In the UK, we are preparing ourselves for a General Election and I feel that people are more divided now than what I can remember in the history of elections (not that I’ve seen many). This may not be the case, but as I get older, I am more conscious of politics and the impact it has on us and vice vera. The interesting thing is, I think we are not divided about which party we vote for but more so whether or not we should in fact vote. The reason being, I believe, is because a lot of us are asking ourselves ‘Where did the people go?’. Let me explain.
It’s argued that voting is an integral part of democracy. The word "democracy" comes from the Middle French "démocratie," which originally derives from the ancient Greek "demokratia." In Greek, "demokratia" literally means "rule" (from "kratos") by the "people" (from "demos"). So, democracy refers to a system of government where the sovereign power is vested in the people, either directly or through elected representatives. In brief, the ‘demo’ in democracy refers to the people and as I said, some of us are wondering where did the people go?
Sadly, some of us are feeling hopeless because the tool that should be used to give us a voice, we now perceive as being used to silence us. Therefore, we choose not to vote despite being reminded of the price that others paid for us to have the opportunity to vote. I know this, because this is me. In fact, in a strange turn of events, I was the one who would remind people of the power of their voice. Particulary as a Black woman, I felt a sense of moral duty to cast my vote. Then a few years ago, I started to question what is this all for? Do our votes even matter? Where did the care for the people go?
Politics have become about power. For some of the party leaders and if we’re honest, for some of us as constituents. Who do we want to be in power rather than how as people do we want to be represented? Some of what we fight for seems meaningless as people around our world continue to suffer. So how will this bring about positive change?
Recently I have been reminded about the importance of not only having a voice but using your voice. I attended a forum last week called ‘The Philosopher’s Yard’. If you’re in or around Birmingham (UK), I would encourage you to check it out. One of the members of the panel, Siobhan Nunes said something that really challenged me.
‘For evil to flourish, good people have to do nothing’
‘For evil to flourish, good people have to do nothing’. This may include other things but for the purpose of this blog, it refers to voting. I want there to be good in the world, so why am I choosing to do nothing? For those of us who are unsure as to how to use our vote this election, I encourage us to use it nonetheless. How you use it, is your choice, but use your voice to bring about positive change.
If you’re stuck on how to use it, there’s a lot of information out there that can help to educate us on voting and how to use our vote.
Munya Chawawa’s Instagram (@munyachawawa) and his Election Doom Scroll on BBC Sounds contains good nuggets for anyone who wants to learn more
Party Manifestos - definitely read through these, even if you just look over the overviews. Let’s not vote for a party because our Great Grandmother did. Let’s actually find out how these parties will be intending to lead the country.
BBC website provides further information and an overview for again anyone wanting to learn more
theyworkforyou.com - I wish I knew about this sooner as it aims to provide accessible and understandable information on elected representatives and all things parliament
Let’s put the demo back into democracy…
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