Like everyone else I was captivated by images of Egyptians from all walks of life demonstrating in Tahrir Square. From Egypt to Yemen and now Libya young and old have marched in the streets, courageously demanding increased freedom and democracy. And you may not know that Nigeriens too celebrated a democratic milestone, having held what most observers say was a free and fair election just three weeks ago. The army has said that they will step down by April and return the country to civilian rule. Speaking at a forum on food security in Montreal March 30, Crossroads partner Boureima Garba, director of ONPHDB said while democracy was not yet feeding the Nigerien people, people can now make their voice heard and influence government’s investment in sustainable agriculture and other development programs. To create food security in their country, free and fair elections are a first step.
So here we are in Canada and not quite through the first week of the federal election and I’m doing my best to fight off my increasing cynicism about the state of democracy in this country. In our last federal election voter turnout was the lowest in history with just 59 per cent of eligible voters casting a ballot. Given the current state of political discourse which seems to sway between political posturing and partisan mudslinging, it is hard to believe that anything will change. But, I refuse to believe that things can only get worse. Citizens around the world have put their lives on the line to fight for the right to free and fair elections. From Zimbabwe to Niger and across North Africa and the Middle East. We can’t afford to take our democracy for granted.
Some would say that this election is in fact about democracy: about respect for democratic institutions, and about what it means to hold our governments to a higher standard. Others say it is about the economy. There are in fact many issues on the table: unemployment, healthcare, an aging population and Canada’s role in the world. Regardless of where we stand on these issues if only 59 per cent of Canadians take the time to vote what message does that send to our politicians? So I’m thinking that if we really want to shake things up we should take a cue from our brethren in North Africa and the Middle East and take one radical step. Stand up and be counted. Vote. And insist that friends, colleagues and family vote too. Unlike citizens in Africa and Middle East we won’t be risking our lives to do so, but we risk everything if we do not.
