Ideological tensions pose a significant challenge during democratic transitions, and how these tensions are addressed determines the success or failure of the transition process. Authoritarian regimes seek to fuel all forms of polarization and resentment to tear apart and fragment society, making it easier to control and thwart any democratic transition. This was evident during the peaceful Hirak in Algeria in 2019. The military regime exploited the ideological differences and the ethnic and linguistic diversity that enriches Algerian society to incite discord and entrench societal divisions. The regime’s intelligence services, official media outlets, social media platforms, affiliated political parties and associations, and its political, religious, media, and intellectual elites all contributed to this nefarious task. This manipulation ultimately aborted the transition and paved the way for the return of the authoritarian regime in an even more brutal form.
The Rachad movement was heavily targeted by the regime as part of its policy of societal division and the demonization of various actors within the Hirak, to the point of designating it a terrorist organization. Ideological currents loyal to the regime participated in the violent attack on Rachad, and other parties opposed to the regime fell into the latter’s trap and unwittingly contributed to the failure of the political transition in Algeria when they engaged in sharp ideological conflict and attacked Rachad.
Rachad believes it is natural for human societies to encompass diverse linguistic groups and ideological currents, reflecting their cultural and intellectual diversity. When these diverse groups and currents interact healthily and cooperate to serve the common good, they contribute to the progress of society and the growth of the state. Therefore, Rachad works to strengthen mutual trust among Algerians by encouraging the proliferation of spaces for dialogue and joint action in all sectors and at all levels of society. Only in this way can we overcome the cultural tensions and sharp ideological polarization that render a genuine democratic transition impossible.
Since Rachad believes that political change in Algeria is inevitable and that Algeria will witness another popular movement, and keen to avoid the mistakes of the 2019 Hirak and to ensure the success of the next one, it has begun considering what can be done to stimulate communication and build trust among the various ideological components of Algerian society, preparing them for cooperation to transition Algeria from an authoritarian regime to a state governed by the rule of law. In this context, Rachad believes that one of his primary tasks is to engage with the various Algerian ideological currents that believe in change and to initiate fraternal, frank, and constructive dialogues, away from the media spotlight, regarding the vision for the change process and the transitional period. Rachad believes that to ensure the success of these dialogues, preparation must be made by exploring the issues to be discussed, including those on which there is agreement, such as the necessity of change and the establishment of a state that respects the rule of law, enshrines equality, combats corruption, and defines the role of the armed forces outside the political and economic spheres. Other contentious issues must also be addressed, as disagreements often arise from a lack of understanding of many terms used in the political field.
Based on the above, Rachad launched a research program to study and clarify several key concepts that fuel ideological and cultural polarization. This is intended to provide the movement with a clear understanding of these terms when engaging in dialogues with various Algerian political forces and ideological currents working towards change. These concepts include secularism, modernity, conservatism, democracy, identity, political transition, and human rights, among others.
Rachad Mouvement
