Thought For The Day – Friday 15^th September 2023

We hope you have had a good week and wish you a productive Friday and a happy, healthy and safe weekend.

Thank you for your work this week.

We are looking forward to, and preparing for, Open Evening next Thursday.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to give back to the school and in so doing develop and show your great attitudes and skills.

Your school needs you.

Whether it be in lessons, or in the community, your voice matters. 

It matters to us, it matters to you, it matters to others.  You can give a voice to others.

Today is World Democracy Day.   Democracy is all about people’s voice.

The word democracy comes from the Greek words demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power).

In democracy, people have a say and a voice in how their community is run.  This involves voting on issues and for people to represent them. In democracy, people are equal, diverse, included, free, listened to, looked after and valued, whilst the Law is respected. Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery,  said democracy was “the government by the people, of the people, for the people”.

The United Nations’ theme of World Democracy Day this year is “Empowering the Next Generation” and focusses on the key role of children, young people and students in ensuring democracy today and in future.

We owe it to the next generation to nurture democracy and democratic values today.

On World Democracy Day, The United Nations highlights the critical challenges of conflict, climate change, poverty, misinformation and disinformation.  

Health, safety,  truth, valuing the vulnerable and wellbeing are essential to democracy.

To quote the American ethicist and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:  “People’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but people’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary”.