Back Civic Education Worldwide For Democracy
International Herald Tribune
December 6, 2002

John Richardson and Richard C. Rowson

A central feature of U.S. occupation policy in Germany and Japan was the requirement to teach the fundamentals of democratic governance in all the schools. Today, with the challenge to democracy of international terrorism, it is more important than ever to teach civic education - education for democracy - in primary and secondary schools worldwide.

It is in this spirit that an initiative for "global civic education for democracy" was proposed in Seoul at a Nov. 9-12 international nongovernmental forum of more than 100 nations. The forum was, like its Warsaw predecessor two years ago, linked to the Community of Democracies ministerial conference that was held in parallel. Gathered at the forum were more than 250 democracy activists and advocates from around the world. Their final declaration called on governments and international organizations to organize a meeting that would develop a global strategy for promoting democracy education worldwide.

The forum appealed to democratic governments everywhere to institutionalize democracy education at the level of primary and secondary schools in order to consolidate their own democracies. The preamble to their recommendations said: "A high-quality democracy, with broad participation and legitimacy, depends on an informed citizenry that values and understands democracy."

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the urgency of such an initiative has been recognized by such nongovernmental organizations as the National Endowment for Democracy, the Open Society Institute, Freedom House, the American Forum for Global Education and the Council for a Community of Democracies. These organizations convinced the Seoul conference planners to add a "global civic education initiative" to the ministerial conference agenda.

Fanatical terrorism of the Sept. 11 variety is bred where governments fail to modernize and provide their peoples with opportunity and hope. At the root of these failures are deeply flawed educational systems, exploited by Al Qaeda and others for their own evil purposes. Students emerge from such an "education" lacking the tools and values to become effective citizens supporting human rights, the rule of law, free markets and honest elections.

It is therefore imperative to introduce civic education for democracy, wherever and whenever possible, in both schools and educational media.

There are four good reasons to believe that this civic education initiative can make a long-term contribution in world affairs:

1. The number of freely elected governments in the world (not all fully democratic) is now 140 in the world's approximately 200 independent countries. Contrary to widely held belief, most of the world's Muslims already live under democratically elected governments.

2. The governments of Britain, Chile, the Czech Republic, India, South Korea, Mali, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa and the United States are prepared to support the Seoul civic education initiative.

3. The nongovernmental sector, including Brussels-based Civitas International, a major consortium of civic educators and affiliated civic organizations around the world, provides major capabilities.

4. The World Bank, the UN specialized agencies, the European Union and the U.S. Agency for International Development all now make democratic progress a priority.

Will the down-to-earth approach to worldwide civic education that was launched in Seoul catch the imagination of world leaders? Experience has shown that the creative process unleashed at such international gatherings has the potential to get results. The first Community of Democracies Conference in Warsaw laid the foundations for world democratic solidarity. The second, in Seoul, and the third, to be held in Chile two years from now, represent a historic first - the first time democracies worldwide have come together to develop and pursue a common agenda including civic education.

Americans can be proud that successive Democratic and Republican administrations have played a major role in this achievement.

Richardson is president emeritus of the Council for a Community of Democracies and a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for educational affairs. Rowson is vice president of the Council for a Community of Democracies. They contributed this comment to the International Herald Tribune.