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News from the Field: COPED celebrates the First International Day of Democracy in Togo

Le Centre d'Observation et de Promotion de l'Etat de Droit (COPED) of Togo is one of UNDEF's project partners in its second funding round. After learning from UNDEF about the First International Day of Democracy on 15 September, COPED decided to celebrate the Day. It organized a wide range of activities to raise public awareness of the necessity of democracy in Togo.

In this way, COPED lived up to the spirit of its project "Droits et Libertés pour Tous au Togo" ("Rights and Liberties for everyone in Togo"). The project aims to promote democratic culture for all Togolese people, regardless of political, religious, ethnic or regional background. Its activities to reach this goal are:

• Sensitizing the rural population to the concept of democracy via film, radio broadcasts and publications;
• Educating local elites in topics such as democratic participation, human and civil rights;
• Using information, education and communication to improve voter participation in Togo's 2010 Presidential elections and subsequent local elections; and
• Stimulating debates about democratic values and principles in high schools and colleges in order to safeguard peace and social cohesion.

COPED's activities on 15 September were many and varied. In the week leading up to the Day, Togo's youth were invited to take part in a quiz about democracy and politics aired by Radio Lomé and Sport FM. The topics included major national and international political events, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the work of COPED itself. COPED also displayed posters illustrating democratic principles in prominent locations throughout the city of Lomé, and in the Togolese countryside. Messages included "La démocratie est une exigence de development" ("Democracy is a necessity for development") and "Tous unis pour le triomphe de la démocratie" ("All unite for the triumph of democracy").

COPED's Vice-President, Mr Koffi Toussah, was invited by Radio Lomé to participate in a radio transmission on "Doits et Devoirs du Citoyen" ("Rights and Duties of a Citizen"). He explained that with the celebration, COPED wanted to promote democracy and a constitutional state in Togo and other African states, raise awareness of human rights and civil liberties, and promote regular and transparent elections. UNDEF hopes its support for COPED will contribute to this work.

 

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