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Citizens, therefore, have no say in how dangerous journeys in order to live power, and they will continue to make
the country is run. freely elsewhere. gains so long as democracy’s proponents
Countries in every region of the world let them. It is time for everyone who
have been captured by authoritarian/ BUILDING A MORE DEMOCRATIC understands the stakes to rebuild and
totalitarian rulers in recent years. In 2021 WORLD improve upon the international norms
alone, Nicaragua’s incumbent president There is a school of thought that the that democracies long championed,
won a new term in a tightly orchestrated displacement of global democratic and push the reprehensible practices
election after his security forces arrested norms by authoritarian powers and of authoritarians back to the margins of
opposition candidates and deregistered other antidemocratic protagonists human experience where they belong.
civil society organisations. Sudan’s can still be reversed. But success will By tipping the balance back in favour
generals seized power once again, require a bold, sustained response that of worldwide democracy, the mass
reversing democratic progress made establishes support for democracy exodus of refugees escaping oppression
after the 2019 ouster of former dictator and counters authoritarianism in all its will be avoided; standards of living will
Omar al-Bashir. And as the United States guises. It must involve the participation stabilise; and basic human rights will
abruptly withdrew its military from of both the government of a country gain greater traction.
Afghanistan, the elected government and an engaged and active citizenry.
in Kabul collapsed and gave way to *Freedom House was founded in 1973
the Taliban, returning the country to a CONCLUSION on the core conviction that freedom
system that is diametrically opposed to The Freedom of the World Report 2022 flourishes in democratic nations where
democracy and equality. states: Despite the clear arguments in governments are accountable to their
Nevertheless, despite the damage favour of democracy, the past 16 years people. Every year, its research assesses
to democracy’s foundations and have shown in stark terms that neither the the conditions of political rights and civil
reputation, popular demand for prevalence of democratic ideas around liberties around the world.
democracy remains strong. From Sudan the world nor the certainty of global
to Myanmar, people continue to risk progress toward democratic governance Large sections of this article have been
their lives in the pursuit of freedom in can be taken for granted. Autocrats remain taken verbatim from the Freedom of the
their countries. Many others undertake determined to keep and expand their World Reports.

The Villager • Issue 4 2022 • 13