In his speech last year to the U.N. General Assembly, President Obama said that “civil society is the conscience of our communities.”
The dictionary defines conscience as “the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives.” But can a society collectively have a conscience? And, is civil society that collective conscience?
In his speech, President Obama also expressed confidence that the free flow of ideas is essential to personal freedom and, ultimately, democracy. The assumption is that free societies will ultimately choose the right path.
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Lech Walesa, once a humble electrician, led the Solidarity freedom movement in communist Poland.
Certainly there are plenty of examples of how the desire for personal and societal freedom continuously simmers under even the most repressive regimes. Aung San Suu Kyi and fellow like-minded activists have endured decades of repression and yet remain steadfast in their support for a free and democratic Burma. Liu Xiaobo is only the latest in a long line of individuals who have endured government harassment and imprisonment for speaking out for greater human rights in China.
But civil society does have the power to overcome repressive regimes and promote freedom. One of the most notable in recent history was the trade union Solidarity’s ultimate success in instituting democratic reforms in what was then communist Poland. In past weeks, the people in Tunisia have had tentative success in shaking off an undemocratic government.
What do you think? Is civil society the conscience of our communities?
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