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KPI Congress 20th
34
2018
Thai Democracy on the Move

Group 4: Citizen Empowerment for Consolidated Democracy

“The stronger the citizens, the more stable the democracy” is a very
common phrase among developers in the field of democracy. Citizenship

is a root of democratic development along with the development of
democratic structures. The main principle of democracy is that the people

own the governing body. The power of the people is concrete and the
channels of power must be clear. People’s empowerment emerged

through the so-called “People’s Constitution” of 1997, emphasizing the
right to propose legislation, policy, and referendum as well as to monitor

the use of state power through the removal of politicians. Community
integration for self-management and self-reliance in various fields shows

that the concrete power of the people is built and strengthened through
the action and knowledge from relevant agencies.

However, the dynamics of social, political, cultural, technological,

and innovative change in the twenty-first century pose many challenges
to the development of democracy around the world. Citizenship is

affected because it no longer depends on the state. Citizenship in a
digital culture or E-citizenship has occurred in some countries. These

changes and challenges affect the stability and sustainability of democracy.
A new challenge is the creation and promotion of democratic citizenship.

Clearly, participation is promoted in a digital culture, as seen in online
social movements around the world. The right to privacy becomes blurred

while freedom of expression in the social world is encouraged. Thus, it
is essential for citizens, civil society, the public sector, and the private

sector to actively cooperate in the strengthening of democratic citizens
to fit the changing context of democratic security. To find and develop a

model for creating and promoting civic knowledge, thinking, civic mind,
and appropriate democratic culture is to develop cooperation among all
หลักการและก�าหนดการ
sectors to promote strong citizens to take part in democratic development.