# data[].attributes.body
Elene, Jare and Eñaut from the Basque Country

# data[].attributes.body
Elene and Jare from the Basque Country

# data[].attributes.body
Children can be involved in democracy by sharing their ideas and opinions. They can take part in a school parliament, where they help make decisions about school life. They can also listen to others and learn to respect different views. (Ivo SK ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

# data[].attributes.body
He is saying that democracy depends on ordinary people making decisions, but not everyone is well-informed, thoughtful, or careful when choosing who to vote for. (Ivo SK

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

# data[].attributes.body
Churchill means that democracy isnt perfect and has many problems, but compared to all other systems it works the best. It gives people a voice and protects freedom better than other ways of governing. (Ivo SK ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

# data[].attributes.body
Democracy means "rule by the people." The word comes from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). Instead of one person (like a king or a dictator) making all the rules, the power belongs to the citizens. (Ivo SK ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

# data[].attributes.body
Democracy consists of the idea that a country's citizens participate in the election of those who will govern them and in the political decisions that the government makes (Ivo SK ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

# data[].attributes.body
Maja, Klara and Ana CY

# data[].attributes.body
Lekeitio BHI, DBH2c

# data[].attributes.body
Jonáš cz

# data[].attributes.headline
Make a photo of the letters in the word DEMOCRACY made by your bodies ( at least 2 people for one letter)

# data[].attributes.subject
Make a photo of the letters in the word DEMOCRACY made by your bodies ( at least 2 people for one letter)

# data[].attributes.body
Here are your letters, take a picture and upload it here:

tip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L7OlwLkZ0Q

Slovakia - DE

Basque country - MO

Czechia- CRA

Croatia - CY

# data[].attributes.body
Czechia - School parliament

Croatia - History of Democracy in Europe

Basque country - What is democracy

Slovakia - Threads of democracy and how to protect it

# data[].attributes.body
How does it work? What does it do? What do you think about it? Are you involved?

# data[].attributes.body
Ana, Croatia

# data[].attributes.body
Stela, Croatia

# data[].attributes.body
Maja, Croatia

# data[].attributes.headline
Upload here your poster with your first name and country

# data[].attributes.subject
Upload here your poster with your first name and country

# data[].attributes.body
You can focus your poster of childern in democracy, advantages or threats and facing them, It´s up to you. Then have a look at other posters and write a comment what each poster represents. Then give hearts to the best Democracy posters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Strengthening Democracy: 10 Things You Can Do Right Now

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It’s up to all of us! Here are ten concrete things we can do to take action for democracy—compiled by the Democracy Team at the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Protecting our democracy, upholding our values

Overview

Europe's future in a fractured world will depend on having a strong democracy and on defending the values that give Europeans the freedoms and rights that they cherish. Building on what has been achieved already, in this new mandate the EU will do more to protect democracy and its citizens from rising threats posed by internal and foreign actors, while strengthening the rule of law that serves as its foundation and which is fundamental for prosperity, competitiveness and a well functioning single market. The vision of a continent united by democracy, the rule of law and respect of fundamental freedoms, and having its citizens at its heart, will always drive our work.

What Europeans think

of Europeans agree that the rapid spread of disinformation is a major problem for democracy

of Europeans believe that foreign interference in our democratic systems is a serious problem that needs to be addressed

of EU citizens recognise the importance of the respect for EU values, including the rule of law

Objectives

Democracy and our rights cannot be taken for granted. They must be promoted and vindicated every day. Moreover, citizens must play a central role in the democratic process. They must be included in the functioning of institutions they trust. This is why the EU commits to

Protect and defend democracy

and increase societal resilience and preparedness

Strengthen the rule of law

for a fair and well-functioning society

Champion civic engagement and participation

to bring citizens' ideas at the heart of policy-making

How we will achieve our objectives

In the next few years, we will work on

Protecting our democracy

Europe's democratic systems and institutions are under attack. To protect our democracy, we will

propose a new European democracy shield to counter foreign information manipulation and interference online, by detecting, analysing and proactively countering disinformation and information manipulation as well as hybrid threats

work to increase digital and media literacy to improve societal resilience and preparedness

create a European network of fact-checkers which will be available in all EU languages

continue to step up digital enforcement, including of the Digital Services Act and AI Act, to ensure a fair and open online platform environment, prevent dissemination of misinformation and deepfakes and protect civic discourse and electoral processes

address emerging threats to the integrity of elections across Europe, including by ensuring that transparency requirements in the AI Act, the Digital Services Act and the transparency of political advertising regulation are implemented and strengthening our approach to AI-produced content

Strengthening the rule of law

In today's world, where the resilience of our democracies, societies and economies are constantly put to the test, our values are what bind us together and make us stronger. Rule of law makes our society and economies work and ensures that fundamental rights are protected, corruption is tackled, and contracts are enforced. That is why we will

consolidate the Rule of Law Report and ensure it looks at all issues across Europe, including by adding the single market dimension to the report

continue to improve our monitoring and reporting on the rule of law, and to strengthen checks and balances, notably by tracking the implementation of recommendations

invest in upholding the rule of law through EU funding for national measures, for example on fighting corruption

ensure that respect for the rule of law is a must for EU funds, by building a closer link between the recommendations in the Rule of Law Report and financial support

make sure that the general regime of conditionality is applied to all EU funds in the future long-term budget

support free media across the Union by implementing the European Media Freedom Act and increasing our support for and protection of independent media and journalists

Putting citizens at the heart of our democracy

To integrate citizens' participation in policymaking, we will

regularly choose policy areas where recommendations from a European Citizens' Panel would have the greatest value, and follow up on the citizens' recommendations

step up our engagement with civil society organisations that have expertise and an important role to play in defending specific societal issues and upholding human rights

strengthen the network of more than 3,000 local councillors to get a better understanding of how the EU impacts everyday life

Progress to date

Monitor, follow, and stay updated on the progress of new initiatives, proposed laws and legislative changes under this priority

In the spotlight

Stronger measures to protect our democracy and civil society

The European Commission has presented a new European Democracy Shield that provides concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies. It will focus, in particular, on safeguarding the integrity of the information space; strengthening institutions, fair and free elections, and free and independent media; and boosting societal resilience and citizens' engagement. The Commission has also rolled out a new EU Strategy for Civil Society that will help it further engage with civil society organisations as well as support and protect their work. These new series of measures will help the EU counter the increasing threat of foreign interference in elections and disinformation and protect its key values: free people, free and fair elections, free and independent media, a vibrant civil society and strong democratic institutions.

Read more

Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President

Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection

The Commission's other priorities

Europe's democratic systems and institutions are under attack. To protect our democracy, we will

propose a new European democracy shield to counter foreign information manipulation and interference online, by detecting, analysing and proactively countering disinformation and information manipulation as well as hybrid threats

work to increase digital and media literacy to improve societal resilience and preparedness

create a European network of fact-checkers which will be available in all EU languages

continue to step up digital enforcement, including of the Digital Services Act and AI Act, to ensure a fair and open online platform environment, prevent dissemination of misinformation and deepfakes and protect civic discourse and electoral processes

address emerging threats to the integrity of elections across Europe, including by ensuring that transparency requirements in the AI Act, the Digital Services Act and the transparency of political advertising regulation are implemented and strengthening our approach to AI-produced content

In today's world, where the resilience of our democracies, societies and economies are constantly put to the test, our values are what bind us together and make us stronger. Rule of law makes our society and economies work and ensures that fundamental rights are protected, corruption is tackled, and contracts are enforced. That is why we will

consolidate the Rule of Law Report and ensure it looks at all issues across Europe, including by adding the single market dimension to the report

continue to improve our monitoring and reporting on the rule of law, and to strengthen checks and balances, notably by tracking the implementation of recommendations

invest in upholding the rule of law through EU funding for national measures, for example on fighting corruption

ensure that respect for the rule of law is a must for EU funds, by building a closer link between the recommendations in the Rule of Law Report and financial support

make sure that the general regime of conditionality is applied to all EU funds in the future long-term budget

support free media across the Union by implementing the European Media Freedom Act and increasing our support for and protection of independent media and journalists

To integrate citizens' participation in policymaking, we will

regularly choose policy areas where recommendations from a European Citizens' Panel would have the greatest value, and follow up on the citizens' recommendations

step up our engagement with civil society organisations that have expertise and an important role to play in defending specific societal issues and upholding human rights

strengthen the network of more than 3,000 local councillors to get a better understanding of how the EU impacts everyday life

Stronger measures to protect our democracy and civil society

The European Commission has presented a new European Democracy Shield that provides concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies. It will focus, in particular, on safeguarding the integrity of the information space; strengthening institutions, fair and free elections, and free and independent media; and boosting societal resilience and citizens' engagement. The Commission has also rolled out a new EU Strategy for Civil Society that will help it further engage with civil society organisations as well as support and protect their work. These new series of measures will help the EU counter the increasing threat of foreign interference in elections and disinformation and protect its key values: free people, free and fair elections, free and independent media, a vibrant civil society and strong democratic institutions.

Read more

Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President

Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how the Commission is protecting democracy by fighting disinformation, strengthening the rule of law and how it engages with citizens.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Manual for Human Rights Education with Young people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Democracy - Manual for Human Rights Education with Young people - www.coe.int

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A democracy means rule by the people. The name is used for different forms of government, where the people can take part in the decisions that affect the way their community is run. In modern times, there are different ways this can be done:

1. The people meet to decide about new laws, and changes to existing ones. This is usually called direct democracy.

2. The people elect their leaders. These leaders take this decision about laws. This is commonly called representative democracy. The process of choosing is called election. Elections are either held periodically, or when an officeholder dies.

3. Sometimes people can propose new laws or changes to existing laws. Usually, this is done using a referendum, which needs a certain number of supporters.

4. The people who make the decisions are chosen more or less at random. This is common, for example when choosing a jury for a trial. This method is known as sortition or allotment. In a trial, the jury will have to decide the question whether the person is guilty or not. In Europe, trials with a jury are only used for serious crimes, such as murder, hostage taking or arson.

To become a stable democracy, a state usually undergoes a process of democratic consolidation.

A democracy is the opposite of a dictatorship, a type of government in which the power is centralized on the hands of a single person who rules the nation, lacks political pluralism, the people have no participation in the local politics and little to no freedom of expression.

Types of government

After people hold an election, the candidates that won are determined. The way this is done can be simple: The candidate with the most votes gets elected. Very often, the politicians being elected belong to a political party. Instead of choosing a person, people vote for a party. The party with the most votes then picks the candidates.

Usually, the people being elected need to meet certain conditions: They need to have a certain age or a government body needs to determine that they are suitably qualified to perform the job.

Not everyone can vote in an election. Suffrage is only given to people who are citizens. Some groups may be excluded, for example prisoners.

For some elections, a country may make voting compulsory. Someone who does not vote, and who does not give a good reason usually has to pay a fine

Kinds of democracy

Democracy may be direct or indirect.

In a direct democracy, everyone has the right to make laws together. One modern example of direct democracy is a referendum, which is the name for the kind of way to pass a law where everyone in the community votes on it. Direct democracies are not usually used to run countries, because it is hard to get millions of people to get together all the time to make laws and other decisions. There is not enough time.

In an indirect, or representative democracy, people choose representatives to make laws for them. These people can be mayors, councilmen, members of Parliament, or other government officials. This is a much more common kind of democracy. Large communities like cities and countries use this method, but it may not be needed for a small group.

Ancient origins

This kind of government was developed long ago by the ancient Greeks in classical Athens. They had everyone who was a citizen (not slaves, women, foreigners, and children) get together in one area. The assembly would talk about what kinds of laws they wanted and voted on them. The Council would suggest the laws. All citizens were allowed in the assembly.

The Council were picked by draws ( lottery). The participants in the Council would change every year and the number of people in the Council was at the most 500. For some offices the Athenian citizens would pick a leader by writing the name of their favorite candidate on a piece of stone or wood. The person with the most votes became the leader.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, there were many systems, although only a few people could join in at this time. The Parliament of England began from the Magna Carta, a document which said that the King's power was limited, and protected certain rights of the people. The first elected parliament was De Montfort's Parliament in England in 1265.

However, only a few people could actually join in. Parliament was chosen by only a few percent of the people (in 1780, fewer than 3% of people joined in). The ruler also had the power to call parliaments. After a long time, the power of Parliament began to grow. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the English Bill of Rights 1689 made Parliament more powerful. Later, the ruler became a symbol instead of having real power.

Democratic consolidation

Democratic consolidation is the process by which a new democracy matures. Once mature, it is unlikely to revert to dictatorship rule without an external shock.

The idea is that unconsolidated democracies suffer from intermittent elections which are not free and fair. In other words, powerful groups are able to prevent the system working fairly.

Related pages

Images for kids

Statue of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens, in front of the Austrian Parliament Building. Athena has been used as an international symbol of freedom and democracy since at least the late eighteenth century.

In Switzerland, without needing to register, every citizen receives ballot papers and information brochures for each vote (and can send it back by post). Switzerland has a direct democracy system and votes (and elections) are organised about four times a year; here, to Berne's citizen in November 2008 about 5 national, 2 cantonal, 4 municipal referendums, and 2 elections (government and parliament of the City of Berne) to take care of at the same time.

Banner in Hong Kong asking for democracy, August 2019

In Spanish: Democracia para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY | Educational Videos for Children

# data[].attributes.body
Check this websites and learn about democracy. Give heart the website that you find the most useful. If you know a useful website about democracy, add it here. Write in the comments the important things you learnt.

# data[].attributes.body
What did Winston Churchill try to say by this quotation? What are disadvantages or threats of democracy?

# data[].attributes.body
Are you happy that you live in a democratic Europe? Why?

# data[].attributes.body
What did Winston Churchill try to say by this quotation? What are advantages of democracy?