From Revolution to Democracy: Guarding the space for free speech

Some still romanticize the turbulent days of revolution, forgetting that democracy was never the original dream of those times. It arrived not by quiet evolution but because bold citizens stood up and insisted that freedom would not wait.

Yet the question remains: how can those who were convinced, dragged, kicking and screaming, into democratic governance ever be true guardians of free speech?

For many, the heartbeat of the old order has never stilled. Their memories drift toward an era when dissent was crushed and silence became a means of survival.

Even today, whispers surface about machines capable of tracing voices and capturing digital footprints; proof that the instinct to muzzle has not entirely died.

History offers a lesson in courage. In the mythical land of Galamana, a figure once faced the roar of a great protest and refused to be silenced. Short in stature but immense in resolve, this “Jack Toronto” showed that courage can be louder than fear.

The challenge for every generation is clear: if one leader once stood tall for the right to speak, who among us today will do the same? Who will resist the temptation to cling to the romance of revolution rather than embrace the responsibilities of democracy?

Leaders will come and leaders will go, but it is democracy, not the revolution, that must endure.

Our task is to protect it, to guard the freedom of expression that keeps it alive, and to ensure that the voices of citizens can never again be forced into silence.