Youth And The City - Building our future#2 - Naoussa 2012

-Democracy. I don’t agree with it. That’s why I can’t support this opinion. Does anyone want to say something about Democracy? -I do. I add Democracy in the roots. Do you know why? -Why? -Because without Democracy we can go nowhere. It’s so simple. -“It’s so simple” Nikos Vrantsis below. -Because Democracy substantially is the basis. That’s why I put it at the center of all the other roots. Without Democracy there is neither equal of opportunities, or freedom, or justice, or citizenship, or peace, or collective responsibility. In my opinion it is basic. Democracy is the freedom to participate wherever you want, the freedom to say whatever you want. It’s freedom generally. The epitome of freedom is Democracy. -So, when you are referred to democracy, you are referred to the meaning not to the constitution. -No. -Ok! I wanted to make it clear. -The meaning of Democracy and the pluralism of ideas of course are the most important points. -Exactly! -In Democracy, in order to have all the other roots, there must be democratic constitution, in which everyone has a say, in which everyone can express whatever wants to say. The point is the active citizenship and I want to stay here. -It’s the next. -Wrongly, in our minds, the concept of active citizenship equals with the collection of “crosses” all these years after the political changeover. For example, I’m a political candidate with a political party. I promise to everyone great things to pick up “crosses”. This isn’t active citizenship. What we are doing now is active citizenship. Active citizenship means the participation in something that is common. Either a council, or a local council, or cultural club, or a voluntary action, such as the cleaning of the riverbeds of Arapitsa, or whatever. These are examples of active citizenship too. It is time to start moving away from the stereotypes of the political changeover. This is my personal view. -Based on what you said I want to make a comment. The last 100 years serious attempts have been made to secure democratic regime. Which can be depicted in all these very nice things that you have written over there? Do you think that is coincidence that although we have conquered many rights we are still so far from the decision- making processes. Is this coincidence? -I cannot understand you. -I want to say that Democracy is based in all of these. -Obviously! -And requires them! Ok! In the European context and globally there is a tendency to secure Democracy. However, democracy, as we are experiencing it now, made us to withdraw… -Of course. -Everything. -From active participation. -Obviously, we have been away from this because there is not “collective responsibility”. -Yes! Bravo! -Because until now, nobody had collective responsibility. We simply have the perception that since we are as we voting the “X” or “Y”, they the responsibility. -No. I disagree. The collective responsibility exists as human need. Because I believe that whoever sees something wrong, fells the need to correct it, to change it The point is that there are no opportunities to promote his/hers sense of collective responsibility. How can I explain it? -Don’t we create the opportunities? -Yes, we do! -Yes, but this doesn’t discredit what I said. -I don’t know. -We create opportunities, if we limit ourselves in European context for Democracy. But in European context… which Democracy? If we analyze it in a political context.. -No it doesn’t. -It doesn’t exist. -There is also an oxymoron. The EU gives money to promote Democracy, which itself debunks. -Exactly! -Maybe because in general Democracy isn’t as easy as regime to stand. -Basic, Democracy is the regime of Gods, Rousseau said. The problem isn’t so much in Democracy. I believe that the problem results from in the context of representative democracy, which removes us from the point of collective responsibility. Why? Because it is representative democracy. You are not there. Someone else is there instead. -This couldn’t be any different. -It couldn’t. -Basically, this is the weakness of Democracy. -In any case, this couldn’t be different. -So what should we do? Either we should vote the right people. In one case. Or we should have the responsibility of their choices. Not be sideliners and say “It’s not my fault, it is someone else’s”. But …you vote them! What does it mean? -Yes, but when you say that you have the responsibility… -Nobody takes the responsibility. -And even if you took the responsibility, what could happen? -There must be penalties. -I ‘m saying that everybody says: “I’ll take the responsibility”. Ok! You did a mistake? After that which responsibility? -You’ll correct it. -No. When you say that you take the responsibility… -Yes.Because, when you say that you’ll take the responsibility, you’ll mean that was your choice to vote your representative. -You made a choice and it was wrong! -Yes! -Why do you have the responsibility? -In 4 years, people will judge you again! -You have the responsibility to see the reality through a different angle. And maybe you won’t vote the same person again, or you may do something on your own, or whatever. That is what I mean responsibility. Do you understand? -I mean it more generally. Because everyone says: “I will take the responsibility”. And… -Ok! -And at the end… nothing! -The events of this year contradict what you are saying. Because everyone said that they will not vote again P.A.S.O.K. and N.D. and at the end we have again a government, which includes P.A.S.O.K. and N.D. So what you say doesn’t apply. The elected government isn’t always what we choose and vote. -But it’s a majority government. -It’s majority but they are elected again. -You mean, majority in the society. -Yes. But this is what happened….