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Luciana Grosu Brindusa Romania Romanian Democracy - reloaded My country is Romania, a "young democracy", a state that tries to learn every day a new thing on the path towards real democracy, equality, dignity and freedom. The collapse in 1989 of the communist system in Romania, confronted us with the problem of building a new democracy, a democracy that should represent a viable alternative to the past totalitarian regime. I could therefore talk about our lack of experience and determination, political instability, economical issues, or the weak will of the actual political class. But this is what the others say about us. I, as a youth, believe something else about what is happening in my country right now.     I believe there is a chance for us to go on the right path, because every new beginning leaves space for an evolution. The biggest advantage of Romania now is that everyone still remembers the horrors of the communism and nobody would agree to repeat history, in other words, we know how far things can go when democracy is not respected and defended. Therefore, we might stay away from some of the "temptations" that gained power in the older democracies of the world:   security measures that lead to an almost total control of the population, political apathy or raising popularity of extremist political parties, aggressive capitalism that makes impossible social protection, etc.     Democracy has a concrete meaning for Romanians, it is the opposite of communism, silence, pain and fear. Democracy is more than just a dream or an abstract goal; it is a need that comes from within and a desire of the whole population. Romania felt great joy when everyone realized he is finally free to decide for his life.   Yet indeed, older people are not convinced that freedom or free expression is enough for a real democracy; they say capitalism has its dark sides, too. Meanwhile, the young generation feels very enthusiastic about the present democratic regime because it brings them closer to the European countries and the USA. I can say that most of the people in my country believe that the change was for good and that Romania will eventually find a way to overcome its economical problems. Democracy is however not really connected to prosperity, it's a right of every people of the world, and most of the Romanian citizens know it: democracy is about human dignity and having a fair chance.      Of course, I recognize the present political situation appears as "a better one" precisely because we have the experience of a totalitarian system; even corruption seems "less harming" in Romania because people are paid to do a certain thing, not threatened or forced to obey. But my point is that democracy really exists in Romania and that we are free to build it together. There are still a lot of things to be done, but one can see that during the past years Romania progressed. It's up to the future to decide whether we'll succeed in transforming ourselves in a strong democracy.     Being part of the new generation, the generation that saw the "dawns" of democracy in Romania, I feel I have a responsibility. I believe I should fight for defending democracy in my country. I feel very lucky and I am glad I wasn't forced to live in communism. But at the same time, I feel I don't have the right to smile when I hear my parents' stories about communism. These stories are actually a serious warning, these stories were real and they could become once more real... History may repeat itself if we don't know what to "learn" from the past's experience. Unfortunately, not all the older people know how to explain youth the values of democracy. Some just reproach us how superficial we are, taking into account that life is a lot easier for us than it was for them, during the communist regime. They might be right to criticize us, but for the young generation, including myself, the most difficult thing will be to build the future, understanding a past we never really lived and overcoming a present that we don't really own. Our turn to fight for a change hasn't come yet, and a world in transition, like the Romanian world today, can become sometimes very puzzling and confusing...Therefore, I need to ask myself every minute which would be the right direction for my country, I need to imagine every day future scenarios for the evolution of Romania, I need to go back every year to the December revolution , listen to peoples' comments and try to understand why it all happened...It is not easy, because no one can tell me what to do, people can only tell me what I should not do, what didn't worked, what was wrong from the beginning and how utopist ideas put in practice ended up being a real catastrophe for Romania... I will be an active citizen because I still have many questions that I need to find the answers at, and because I also have a lot of ideas, plans and projects that I need to "test", to see if they can lead to a real progress. And, of course, because I have the duty to hope.     Which is my secret hope? I dream of a perfect society where all citizens take part in the decision-making process. People approve or reject the new laws by secure voting through internet, online consultations. Chats are held every week, and the leaders discuss personally as often as possible with the population. Youth are encouraged to propose projects and new ideas that the leaders then adopt and put in practice. Elder people are encouraged to enter politics and become counselors on different problems, they are not necessary paid, but their opinions are always taken into account. The leaders themselves are not necessary politicians, but people who proved to be very good in a certain professional area. They are elected by direct vote, and they have more duties and responsibilities than advantages. They don't have big salaries and are not tempted by power since keeping their job is conditioned by proving they have kept all the promises made. They automatically lose their position if they don't fulfill all their assignments or if they can't really do the things they said to be capable of. Therefore, one decides to candidate only when he feels he could contribute to the country's progress. The new leaders are not considered stars at all, and the media only treats them as professionals, their personal life is not important and no one is interested in it. Actually, in my ideal society, the media tries to make sure that all the citizens understand all the issues discussed by the authorities and also gives them a chance to express their opinions. Of course, there is still a long way until my vision will become reality.     Personally, I hope to get the chance to work in the media. I would like to raise awareness and invite people to reflect on the most important issues on the leaders' agenda. I think we should talk less about the leaders themselves and more about the decisions they make. I will try to find new strategies of presenting and explaining politics to all social and age categories. I believe citizens need to be informed, they have the right to a personal opinion, and they should understand all the measures, the proposals and the decisions taken by the leaders. If I'll manage to make my voice heard, I'll also propose to use the new technology in order to bring together, more often, politic leaders and citizens. Face-to-face meetings are also a good idea, assuming that every citizen has a fair chance to participate at these meetings. In order to put in practice my other ideas, I'd need the support of a big organization because these ideas suppose essential social changes. So I'd try to talk to youth activists from other countries, too, and maybe start a new movement together. In today's Romanian society, the Ngo's are not eager to engage themselves in transforming peoples' way of perceiving politics. In order to end corruption, indifference and incompetence one should change first peoples' attitude towards politics and democracy, but in order to achieve this, one needs a lot of money and human resources. I therefore can't do everything by myself ...the Romanian Revolution was itself the final effect of a strong secret mass movement. Today, the "war" is not over. But today I hope to find allies all over the world because today I am free to write about my ideas and dreams ...