Mickel Jackson | When the public is shut out

Participatory governance is not a polite invitation the state issues when convenient. It is the non-negotiable foundation of legitimate power in any democracy that claims to serve its people. It means citizens and civil society are not passive recipients of decisions already made, but active shapers of policy from the earliest stages. Yet far too often, major decisions that will define security, the civic space, and fundamental rights are advanced with insufficient openness, limited formative input, and selective use of the mechanisms designed to include the public.

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