On International Day of Democracy, Acknowledging that Democracy Is the Responsibility of Us All

Throughout history, people everywhere have fought for the right to be free of oppression, have their values represented, and chart brighter futures for themselves and future generations. Today, as we celebrate International Day of Democracy, communities around the world are still struggling to realize the right to shape their own destinies. A 2023 survey of people in 30 countries, representing a population of over 5.5 billion people, found that 86 percent of respondents want to live in a democracy. In recent years, more citizens than ever are participating in civic life through social movements, political engagement, grassroots organizing, and other forms of nonviolent collective action. And in the increasing number of countries where democratic aspirations are challenged and denied, courageous citizens put their lives and livelihoods at risk every day while striving for a more just, equitable, and democratic future for their communities.

Since USAID’s creation in 1961, we have supported these brave individuals and organizations fighting for the right to live in freedom and prosperity. We have worked with governments to root out corruption and implement transparency around public spending. We have assisted local governments to better address the challenges their communities face, and we have helped those communities develop strategies to better advocate for their needs. We have helped those working to crack down on human trafficking and oppose exploitative labor practices, and supported communities to hold free and fair elections. We have strengthened our support for the journalists and independent media organizations crucial to holding those in power to account. We have developed new approaches to help governments, civil society, and citizens seize promising democratic openings. And we have launched new programs and pursued diplomacy to ensure that technologies work for our democratic goals, while standing against those who abuse technology to repress, control, and disenfranchise.

This work remains vital at a time when democracy faces historic headwinds. Authoritarians are using their financial muscle to prop up and perpetuate models of governance that disempower citizens, dismantle checks and balances, and disregard human rights and protections for women and girls, LGBTQI+ persons, and other marginalized communities. Malign actors undermine democratic norms and institutions – from legislatures to courts to electoral processes – for their own gain and to dilute global support for democracy, and increasingly spread their tactics for repression.

Now is a crucial time for democracy – and for agencies like USAID to modernize how we respond to attacks on democratic institutions and leverage our resources in adopting a whole-of-Agency approach to advancing democracy. That’s exactly what our recently launched Democracy, Rights, and Governance Policy seeks to do. The policy provides a blueprint and strategic pivots for taking on modern threats to democracy and honing our approach on issues ranging from including corruption to the erosion of democratic norms.

We each have a role in protecting and advancing democracy – regardless of whether we have “democracy,” “rights,” or “governance” in our job descriptions – because everyone stands to benefit from a more democratic world. Democracies are more likely to experience economic growth for all communities, including marginalized ones. Poverty rates are lower and hunger is less common, while air and water are more likely to be cleaner in democracies. Amid historic rates of global conflict, democracies are by and large more peaceful and stable, and forced migration is less frequent. Life expectancy is generally higher in democracies than autocracies. Indeed, democracy is not just an outcome of development efforts – it is a condition crucial to our success, whether we are working to alleviate poverty, prevent disease, or drive economic growth.

Our new policy is just the most recent demonstration of USAID’s commitment to building a world where all people can make their voices heard. We remain deeply dedicated to these efforts, and will continue to recruit new partners, inside and outside the Agency, to join us in this work.