THE STUDY OF CITIZENSHIP FOR DEMOCRACY PROMOTION IN LOCALITY

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1. To study Citizenizing for Democracy Promotion in Locality, 2. To study the theory and the Buddha-Dhamma principles of citizenizing for Democracy Promotion in Locality, and 3.To propose the mean of Citizenizing for Democracy Promotion in Locality. Methodology was the mixed methods between the quantitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative research method collecting data from 399 voting eligible samples from 22 constituencies in Trang Province with questionnaires with the tested score at 0.904, analyzing data with frequency, percentile, means and standard deviation. The qualitative research collected data from 22 key informants who were experts in Buddhism and citizenizing and democracy with in-depth-interviewing, analyzing data by descriptive interpretation.Findings were as follows:
1. Citizenizing for Democracy Promotion in Locality was that citizens had self control to abide and behave within the framework of morality, to adhere to and tobelieve in what is right and fair. They were independent, understanding the politic,respecting the principle of equality, able to express ideas to the public, devoting some times to political activities for the benefits of the whole, abiding by the rules and regulations of society, acting by reasons more than emotions, generous, exposing to useful news and information, selfdependent, living independently by sufficiency economy philosophy, not being controlled and under patronage of others, brave to express one selves with responsibility. Citizening for citizenship to promote local democracy, by overall had the important roles at high level  Considering by aspects from high to low levels were that 1) the adherence to the principles of Buddhism was at ̅= 3.89, 2) democratic personality was at ̅= 3.63, 3) political participation was at process of political socialization was at ̅= 3.39, and 5) adherence to basic political value was at ̅= 3.38, respectively.
2. The Theory and the Buddha-Dhamma principle of citizenizing for local Democracy Promotion was Sevenfold Sappursadhamma, the quality of a good man, indicating that (1) knowing the cause: responsibility to the society by flowing the religious rules and regulations in daily living, knowing and understanding self responsibility, (2) knowing the consequences: considering the benefits for all, having vision to pursue the good targets for one self and surrounding people, accepting the results as they were, (3) knowing self: knowing who one was, self developing to up keep the changing world, democratic political knowledge and knowing one
responsibility in the society, (4) knowing moderation: knowing moderation,sufficiency for self reliance, living one life with good and virtuous livelihood and behaving one self appropriately for the political events, (5) knowing appropriate time: knowing how to spend one’s time for democracy and Buddhism, knowing to express oneself in many ways to protect the country and collective decision making, (6) knowing community: self behaving appropriately according to the conditions of each society, obeying the rules and regulations of the society as well as traditions and culture of the society and (7) knowing people: knowing other’s characteristics, knowing how to live together with others, knowing background, thoughts and feeling of people in the society, accepting self and others weak and strong points and learning how to live together with others
3. The mean for citizenizing to promote local democracy according Buddhism indicated that people already adhered to Buddhism as the social capital. Democracy promotion was to educate people to adhere to Buddhism first, then the correct and appropriate democracy, with cooperation from people, families, schools, monasteries and local state agencies be trained, implanted and promoted by the activities and public relations so that the correct and appropriate and Buddhism integrated local democracy could be practiced in the reality and the community became the learning Buddhism integrated democratic community.