An active citizen is not necessarily a ‘good citizen’ in the sense that they follow the rules or behave in a certain way. An active citizen may challenge the rules and existing structures although they should generally stay within the bounds of democratic processes and not become involved in violent acts. There is a general set of values and dispositions that can be associated with active democratic citizenship including respect for justice, democracy and the rule of law, openness, tolerance, courage to defend a point of view and a willingness to listen to, work with and stand up for others.
Active Citizenship is a form of literacy (1) : coming to grips with what happens in public life, developing knowledge, understanding, critical thinking and independent judgement of local, national, European, global levels. It implies action and empowerment, i.e. acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes, being able and willing to use them, make decisions, take action individually and collectively.
We can identify some key characteristics of Active Citizenship:
- Participation in the community (involvement in a voluntary activity or engaging with local government agencies)
- People are empowered to play a part in the decisions and processes that affect them, particularly public policy and services
- Knowledge and understanding of the political/social/economic context of their participation so that they can make informed decisions
- Able to challenge policies or actions and existing structures on the basis of principles such as equality, inclusiveness, diversity and social justice.
