecting and advancing our most cherished values.
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WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
The word democracy comes from the Greek word’s “demos”, meaning people, and “kratos” meaning power; so, democracy can be thought of as “power of the people”: a way of governing which depends on the will of the people. There are so many different models of democratic government around the world that it is sometimes easier to understand the idea of democracy in terms of what it definitely is not.
Democracy, then, is not autocracy or dictatorship, where one person rules; and it is not oligarchy, where a small segment of society rules. Properly understood, democracy should not even be “rule of the majority”, if that means that minorities’ interests are ignored completely. A democracy, at least in theory, is government on behalf of all the people, according to their “will”.
WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.
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International Human Rights Law
International human rights law lays down the obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups. One of the great achievements of the United Nations is the creation of a comprehensive body of human rights law—a universal and internationally protected code to which all nations can subscribe and all people aspire.
The United Nations has defined a broad range of internationally accepted rights, including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. It has also established mechanisms to promote and protect these rights and to assist states in carrying out their responsibilities.
WHAT IS GOVERNANCE? Governance is the process of making and enforcing decisions within an organization or society. It is the process of interactions through the laws, social norms, power (social and political) or language as structured in communication of an organized society over a social system (family, social group, formal or informal organization, a territory under a jurisdiction or across territories).
It is done by the government of a state, by a market, or by a network. It is the process of choosing the right course among the actors involved in a collective problem that leads to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of acceptable conduct and social order”. In lay terms, it could be described as the political processes that exist in and between formal institutions. A variety of entities (known generically as governing bodies) can govern.
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Types of Governance
- Public governance
- Private governance
- Global governance
- Governance Analytical Framework
- Nonprofit governance
- Corporate governance
- Project governance
- Environmental governance
- Land governance
- Landscape governance
- Health governance
- Internet governance
- Information technology governance
- Blockchain governance
- Regulatory governance
- Participatory governance
- Contract governance
- Meta governance
- Security sector governance
- Fair governance
- Good governance
Importance Democracy, Human Rights and Governance
- Citizen responsive governments elected in a free and fair election better focus on the needs of the people versus the wants of a few.
- Democracy can better ensure the rights and participation of people within a society, including women, youth, ethnic and religious minorities, and other marginalized groups.
- Freedom and civil liberties are best enabled by a democratically elected government. Rights such as freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion better allow for the safeguarding of people.
- Democracy provides stability in times of turmoil and opportunity in its aftermath.
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Civil Society and Media
Although elites dominate the political structure, civil society organizations are becoming a voice for democratic reform. Their efforts to push for inclusive governance have been successful in many ways, but they lack the capacity and resources to carry out their functions fully. USAID works directly with a diverse representation of Nigerian civil society and media organizations, building their internal management capacity and strengthening their ability to engage with the government on issues of fiscal accountability, budget monitoring and transparency within extractive industries.
Elections
In 2011, Nigerians participated in what were arguably the most credible and transparent elections since the country’s independence. USAID capitalized on this positive momentum to improve elections by supporting the organizational development of political parties and the independence of the electoral commission, and by increasing civil society input into electoral and constitutional reform dialogue.
In 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission working with civil society organizations-which ran parallel vote tabulations-Nigeria helped usher in the first peaceful, democratic transition of power between two parties.