The Democratic Imperative
By Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP, Foreign Secretary
Speech made on 12th February 2008 at St. Hugh's College, Oxford
I have called this speech 'The Democratic Imperative' because I believe discussion about the Iraq war has clouded the debate about promoting democracy around the world. I understand the doubts about Iraq and Afghanistan, and the deep concerns at the mistakes made. But my plea is that we do not let divisions over those conflicts obscure our national interest, never mind our moral impulse, in supporting movements for democracy. We must not be glib about what democracy means - it is far more than a five year ballot. We cannot be self satisfied about the state of our own democracy. We cannot impose democratic norms. But we can be clear about the desirability of government by the people and clear that without hubris or sanctimony we can play a role in backing demands for democratic governance and all that goes with it. That is my focus today.
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The views expressed in this article are those of the author. The John Smith Memorial Trust expresses no views on the content of articles but is pleased to be able to encourage debate on issues of the kind discussed in this speech.
This speech was made by the Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP on 12th February 2008, published on this website with kind permission from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Democratic Rollback
by Larry Diamond
Published in Foreign Affairs, March/April 2008
Summary: After decades of historic gains, the world has slipped into a democratic recession. Predatory states are on the rise, threatening both nascent and established democracies throughout the world. But this trend can be reversed with the development of good governance and strict accountability and the help of conditional aid from the West.
Link to Foreign Affairs on-line journal
The views expressed in this article are those of the author. The John Smith Memorial Trust expresses no views on the content of articles but is pleased to be able to encourage debate on issues of the kind discussed in this speech.
