Democracy

'this nation should have a new birth of freedom...a government of the people, for the people and by the people'

It can safely be assumed that overall, there is a global consensus that democracy is the superior form of governance practised in our world today. However despite its perceived benefits, it is very clear that democracy is still unequally recognised throughout the world, and many countries are still reluctant to pursue a democratic government. Increasingly, it is being suggested that democracy in i

Democracy in itself is objectively a Western concept. It is believed that the first form of widespread democracy was practiced in Ancient Greece in around the 6^th Century BC, and since then spread across the world. Which perhaps gives traction to the notion of why there is an overwhelmingly unequal recognition of democratic rule between Western and Eastern countries.

It is increasingly being recognised by many developing countries that democracy is largely a push for the imposition of Western ideologies around the world. It is critical in this regard to note the huge inequality in widespread democratic governance that exists between the East and the West. This is still despite two of the three biggest democracies in the world, both India and Indonesia, both being Eastern countries.

Furthermore, it's interesting to note the global push for democracy has been framed by its fundamental recognition of justice and the rights of man (and woman!) The UN recognises democracy as a fundamental element of its Development Programme and embodies its values within its DHR. Despite this, the path that many countries now take toward recognising democracy can hardly be considered lawful, and in essence can be a contradiction of human rights even more so than not recognising democracy. In the same theme mentioned as before, two of the world's largest democracies still fae significant hindrances in developmental, ranking respectively 108^th and 135^th in the UN's Human Development Index.

The push for democracy is something very evident in the current protests of democracy occurring in Hong Kong. There is clearly a recognised cultural distinction in the demand for democracy, in that the push is largely fuelled by the younger population, who have arguably lived in a more globalised, and Western-influenced world. In the light of this, it is important to recognise the significant cultural and historical influences that play into the recognition of democracy within a nation.