By Siraju Bah, Freetown.
As the International day of Democracy draws near, the National Commission for Democracy NCD is bracing up to celebrate the event with the aim of providing wider sensitization on the tenets and virtues of democracy and to propagate the values of the concept focusing on this year’s theme “Strengthening Voices of Democracy.”
The Commission which has been in the forefront in the propagation of democracy intends to declare a democracy week that will commence on September 15, 2013 and use the occasion to further enlighten Sierra Leoneans on the need to continue to nurture, sustain and improve on the democracy that they relish today.
NCD Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Kargbo (photo) disclosed during a meeting at the Commissions headquarters that the Commission intends to organize a week’s long celebrations in Freetown and all the regions.
He further noted that the Commission is also planning to give out awards to institutions that have performed remarkably well in strengthening the voices of democracy by providing the necessary support to raise the voices of the voiceless.
According to the Chairman of the Commission, those that have contributed to the promotion of democratic good governance in the country need to be given a pat on the back in order to encourage others to join the bandwagon of democratic promoters and push for improved democratic good governance.
According to the UN, the subject of this year’s theme “Strengthening Voices for Democracy” aims to shine a spotlight on the importance of people’s voices, both expressed directly and through their elected representatives, in today’s political, economic, social, developmental, environmental and technological debates. The ability of people to raise their voices and decide how they are governed lies at the heart of democracy.
In 2007, the UN General Assembly came up with a resolution to encourage Governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15 September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy.
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