Mediation: fulfilling the promise democracy.

• Author: Weinstein, Martha

"When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.... Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy."

--Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963

In 1989, it felt as if democracy was surging around the world. The emergence of Gorbachev's new policies, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, and the, changing of many institutions indicated the ending of communism. People were concerned with how they would ever learn to make their own decisions, solve problems, and participate in government. So many people around the world yearn for the freedoms and liberties we have in the United States. Yet, the task of nurturing a democratic society is not often given adequate attention even in our own country. What is needed, according to Frances Moore Lappe and Paul Martin De Bois, is "a culture of democracy, `the spirit of a truly free people.'"

A Living Democracy

Volumes have been written about American democracy and its promise. While there are many views of democracy, a unique concept of a living democracy is provided in The Quickening of America, which describes how democracy is crafted in a variety of ways based upon vital interests of different groups. The authors describe that democracy as "more than institutions. It must be a way of life that involves the values and practices people engage in daily in all aspects of life. What does democracy require of its citizens? A lot more than voting--we have a voice in work, school, community, media, human services, and government."(1)

The authors pose two key questions about the "heart and soul of democracy": What are the skills we need in order to interact with each other (becoming effective problem solvers), and how can we build the qualities of character that will create the kind of public culture America desperately needs (the culture of people who are prepared to work together and with their officials to become partners in problemsolving)?(2) They conclude that democracy isn't "simply about running our government; it's about running our lives ... it evolves in response to the creative actions of citizens."

Freedom is never free. Costs or burdens must be borne in order to preserve the values on which our nation was founded. There are many situations in which hard decisions affecting all must be made, and the ultimate decision is made between competing values and interests.(3) These hard choices create conflict. In addition, our right to living our life based upon personal choice can also cause conflict when the result impacts another person. A fundamental need within a free society is to be able to resolve conflicts in a respectful, nonviolent manner...