tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735388569178359001.post8712777049844958062..comments2023-09-12T03:00:44.772-07:00Comments on ::Colored Opinions::: How Does Condoleezza Rice Define Democracy?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735388569178359001.post-17182972832443383742011-11-16T04:59:32.738-08:002011-11-16T04:59:32.738-08:00The main reason to start this blog was to explore ...The main reason to start this blog was to explore how migrants can impact democratic development both at home and abroad. After having participated in the shadow parliament The Third Chamber on development cooperation and international affairs, I wrote a proposal titled: "Migrants as ambassadors for democratic development" http://coloredopinions.blogspot.com/2007/11/migrants-as-ambassadors-for-democratic.html<br /><br />I argued recently that Donald Tusk's pro-EU campaign strategy in Poland is an example of the influence migrant workers in the EU are having on elections back home.<br /><br />http://coloredopinions.blogspot.com/2011/09/europes-migrant-workers-and-their-robin.html<br /><br />Intead of a top-down push for democracy I argue for a bottom-up approach that focuses on democratic development both in the country of origin AND the country where migrants reside.<br /><br />Anti-western rhetoric in Africa and elsewhere (which is complemented in the west by arguments that culture in both Islamic and animist Africa is holding back development) is intellectual lazyness and should be surmounted.<br /><br />Instead of chosing between anti-western rhetoric and blaming culture thought leaders could emerge that have the willingness to learn from thinkers across the world.<br /><br />Especially modernism seems to have been a movement that tried to bridge the gap between elites, people and nature without becoming populists or resorting to plattitudes.<br /><br />Modernism seems to have been a movement that challenges both elites and the people. That's what moves the ball across the field in terms of democratic development.Colored Opinionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17172030328954992750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735388569178359001.post-4847019983505936462011-11-15T23:42:10.029-08:002011-11-15T23:42:10.029-08:00Someone, well, a friend who has issues with pushin...Someone, well, a friend who has issues with pushing democracy on Africans, asked me this question the other day:<br /><br />"How would you construct a democracy without political parties or elections?"<br /><br />I came up with alot of things but how would you do this, Vincent? <br /><br />DutchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com