Democracy and Civility
By living in society, people not only satisfy their needs, but also propose changes to grow and improve as a group. In order to establish how people should behave and act in society, human beings realized they had to get organized and agree on basic things, such as deciding how to govern themselves and who will govern.
Democratic System
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico establishes that democracy is essential for the coexistence of the Puerto Rican community. Under democracy, each person has the opportunity to fully participate in making decisions that affect society and to freely express their opinions and their will.
What is democracy?
“Democracy” is a word that has several meanings. This term originates from the Greek words demos, which means ‘people,’ and krato, which means ‘government.’ It was used in Athens, Greece, when people gathered in a public square and jointly decided on the matters that affected everyone as a group. Decisions were not made by a single person, such as a king or a dictator. Therefore, democracy is said to represent “the government of the people” or “the power of the people.”
Democracy may refer to:
- an ideal or an aspiration
- a system of government
- a set of values, beliefs, and attitudes
- a way of making decisions
For the purposes of this document, democracy is a form of government and life in which people organize and make decisions that seek the common good for all everyone with whom they live.
What does coexistence mean?
Coexistence refers to the relationships between people, spending time with each other by working, talking, celebrating, studying, etc. This occurs where people gather and spend time together, such as homes, neighborhoods, in schools, at work, and in the country as a whole.
Part of coexisting includes how people get organized and join their efforts to ensure a bright future and a decent life for society as a whole. This is called democratic coexistence.
What is democratic coexistence?
Democratic coexistence is a form of social and political organization that seeks to help people interact peacefully, despite having different characteristics or ways of thinking (sex, gender, race, religious or political ideas, etc.) Through democratic coexistence, people not only pursue their own growth and wellbeing but also consider the wellbeing of others.
Democratic coexistence strives for people to lead a life based on values of mutual respect, to understand their differences, and to appreciate the diversity among people. This does not mean that people should think the same or share the same points of view, but rather that they understand that everyone can have their own way of thinking and living. This is known as civility.
What is civility?
The word “civility” comes from the Latin word civis, which means ‘citizen,’ and it is concerns the relationships between people who belong to the same collective or group. This term is used to refer to the attitude of those who decide to be a “good citizen,” who wish to live peacefully and enjoy all the benefits of being part of a society.
Civility is the behavior of those who fulfill their duties as citizens, respect the rights of others, and abide by the law, thus contributing to the wellbeing and functioning of society. One such example is someone who does their part to improve their community’s wellbeing by protecting the environment, doing community work, and actively and consciously participating in democratic processes by staying informed and exercising their right to vote, among others.
What is a good citizen?
The phrase ‘good citizen’ is used to describe those individuals or organizations who contribute to the general welfare of the society where they belong. Each person can contribute to the collective good of society according to their particular realities and circumstances. These contributions will also depend on society’s needs.
For example, a bomba instructor (bomba is a musical genre native to Puerto Rico) who feels that the younger members of the community are unaware of their culture can share the knowledge they have of Puerto Rican dance and music through free community workshops.
What are some examples of civility?
The way we behave and coexist in society has a lot to do with the elements shared by those who make up the group. People who live together in society share a culture, history, values, standards, laws, rights, duties, and aspirations regarding what they want as a society. This is how coexistence is structured, and people know how they should and should not act.
However, this does not mean that all people who live together in the same society share the same social, political, or religious values and beliefs. On the contrary, diversity of beliefs and values informs the decision-making process since everyone is expected to participate in a democratic system to make decisions that affect us all. Even when there are differences in the way we think, the decisions made by the majority and by their representatives serve to reach decisions for everyone legitimately.
Values refer to all that helps, maintains, cultivates, and nurtures people’s lives. For example: respect, honesty, tolerance, and solidarity. These values are part of culture and are transmitted in different ways, such as through family, school, church, the workplace, the news, and the media, among others.
Civil culture refers to the values that lead people to actively participate and get involved responsibly and in an informed and responsible manner to contribute to the common good and general well being of all of society. Some examples of a civil culture and civility include:
- knowledge and self-care (people establish healthy relationships to take care of themselves and their health in order to develop their potential and thus contribute to society)
- assuming leadership roles or positions in private or non-profit organizations that seek to protect the community’s rights
- helping a sick neighbor
- respecting traffic signs
- protecting the environment by recycling
- avoiding discarding garbage in streets or parks
- actively participating in public processes (for example, becoming familiar with all political platforms before voting)
- communicating ideas and opinions to achieve changes that benefit everyone
- defending our own rights and those of others
- resolving community conflicts and problems peacefully
- respecting everyone’s different characteristics and beliefs
Revised: February 2023