DEMOCRACY Democracy (Noun) [C16: from French démocratie, from Late Latin dēmocratia, from Greek dēmokratia government by the people] “[…] 2. a political or social unit governed ultimately by all its members. 3. the practice or spirit of social equality.[...] 5. the common people, esp as a political force.” (Collins English Dictionary)
Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal. (Aristotle, Politics)
“[...] To believe in a democratic culture is to oppose a mentality of submission or dependency. To rethink social solidarity is to leave behind the pessimism of poverty, defending the dignity of the poorest in partnership with an active citizenry in multicultural, tolerant 21st century cities. To build these cities is a courageous challenge. It is also our human duty.” (Françoise Lieberherr-Gardiol, Slum upgrading and participation: lessons from Latin America, 2003) 217