OPINION (Spotlight Weekly)

'Democracy Is A Delicate Blend Of Idealism And Pragmatism'

— Dr. ROBERT J. STAHL

Dr. ROBERT J. STAHL, professor, division of curriculum and instruction, at Arizona State University, was recently in town. Dr. Stahl addressed a discussion on strengthening democracy through civic education at the American Center. At a time when Nepalese society is passing through a very critical phase of democratic evolution, Dr. Stahl's observations are relevant. Excerpts from his comments:

On the process of democracy: Democracy requires rule of law, equal enforcement and government acting responsibly. Continual participation in the democratic process will bring changes in the quality of leadership and quality of civic society. This requires continual participation in all activities. For this, a civic culture should be formulated. The media and non-governmental organizations can play important role to foster this culture.

On frustration and disillusionment: In democracy, there is no room for frustration and disillusionment. Frustration and disillusionment will encourage anarchism. The greater the disillusionment and frustration, the greater the possibility of rebellion. What happened to Russia in the early 20th century and how did it turn a liberal society into a more authoritarian one? Democracy does not necessarily bring changes overnight. It requires continual participation and courage. There must be positive thinking on the part of participants in the political process. Teaching civic education may help raise awareness about the functions and roles of various institutions in the democratic process.

On freedom: Freedom is not free. It costs blood, money and tears. In achieving individual freedom, people have to go for a long and systematic struggle. There is no short cut and alternative way, as democracy is a process. History shows how frustration and disillusionment lead to systems that are more authoritarian. One has to prepare to play a long game in democracy.

On the importance of education: By teaching civic education, we can inject an understanding of what we need to do and what the challenges are. Democracy is more than a set of practices. It is based on a blend of idealism and pragmatism that has to be maintained in a delicate balance. People have accepted, indeed, chosen, to make the effort to build societies that insure their own freedoms.

On improving the education system: One has to highlight the various phases of the democratic process. The quality of the education system as a whole needs to be improved. Greater openness and transparency needs to be encouraged in the political system. Civic education will teach citizens about democracy and democratic values. The curriculum of civic education should include all kinds of values and cultures of the democratic process. You also need to pay higher salaries to teachers because they have a major role to play in this process.

On fostering a democratic culture: One needs to have patience and courage to see the democratic culture in making. Democracy is a process of evolution which will take long time. It is not the best system. As Winston Churchill said, democracy is the worst form of government except all the alternatives. One knows how difficult change is — even under the optimal conditions — how long it takes to develop new systems and structures as well as the habits and behaviors necessary to achieve long-lasting transformation. Society can play a very important role in making democracy work.

On consolidating democracy: This is a long and most difficult process. One needs to have continual participation in all the phases. Even if someone loses an election, he or she has to participate in the next one. There is no fast or systematic way to go through. There are cultural clashes in the early stages, which may result in some confusion and anxiety. Civic culture includes values concept and other habitual things regarding the democratic process. You need to teach every day. You need to improve the education system to build civic culture. If the level of teachers is not good, you cannot deliver good civic education. Civic education can play very important to consolidate the democratic process.