Rights of a Citizen
We exist. Above all, as human beings. By our size, the shape of our face, our features, the color of our eyes, we are unique. But at the same time, despite our differences, we resemble all the citizens of our country, because we are neither superior nor inferior to them. We are all citizens of the same country. With the same rights and duties.
Living together at school, in the village, in the city, within society, creates bonds.From a legal point of view, as soon as you reach the age of majority, you must assume full responsibility for your actions.For example, you have the right to manage your bank account, to vote and to stand for.
Civil rights
You are a citizen with freedom of thought, expression and movement…If you are arrested by the police, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the courts. You have the right to be defended by a lawyer and the right not to be tortured or otherwise ill-treated by law enforcement officials.
Political rights
From the age of 18, you can take part in political life without any pressure or oppression, and stand for election to all public offices. You also have the right to vote, freely choosing your representatives.
- I have the right to express my opinion
- I have the right as a disabled citizen to special care
- I have the right to housing
- I have the right to be treated equally regardless of gender
- I have the right to medical care
- I have the right to live in a clean environment
- and the duty to listen to the opinion of others
- And the duty to do my best to live my life as fully as possible
- And the duty to maintain it
- And the duty to treat girls and boys equally
- And the duty to keep myself healthy through a healthy lifestyle
- But the duty not to dirty the environment
did you know?
– Compulsory voting was introduced in Australia for national elections in 1924, while Belgium introduced the system in 1893.
– In Belgium, voters who fail to turn out at the polls risk sanctions. Abstention constitutes an offence, which, without a valid excuse, is punishable by a fine of between 27.50 and 55 euros for the first offence, and 137.50 euros for subsequent offences.
– Democracy can take different forms: direct, representative or participatory (mediation and negotiation).
– Pre-1994 South Africa openly practiced racial discrimination. In public places, for example, there were toilets for whites, blacks, Indians and mixed-race people.
What is Politics?
Aristotle, a Greek thinker, once said “Man is by nature a political animal.” The question of political organization has always been crucial to human survival. Already our ancestors, homo sapiens sapiens chose a political leader to guide and direct them on their nomadic journey.
The word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek ‘polis’ meaning ‘the city’ (the country) and ‘tikos’ meaning ‘business’. Politics is about running the country’s affairs. A politician is someone who has been elected by the people in an election to govern the country. Hence the term ‘government’.
From the very beginning of mankind, we have had various political systems, all of which have been imperfect attempts by man to run society. For a little over two centuries, democracy has enabled us to make some progress. But there is still a great deal to do…
Politics is an imperfect attempt by men to resolve their conflicts by peaceful means”, a sociologist once said. Politicians fight, not with weapons but with words, to defend their ideas. They discuss, propose and exchange ideas (sometimes vehemently) in Parliament. What is important to the citizens who elected them is that they pass laws that promote social progress and that they govern for the whole population.
All young people should be interested in politics, and no one can say that they are not. Our living conditions and our future are at stake. To be involved in politics is to govern, to set rules, and to live well we must ensure that these rules are respected.
A political party brings together people who share the same vision for running the country.Political parties bring together members and activists. Parties draw up projects for society, the concrete measures of which are presented in electoral programs.
Through the candidates they put forward, political parties aim to win power. In this way, they can implement their projects. Political parties animate political life by communicating their ideas to citizens via the media, leaflets and meetings. Political parties are essential to the functioning of democracy.
Political parties are generally classified from the extreme left to the extreme right. In a democracy, the Constitution guarantees individual freedoms, the sovereignty of the people and the separation of powers. We are citizens. And as citizens, we have duties and responsibilities. duties to those around us, to our society, to our country.
If power rested solely with the executive and politicians, there would be a risk of abuse. That is why a true democracy needs safeguards. The media, associations and other NGOs, and the trade unions, which we call civil society, play this role. We also call them checks and balances. When civil society is strong within a state, democracy is strengthened.
Parliament, through parliamentary questions, enables the government to be accountable to the population through its presenters in the Assembly. The role of the opposition is to ensure that everything is done in accordance with the law.
did you know?
– Communism is the doctrine that proposes to share the means of economic production among all, according to each person’s needs.
– A coup d’état is when power is seized by force rather than by vote.
– A political party is a group of people who agree on a common political program, who defend the same ideas, and who most often want to stand for election.
– Politicians are elected for a limited period, in general. This is called a mandate.