Does Democracy Have a Future?: CALD 2020 Annual Report Says It Does

Does Democracy Have a Future?:
CALD 2020 Annual Report Says It Does

2020 has been a tough year for Liberals and Democrats all over the world. The worst pandemic the world has seen in more than a century took over all of our lives. As countries grapple with the COVID-19, politics has been redefined, economies have been shattered, and mindsets have been changed. Authoritarians are using the pandemic to be more repressive, the poor are getting poorer, and many people are facing a mental health fallout.

But in the midst of all these setbacks, there was perseverance, there was courage, and there was hope. There are brave Liberals and Democrats across the Asian region rising and pushing back. This continuing effort to fight for representative government, human rights, and the rule of law is highlighted in CALD’s latest Annual Report entitled, “The Future of Democracy.”

“The biggest hope, however, lies in all of us who are surviving this unprecedented global crisis, striving to help each other fight the COVID infection and the diseases of disinformation and disempowerment,” said CALD Chairperson Kiko Pangilinan in his message. Even though everything shifted online,  he noted that “CALD made the most out of the democratizing power of the Internet by holding webinars,” which were also showcased in the 2020 report.

Aside from the offline and online activities of CALD in the previous year,  the  Report features CALD’s  Breathing Democracy Playbook, women leaders during the pandemic, youth voices from Asia, and an article on Digital Surveillance.

The speech of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen is also included in the Annual Report, together with Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo’s “A Time to Listen” and “Weathering through a Democracy Recession”, Kiko Pangilinan’s “Make Sense not Hate Speech”, Audrey Tang’s “F Words with Real Impact”, Abhisit Vejjajiva’s “Liberal Roadmap in the Midst of a Pandemic”, Andrew Ullman’s “The Importance of Science in Politics”, and Hakima El Haite’s “Building a Better Normal.”

As long as there are brave and committed Liberals and Democrats out there, the future of democracy will always remain bright.

To read the CALD 2020 Annual Report, click here.