A1.

The countries I have chosen are India, the largest democracy in the world and
Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) a.k.a. North Korea, a communist dictatorship
which ironically has the word Democratic in its official title. The North Korean Side, the
Indian side and some core differences are explained below.
The Executive branch of DPRK consists of a Chief of State, who holds all the power in
the country and a Head of Government, who are both indirectly elected by the
Supreme Peoples Assembly (SPA). The Legislative Branch is unicameral and its
members are chosen by an absolute majority vote. The Korean Workers Party, the
only major party in the country, chooses all the candidates. Voting in elections is
mandatory and voters have no choice in candidates and are given a single ballot to
put into the appropriate box.
In India, the Executive is composed of a Prime Minister (PM) who is the Chief of
Government and the President, who is the Chief of State. The party that wins a
majority in the elections selects its leader who is then appointed as the PM by the
President. The Legislative Branch (or the parliament) is bicameral which consists of
upper and lower houses. The people directly elect members of the lower house
whereas state and territorial assemblies indirectly elect members of the upper
house. BJP and Congress are two major parties among several other national and
regional parties. Voting in elections is not mandatory and voters are given many
candidates to choose from including the option of NOTA (None of the Above).
Indirect election of major leaders by the SPA, composed only of candidates chosen by
the KWP, leaves citizens with practically no say in who leads them. The entire point
of an election is missed if the voters have no choice in which candidate they can
elect. One may think why the elections in North Korea are mandatory when they
offer no choice. Its because they act as an unofficial census that makes sure that
people are where theyre supposed to be. In the Indian democracy, there are
multiple parties and the people have the freedom to vote or refrain from voting and
the power to elect candidates of their choice. Elected candidates from other parties
are also represented in the parliament and play an important role in holding the
Government accountable to the people.
A2: Democracy:
People have supreme power in a democracy. Here are some instruments that people
in a democracy use to exercise power
Elections: This is one of the most important instruments of power in a democracy.
The ability of citizens to choose who will govern the nation is the very essence of
democracy. Elections make the leaders aware that they hold powerful positions only
because of peoples votes. If they do not fulfill the expectations of the people, they
may not be re-elected and thus lose all their power.
Media: In a democracy Media plays an important role in voicing diverse points of
view on topics of national importance and providing an objective assessment and
commentary on the governments performance. In an ideal democracy, one should
be able to express what one feels on any subject, be it their favourite sports team or
their political leaders. Each persons opinion has the power to create significant
changes in peoples life and can even impact the system of governance.
Non-Violent Protests: The power to protest and participate in demonstrations for
justice is an important one. It is a way to get your point across without using force.
Instead of staying silent and accepting anything that the government does, you can
protest and make them listen to you.
Trade Unions and Associations: This is another way in which people can make
themselves heard and stop people in power from treating them however they want.

Also, there is power in numbers. Such associations garner the collective power
where a single person feels helpless.
Dictatorships:
In a dictatorship power is in the hands of only one person or a group of people. So, the
dictator may use the power in any way he/she wishes to. Here are some of the most
common abuses of power in a dictatorship.
Elections: Believe it or not, one of the most democratic things can also be used for
advancing the dictators agendas. As seen in the case of North Korea, elections can
be used as unofficial censuses and also can be used to keep people in check. To
check if people are secretly rebelling or going against any rules set by the
government.
Police or Military: A dictator who has all the power can easily threaten or
pressurize people in the police force or the military to take actions against innocent
civilians in case of any dissent. This keeps citizens in constant fear of being
targeted if they go against the dictator.
Arbitrary Detentions and Disappearances: When a person has absolute
control over all the authorities, he/she tends to do things on their whims. Anyone
who does not agree with the dictator often faces arrest or disappears. All this is
done illegally and with no trial or justification.
A3: A democracy is by definition for the people, by the people and of the people.
People therefore have many opportunities to influence the government and the
society. The fact that different opinions are welcome in a democracy makes it easier
for people to be heard using conventional methods like voting, protests, unions etc.
The real challenge lies in influencing a dictatorial government. Citizens are often not
brave enough to raise their voice fearing consequences. Thats where conventional
methods have no meaning and new methods have to be found.
In the last few years, social media has become a very popular way of voicing opinions
in dictatorships and democracies alike. For instance, many revolts against dictatorial
governments including the Egyptian Revolt were spiked and spread through the help
of social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. Even though this may not
guarantee a positive change, this does provide opportunities to garner support for the
cause from outside the country and creates some pressure in a rulers mind.
Different forms of art like movies, music and graffiti also become ways to create
unrest and stir things up in a country. These are easy yet powerful ways to let your
leaders and rulers know that the citizens are not happy with whats happening in the
country.
A4:

This picture has been taken from a protest in Turkey just a few hours after the deadly
dual suicide bombings at a peace rally. A group of citizens are protesting against the

governments poor response to the attacks and also the censorship of media after the
attacks. The frustration and anger of the citizens can be clearly seen in the picture
and makes us empathize with their feelings.
These citizens are raising their voice against the undemocratic steps taken by a
democratic government in the situation of unrest. People feel that censoring pictures
and blocking access to social media in an attempt to protect citizens from the
gruesome reality was a bad move. Citizens would wish to know what exactly their
people are going through. Keeping a generally well-informed group of people in the
dark is never a good idea. Adding this powerful picture to the article gives the readers
a better perspective and idea of what the real situation is.
A5: The current Syrian Refugee Crisis, started out as a wish for democracy has now
metamorphosed into an event of terrible destruction. A vast majority of the Syrian
Refugees is either displaced within Syria as it is a big challenge to cross the borders or
has moved to neighboring countries (4 million approximately) with the maximum
refugees in Lebanon and Turkey. In this case, Lebanon becomes a really good country
to go to as there are many historical and familial ties between these two countries and
also the weak political situation in Lebanon makes it easy to penetrate the borders.
As for international resettlement, only a tiny fraction of the refugees (around 100,000)
have been given asylum. Sweden and Germany are the only two countries in the EU,
who are doing their best to accommodate more and more refugees. The two countries
have accepted more than 47% of all the Syrian asylum applications. The Swedish
Migration Board has set-up several arrival centers across the country, which is often
the first stop for those who have newly arrived. They are soon given all the facilities
required and are checked into the system by having their fingerprints taken. Large
companies such as ABB have agreed to provide jobs to the refugees matching their
qualifications and skills. These steps help many asylum seekers live with dignity.
However, apart from the steps taken by Germany and Sweden, the EU has not done
much. In fact it houses only 0.2% of refugees. Irrational fears in the minds of highincome countries inside and outside of the EU (like the Gulf countries) stop them from
giving humanitarian aid.
Even though country governments may not be taking many steps, we as individuals
can help too. Many worldwide organizations such as CARE, Save the Children and the
UNHCR have been accepting donations to provide humanitarian relief and assistance
for the refugees. Innovative campaigns also urge people to fundraise in their locality
and then send it to their websites to be put to good use. Dream Room Syria, which
focuses on relieving children from trauma using play methods, is one such example.
Never think that you are too small to do anything for a greater good.
References:
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Oct.2015.
http://www.elections.in/government/prime-minister.html - info_id5
2.Cia.gov,.'TheWorldFactbook'.N.p.,2015.Web.12Oct.2015.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworldfactbook/geos/in.html
3. Cia.gov,.'TheWorldFactbook'.N.p.,2015.Web.12Oct.2015.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworldfactbook/geos/in.html
4.TimSchwarz,CNN.'Almost100%TurnoutForNorthKoreanElectionsCNN.Com'.CNN.N.p.,2015.Web.12Oct.2015.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/21/asia/northkoreaelectionresult/

5.Johnston,Chris.'TurkeyHitByProtestsOverGovernmentResponseToSuicideBombings'.theGuardian.N.p.,2015.Web.
12Oct.2015.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/turkeyhitbyprotestsovergovernmentresponsetosuicidebombs
6.YouTube,.'Syrianrefugees.EuTheContinuingFlow'.N.p.,2015.Web.12Oct.2015.
https://youtu.be/ehFAdbDGjGs
7.Syrianrefugees.eu,.'SwedenStoriesFromStockholm|SyrianRefugees'.N.p.,2015.Web.12Oct.2015.
http://syrianrefugees.eu/?page_id=622
8.Amnesty.org,.'Syria'sRefugeeCrisisInNumbers|AmnestyInternational'.N.p.,2015.Web.12Oct.2015.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/syriasrefugeecrisisinnumbers/
Websitesthatcanhelprefugees:
http://www.dreamroomsyria.com
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.7998857/k.D075/Syria.htm
http://www.unrefugees.org/wherewework/syria/
http://www.care.org/emergencies/syriacrisis