Editorial

Dear readers

Over the past year our newspaper has attempted to convey background information on current concerns in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, as well as in Europe and the rest of the world, and to place them in their historical context. Worldwide the political, economic and social situation has become more worrying than ever. Wars are being planned and coolly instigated, regardless of their disastrous consequences. The democratic constitutional state is being debilitated worldwide, Human Rights and international law disregarded and treated with contempt.

It has always been important to us with our newspaper to help build up a democratic countercurrent in the publishing world, which does not only seek to inform but also to encourage others to look for alternatives, and to make them happen. Direct democracy in Switzerland is such an alternative. It did not come overnight. Just like globalization, which is not a natural law, direct democracy is the work of people who actively shaped history. Studying the history of direct democracy in Switzerland one is struck by the fact that over the centuries it was always citizens from the country areas who pushed forward the development of democracy. The "Landsgemeinde" in Switzerland (the annual assembly of the active citizens of a canton) has been a tradition since the 13th century. In the 18th century the rural population, in their reading clubs and associations, began to point out and discuss social injustices, and they developed ideas to improve the situation, which found publication in their information pamphlets. This was the start of people's movements which, with the help of petitions that were discussed on 'people's days', led to more direct democracy. The urban authorities were unable to ignore their demands. Using the instruments of direct democracy rural citizens shaped new creations of traditional and modern ideas. This led to people's movements in the 19th century, rooted in their local communities which were traditionally organized in cooperatives, managing to implement direct democracy on the cantonal level and, after 1848, also on the federal state level. Built on this foundation, an extremely successful economic model developed in Switzerland during the course of the industrialization.

The model of direct democracy must be preserved and further developed. Broad debate is necessary. One cannot simply prescribe direct democracy top down. It must grow from the roots, because only then will those roots hold. In a number of countries such models and initiatives already exist.

In Switzerland, it was the people joining together to fight against those exercising power and control over them that started everything. Perhaps new reading clubs are needed today to encourage the positive forces to grow. To this end we would like to contribute with our newspaper in the New Year, too.

We send our readers season's greetings, and best wishes for the festive season and the New Year!

Editorial staff Current Concerns