Can democracy be exported? Should western democratic values be promoted world wide? These are the key questions raised by the Democracy and Intervention booklet available to download from Tuesday July 17. We hope you will consider the topics covered in the booklet and join the debate:
- What constitutes a democracy?
- Does democracy have a claim to universal validity?
- Do we have a duty to promote democracy world wide?
- Since democracy has taken different forms at different times, what exactly is it that we wish to promote?
- May we use force to promote democratic values?
- How do we deal with the tensions between religious-based democracy and the liberal democracy of the West?
- Should we not leave each society free to decide its collective affairs without outside interference?
- Is it possible to reach a consensus about what constitutes an ideal – or even acceptable form of democracy and its promotion?