When I was once in a very uncomfortable position, someone relayed the story of the parent eagle and her chicks.
Here’s the same story, but applied to the subject of Democracy. Imagine a mother eagle, watching over her fledglings nestled snugly in the safety of the nest. As the time approaches for them to take flight, she knows they must experience discomfort to truly soar.
Reluctant to leave the comfort of the nest and discover flight she acts. So, she begins to ruffle her feathers, making the once cosy nest increasingly uncomfortable. Likewise, in our democratic societies, we find ourselves nestled in the familiar comforts of the status quo, however in recent times many of us have felt disenfranchised, and have become politically homeless. No one seems to listen to us.
But just like the eaglets, we must recognize when it's time to venture beyond the nest. Our democracy, as it stands today, may have provided us with stability in the past and during those times we didn’t really venture to look for anything different. It has perhaps also lulled us into complacency. Is it time to challenge ourselves, to embrace the discomfort we now feel, and to push beyond the confines of what we’ve known previously?
Is it time to spread our wings into uncharted territories. Do we need to gain a new perspective on democracy. Would more "direct democracy" change our perspective on what good governance is? Like the eaglets who’ve been resting in the nest, whilst at the same time feeling more and more discomfort, with newfound wings of "direct democracy", perhaps we will be able to see the landscape from a different vantage point.
We no longer remain passive observers, throwing our hands up in the air and saying what on earth can we do. Rather we become active participants, capable of navigating the complexities and addressing the issues that were once obscured from view, and even kept hidden from us, because those that governed us wanted to continue to treat us like children.
Let the discomfort they have forced upon us become a sudden impetus to leave the nest of complacency. Just as the eaglets must learn to trust their wings and navigate the winds, we the citizens, must learn to trust in our ability to shape our democracy otherwise the shape it is becoming will only increase the discomfort we feel about what our society is being driven towards, at an ever increasing pace!
It's only by embracing discomfort we feel today, and venturing into the unknown that we can truly realize the full potential of what true democracy is about and ensure that it serves the needs and aspirations of all its citizens.
After all, if we want to call ourselves a democracy, we need to return to what the word actually means, the combination of two Greek words: "demos," meaning "people," and "kratos," meaning "power" or "rule." Thus, "democracy" literally translates to "rule by the people."
So, the question remains, have you been feeling more and more uncomfortable in recent years? If the answer is yes, then maybe it is time to spread our wings, and soar into a new era of democracy—one where every voice is heard, every perspective valued, and every citizen empowered to shape the future. It's time to leave the nest, it's time to fly. #DirectDemocracy
Note: Some people see eagles as signs of a bright future on the horizon.
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