Democracy for Peace and Development: An Ever-Expanding Agenda

Abstract

Good conflict resolution is based on empathy with the concerns of all parties, on creativity (development!), and nonviolence (peace!). Democracy claims to know how to do this. But democracy is also subject to dialectics. Democracy should never become rigid but be innovative, not only be a source of innovation. Democracy can be seen as a way of making development and peace sustainable; in and with nature, and as human, social and world growth and peace. If we want development and peace to be enduring conditions in Time, then political development becomes a part of social development and democracy development a part of political development. Any type of development is process, so these two processes must also be sustainable.