In what way do citizens get to express their voice in a democracy ?

effectively is widely considered today as

indispensable for strengthening the quality

of (democratic) governance and the nature of

state-society relations.

Political voice has both intrinsic and

instrumental value, as was prominently

highlighted in the report of the High Level

Panel on the post-2015 development agenda

(2013). In principle, political voice enables

people to pursue the goals and aspirations

that they value, and to seek redress when

an injustice is perceived. As Amartya Sen

has argued, the importance of participation

in one’s development through open and

non-discriminatory processes, to have a say

without fear, and to speak up against perceived

injustices and wrongs are fundamental

freedoms that are integral to one’s well being

and quality of life.

While the Pope had granted Spain sovereignty over the New World, de Las Casas argued that the property rights and rights to their own labor still belonged to the native peoples. Natives were subjects of the Spanish crown, and to treat them as less than human violated the laws of God, nature, and Spain.