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In the past, the West had tried to export one formula of democracy which should fit to the rest of the world, and they discovered that this doesn't work.

Democracy involves that old-fashioned thing called working it out.

It is important to remember that some of the most serious thinkers once thought that democracy was not compatible with the cultures of Germany, Italy, Japan, Latin America and Russia.

Everything has to be done to build some sort of international democracy. We've seen only the tiniest beginnings of that.

Democracy is difficult and demanding. So is history. It can crack your voice; it can stir your soul; it can break your heart.

But I think we need to remember that democracy everywhere is by its nature incomplete, a work in progress.

I've always tried to explain democracy is not perfect. But it gives you a chance to shape your own destiny.

Ironically, the very fact that democracy has such a lengthy history has actually contributed to confusion and disagreement, for 'democracy' has meant different things to different people at different times and places.

Democracy is not something that happens, you know, just at election time, and it's not something that happens just with one event. It's an ongoing building process. But it also ought to be a part of our culture, a part of our lives.