One reason to trust in democracy’s resilience

Amid a gradual erosion of liberalism around the world, the life of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu offers a reminder of the powerful effect of persistent good.

So far in this young decade, each year has opened with an event reflecting the state of democracy somewhere in the world. In 2020 Hong Kong police clashed with protesters, who rallied in the hundreds of thousands on New Year’s Day to champion universal suffrage. 

Last year supporters of President Donald Trump mounted a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 to try to block Congress from certifying an election that he had lost.

This year the trend continued – not with tear gas and batons but rather with a quieter opportunity to ponder the long arc of humanity’s pursuit of democratic ideals. Amid warnings that the world is tilting more and more toward autocracy, even in democracy’s strongholds, tributes from around the globe marked the passing of Archbishop Tutu, an exemplification of persistent good.

One of the champions of justice and human rights during South Africa’s long struggle against apartheid, Archbishop Tutu understood that no human system based on hate and exclusion could withstand the power of moral courage. 

“He knew in his soul that good would triumph over evil, that justice would prevail over iniquity, and that reconciliation would prevail over revenge and recrimination,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. “He knew that apartheid would end, that democracy would come. ... He was convinced, even to the end of his life, that poverty, hunger, and misery can be defeated – that all people can live together in peace, security, and comfort.”

In the days since Mr. Tutu’s death Dec. 26, the question has been posed whether anyone today, in South Africa or elsewhere, is equal in stature to those like Archbishop Tutu, whose lives were forged by the great crucibles of justice in the 20th century – men and women such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Andrei Sakharov, and Helen Suzman.

The desire for new champions is understandable in the face of the challenges of climate change, an erosion of democratic norms, persistent racial injustice, and ongoing threats to human rights. History will surely record new names such as Alexei Navalny and Greta Thunberg. More will emerge.

For Mr. Tutu, who matched undaunted moral courage with an equal measure of humility, the cause of human progress found its deepest reservoirs of hope and strength in taking action, even modest steps. 

“Do your little bit of good where you are,” he said. “It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

The coming year holds significant challenges for democracy. Elections in places like the United States, Hungary, India, South Korea, Brazil, and France will test the durability of constitutional norms, fair ballot practices, and the allure of authoritarian populism. There may be forward steps here and backward steps there. 

The assurance that humanity’s progress toward greater equality and universal dignity will continue will always reside most safely in each individual’s capacity for self-government, reason, and conscience.