Comment on “The Momentum of Democratization and the Power of Resistance Advanced in Ukraine: The President of the National Endowment for Democracy” [in Japanese]

On May 23, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara at the Graduate School of Law. She commented on the article “The momentum of democratization and the power of resistance advanced in Ukraine: The President of the National Endowment for Democracy.” This article describes the growth of democracy in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union and how it has become a force of resistance against Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine. Professor Ichihara expressed the view that democracy support is driven by people in the target country who strive for freedom and justice. The support provided by the National Endowment for Democracy is based on requests from Ukrainian civil society organizations, which are seeking to learn about the democratic practices of Western countries. Furthermore, she pointed out that, unlike in Japan where such freedom is protected, the ability to make choices that affect one’s own life is not guaranteed as a right in many countries. Finally, she cited the arguments of Nobel laureate in economics, Amartya Sen, to discuss how freedom of choices have a positive impact on both the economy and well-being.

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASR5Q5Q7FR5QUHBI009.html