Grayson Zulauf - Earth Train Panama
Week 2

Democracy Now!

Our trip to Kuna Yala was able to open my eyes to different cultures in the world. I have been learning much in my first few weeks in Panama during my stay with Earth Train in the mountains above the town of Chepo.  The Kuna Yala are an indigenous group of people living in this biodiverse forest. They live without running water, and would be referred to as beyond “third world.” These people struggle to make what we make in a week. Children are severely malnourished and are fed little beyond rice and fish. Money seems spent on many things that are luxuries, and necessities are neglected. Despite this otherwise bleak picture, their government is more functional than the most powerful nation on earth.

            Our “true” democracy is littered with roadblocks to that actual truth, from the Electoral College to a president’s overriding veto. On the other hand, the direct democracy of the Kuna Yala is truly a sight to behold. It is one with a consensus that is taken immediately after an opinion is spoken. It is a democracy in which the man with the microphone has the full attention of the room or traditional longhouse. Voices are heard, and immediately following a speech, one can feel the tense air in the room, or if it is a positive agreement, an overwhelming sigh may be felt as a resolution comes to pass. These emotions are all understood, despite the fact that I don’t speak a word of Kuna. The democracy is so powerful that the Congress only needs to meet four times a year. The quarterly meetings last late into the night with powerful debates raging into the wee hours of the morning. Representatives from all over the land flock to have their voices heard. A no-show would never happen.

            American voter turnout continues to remain at less than 40%, lacking what we deem to be necessities in the United States as role models.  Although our country rarely looks to undeveloped countries for help on political issues, we could surely learn much from the Kuna Yala government.