Cairo 2009
VVD (THE NETHERLANDS)
Resolution on Democracy Education in the Middle East and North Africa
The 56th Congress of the Liberal International convening from November 28-31 October 2009 in Cairo, Egypt, noting:
That the worldwide democratic wave that originated in the 1990’s has not sustained in several countries and regions around the world;
That among the few countries in the MENA region that did see forms of democratisation during the 1990’s or before, few have not shown a relapse into democratic regression;
That as a result of this democratic deficit, governments in these countries largely ignore basic human rights,
That the Congress of Liberal International in its 2006 conference in Marrakech adopted the theme resolution ‘Democracy and Development: a Liberal view’, which stated that democratic, accountable and transparent governance is the best condition for sustainable economic development;
That this same theme resolution underlined that poverty, illiteracy and low levels of human development are factors that adversely affect the consolidation of democracy;
That democratic values are not introduced in any country or absorbed by any individual overnight, but require extensive guidance in order to garner public support and involvement;
That the very essence and nature of any democracy consists of the bottom-up and participatory process it entails, that each country needs to tailor the workings of a democratic system to its particular cultural needs and that democracy therefore requires continued involvement of large groups of citizens to adjust and strengthen its workings;
That democratic principles and democratic behaviour must be taught from the earliest stages in life as possible.
The Congress of Liberal International calls upon the governments of the Middle East and North Africa:
To introduce democracy education as a central part of curriculums at all levels of schooling;
To educate the young and old in this region not only in the theoretic principles of democratic governance but to also train students in the every-day practice of democratic governance;
And thus to promote public participation in democratic structures, running from school boards and community councils to sub-national and national politics;
And calls upon all member states of the United Nations to reallocate their financial means so as to enlarge the support for organisations which work for the promotion of democracy and democracy education in the Middle East and North Africa.
