In December 2010, a fruit vendor in central Tunisia set himself on fire out of frustration with local authorities. Little did he know that he would spark what would be known as the Arab Spring. Soon after that, citizens of all ages and backgrounds were protesting in the streets, calling for the ouster of their long-term autocratic ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. They were fed up with corruption, economic inequality, nepotism and their lack of rights. After several weeks of mass protests, Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January 2011.
At the time, I was working for a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., overseeing democracy promotion projects in the Middle East and North Africa funded by the U.S. government. In March 2011, I travelled to Tunis, the capital of Tunisia on the Mediterranean coast of north Africa. As I walked through the center of Tunis, the excitement and apprehension in the air were palpable. The streets were crowded with people exercising their new rights, peacefully protesting on one street corner after another. Under Ben Ali, they never would have been allowed to do that without fear of being arrested. Now, they were publicly voicing their opinions just because they could, for the first time in years.
A couple of months later, the people returned to the streets. But this time, it was because no elections had been held and they were frustrated that they were not yet living in a democracy. I remember speaking with young adults, urging them to participate in public life and explaining how a democracy is not created overnight. Some were reluctant to or not interested in joining in the efforts to become a democracy but deeply wanted that outcome. I explained that democracy requires the participation of all and it takes continuing work.
Those conversations caused me to reflect on whether I was practicing what I preached. I asked myself, what am I doing to support our democracy here at home?
I returned to California and became involved with the League of Women Voters (LWV), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that encourages informed and active participation in government.
This spring, the LWV declared a constitutional crisis, explaining that “checks and balances, the rule of law, (and) free and fair elections … are under direct and sustained threat.” In May, it launched a campaign called “United and Rise 8.5.” The campaign seeks to mobilize 8.5 million voters. According to a study, nonviolent protests that engage 3.5% of the population – approximately 8.5 million voters – can bring about meaningful change.
Please join this effort to mobilize 8.5 million voters by writing to your elected officials, voting, volunteering to help at elections or to observe polls, participating in local marches and turning out at public meetings. We all need to step up and to work to have our voices heard so as to preserve our democracy. As President Kennedy once said, “Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort.”
Katie Zoglin is the President of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area League of Women Voters.
