Formation
The Guardians of Democracy originated from my original idea of forming a network between various democratic institutions, democratic-minded political parties and other organizations/groups dedicated to educate, protect and/or extend democracy.
It is a separate organization from Holistic-Futurism, but works closely together with it.
The leader of the organization is called „Coordinator“.
Important aspect are regular festivals or gatherings of some sort (e.g. weekly meetings, and a festival of democracy once a year) where people can connect with each other and exchange ideas, arguments, and so on. Next to physical events, online places to come together shall also be formed (preferably with strict rules to ensure civility).
The digital presence on websites, social media and else is also very important. There, it doesn’t matter whether one lives on the countryside or in a city. This network basically serves as a contact partner (for everyone), mediator and organizer.
Symbols
The dark red colour stands for the countless lives it took to establish our democracy. It serves as a reminder that our democratic system should not be taken for granted, and therefore the necessity emerges to protect and defend our values and democracy as a system itself. It ranges from individual liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of self-development to collective freedoms like the freedom to assembly. A healthy public discourse is a requirement, as well as giving everyone the chance to get access to educational materials from trusted and serious sources.
The wreath of laurel represents confidence in victory (as history has shown) and shows the certitude in the democratic cause. Battles were lost in the past – in France, Germany, and other countries where revolutions once broke out to abolish monarchic rule. However, in the long run, the war of the systems ended with democracy emerging victorious over the monarchies and dictatorships.
The shield emphasizes on the role as defenders and protectors – the guards – of democracy – whether it is anti-democratic political extremism, theocratic religious radicals or oligarchic individuals with a lot of power and economic might. The guards are ready and willing to fight on all fronts.
The owl symbolizes knowledge (which is limitlessly accessible in democracies), foresight (always looking to the future and making decisions based on the consequences it has on those living several generations later) and patience (some procedures and plans may take longer, but no rush decisions are made to avoid mistakes). All three of these characteristics are important for sustainability.
The sun is a symbol of life and that it in itself is valuable. It is also a symbol of power; power which is needed to stop and destroy inhumane ideologies and enemies of democracy.
Concluding Sentence
This organization is hopefully going to play a big role in western democracies, because only through large participation we will be able to protect our democratic values from the three dangerous elements: anti-democratic political extremists, religious extremists and oligarchs.
Baroque 