Supporting those who fight for it is worth the cost

Recent events in Afghanistan prove that democracy promotion is the stuff of high politics. Widespread election fraud, monitored and confirmed by the United Nations-backed Electoral Complaints Commission, forced President Hamid Karzai to accept a runoff election. Mr. Karzai's opponent withdrew from any new contest, but this botched process has gravely impaired the future legitimacy of the Afghan government and its NATO defenders.

Democracy is the participation of citizens in decision-making that affects their lives; Aristotle described its origins as "the election of offices of all out of all." Canada has had freely elected assemblies since 1758, in Nova Scotia, making us one of the most mature democracies in the world. The travesty of Afghanistan raises the question: Do we have a moral obligation or a state interest in making democratic attainment for others as essential a priority as it is for ourselves?

In July, 2007, the Commons standing committee on foreign affairs and international development answered with a resounding affirmative. It recommended that Canada "commit to making support for democratic development a key priority of overall Canadian international policy."

Members of Parliament traditionally moan about committee reports being ignored, but when it comes to the promotion of democracy, the Conservative government has behaved in an exemplary way. The 2008 Speech from the Throne committed that "a new non-partisan democracy promotion agency will ... be established to support the peaceful transition to democracy in repressive countries." To answer specific questions raised by parliamentarians, the government commissioned an independent volunteer panel of practitioners experienced in overseas work. I chaired the panel and we delivered a unanimous report to Minister of State for Democratic Reform Steven Fletcher this fall.

My experience with the Queen's Centre for the Study of Democracy includes lessons from countries such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, Ghana and Liberia. We believe the greatest gap in Canada's democracy assistance is the lack of attention paid to political party development. Parties are the critical conveyor belts between the opinions of citizens and the activities of government, but parties that ignore democratic values, as in Afghanistan, do more harm than good. However much Canadian partisans battle at home, when they are abroad, they are united in support of democratic institutions. For example, more than 300 Canadians from all parties have volunteered for missions of the U.S. National Democratic Institute.

As well as being multi-partisan, a new democratic promotion agency should be a parliamentary instrument, rather than one run by the government. An agency that reports to and is funded by Parliament can work with foreign opposition parties, dissidents, even governments-in-exile.

Further, you cannot promote democracy by flying in consultants for a few days of training. The House of Commons report emphasized the need for local ownership: This can only be achieved by making a long-term investment in field offices, which can build local partnerships, provide ongoing assistance and be there for the long haul. Such offices cost up to $4-million a year, and in zones that require higher security, such as Afghanistan, the costs double. Democracy promotion is expensive. Committing to building parties abroad is not like putting new slipcovers on old furniture.

And yet, whatever the cost, the value of outside support for dissidents and those who fight for democracy is incalculable. Working in Ukraine, I met a young woman active in the Orange Revolution who told me about flying to Washington to pay her respects to Ronald Reagan after his death in 2004. She never forgot how he had described the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." It was an empire, and it was evil. His honesty gave her hope, despite the daily oppression of the state. She knew she was not alone in her desire for freedom.

In Haiti, Afghanistan, Cuba and Zimbabwe, Canada can bring a similar message of freedom and hope to those brave enough to fight autocracy. A new Centre for the Advancement of Democracy, as recommended by a parliamentary committee and endorsed by the government, could be a practical and operational expression of that aspiration.

Thomas Axworthy is chair of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University.