Freedom of information

Cultural and civic education

Romania from millennium III is a developing society that is just beginning to
know and realize democratic values and principles. Rational construction, modern
democracy is a participatory and competitive democracy that needs educated citizens to
support it through involvement and participation in public place, and manifest civic
behavior.
Civic behavior is that particular behavior of a person who is perceived as an
integral and responsible member of a community within he express and expresses
consciousness of power to act in the general interest." This behavior is based on the
values of equality, justice and solidarity, as well as on moral values as respect for others
and tolerance. It is not given but is acquired through a permanent effort of information,
training of judgment and critical thinking, which the debate is a privileged practice. A
feature of civic behavior nowadays is that they do not appear strictly related to the
national space. It must consider different levels: from local space to national space,
European space and even global space. Civic behavior does not entirely cover the man. It
is not the sole reality but its practiced in relationship between an individual and the
society when it must be given moral and legal foundations, to establish and implement
rules and laws, to give them a sense, a project aimed at the common good. In the political
sphere, humanism necessarily takes the form of civic behavior. Here is found the man in
all its fullness, in his freedom to always build the exercise of collective responsibility.
Romania responds to the need to educate citizens whit this school subjects "Civic
Education-Civic Culture" that are taught from primary school.
An education for an effective democracy is developed on four basic levels. The
first plan is the civic knowledge. A minimal set of civic knowledge is essential for any
person participating effectively in civic life. Civic education programs find
customizations for the third grade and fourth grade of this knowledge, which although
limited and particular is only a first step in the materials and years of study cycle that
tend to fill the student civic knowledge. Knowledge becomes complete in the coming
years through civic discipline in seventh and eight grades, and by optionally discipline at
school choice and interdisciplinary approaches.
Although they are important, we shouldnt absolutize the role of civic knowledge,
these are being learn as collateral product of age-appropriate activities, in which are
involved students or group of students. For citizens of a democracy to be able to enjoy
the benefits, privileges and rights provided by the system of government they have to
assume a number of responsibilities, involve to promote the common good and
constructively participating in civic and political life of the community. Inevitably, when
talking about civics, citizenship, civic behavior, of political power, we can speak only in
conjunction with the moral.
The values cultivated by civics and taking concrete shape in civic behavior are
deeply moral values: responsibility, solidarity, equality, dignity, respect for others, respect
for property. For ordinary citizen, uninvolved and non-actively participate in politics,
responsibility for his actions, the quality of civic behavior, is primarily a moral one.
Unlike the politician, citizen can not be sanctioned by voters, but it is submissive to

moral judgment of the community in which he takes part, from the level of the local
community to the nation.
He can not really be politically relevant only to the extent that it is competent and moral.
Freedom of information means that every person has the right to
require information kept by the public sectors according the law of free
acces to information (Freedom of Information Act). Freedom of
Information Act gives us the right to ask every public employee about
the information that they have and about what we want.
Complete freedom of information face many obstacles. The
international experience proved that , adopting the law of information
at a global level , doesnt led to a respect of the rights to information.
Another obstacle is that the freedom of information is undermined by
the mechanisms for acces and execution, the deplorable state of the
management systems and, of course, by the poor monitoring of
appliance of it.
Many countries have already adopted laws that involve the acces of
information according the international standards. Some of the states
where this law applies have experimented regressive processes
including legal amendments which imply the risks of the degradation
of the rights to know. It seems that the freedom of information attracts
considerable obstacles at a local level in many countries, while the
efforts to advance are insufficient to the expansion beyond the
executive branch.
The acces of information in a specific time can make people more
powerful, allowing them to participate, in an informed way, in
decisions that affect them. Obviously, in many cases, the vital
information doesnt reach the disadvantaged people. We need to
encourage the request for information from the public and especially
from the poor and vulnerable people, which could suffer in a
disproportional way by restricting the access to information.