10 Questions: Déborah Colker - Famous choreographer (Brazil)

What do you think about democracy?
Democracy is basically about people, it is the liberty of choice, it is the right to discuss, to complain and fight for your rights.

Is democracy a good thing for everyone?
It should be, and we should fight for it. It is the people's power. I began talking about human beings having liberty, but we can extend that to the people, that´s where the word came from.

Who would you vote for president of the world?
Mahatma Gandhi, that´s the name that pops into my mind, but thinking about democracy ... I think would be nice for me to have a Brazilian inside this group, Fernando Gabeira.

Who rules the world?
An assembly, several representatives, I don´t know from which countries, but representatives of needs, of different backgrounds, where we could, based on these representatives, discuss a lot and then vote. And then obviously the minority would end up losing, but would keep the right to continuing fighting. It will help with progress. Tha's it, democracy is the right to ... right and opportunity to transform.

What's wrong with democracy?
What is wrong ... is ... people, corruption. The arrogance and arbitrary decisions, most of the time violent ones.

Tell me something, do you think that terrorism might destroy democracy?
Yes, I am against any kind of terrorism, terrorism is violence, and terrorism means that you do not respect the other, doesn’t it? And on whose behalf do you think you can act out and be extremely arrogant?

On behalf of peace? You can kill people, but most of the time it has nothing to do with that. So ... terrorism is ... yes, it can destroy democracy and democracy should be protected for all of us. We also have to be careful about not using terrorism in the name of protecting democracy. Yes ... we end up in a complicated cycle, don't we?

Do you think that women are more democratic than men?
No, no, I think that is silly, I believe that the gender is not the point, I assume that individuals are.

But men are different from women, they have held power longer. I understand what you think, but why?
Because I think that the democratic principle is in knowledge, it is in education, culture, personal growth. Of course we know that women for a long period of time didn’t have career access, political access. Inside the family they had an obligation as "housekeepers", that sometimes l,imited their free will. But I don’t think that it should be a factor for women to be considered more or less democratic.

Do you think that God is democratic?
God! I am Jewish and still have that complication about believing or not in God, and it is not dependent on whether my life is complicated or not. Like when I have a hard time: “I don’t believe in God, it is not possible”. No, it is not about that.

The whole world creation thing is a bit confusing in my mind, the creator figure. Is there a creator? Is there an energy? A light? And if there is a creator, why are there so many discrepancies and so many injustices, why is it so hard, when it should be simple to respect a democracy? So is that possible? I don’t know. If he is out there, and if there is in fact a creator,
I assume he is democratic and generates this chaos so we can manage, through democracy, to get along with each other. Because I believe that it is the only possibility.

Do you think that a dictatorship promoted by dictators could be any good?
No. There is not a possibility that a dictatorship, on behalf of anything, can be good. There is not the least possibility of any dictator, on behalf of no matter what ideal, defending anything at all, can be good. It is against all democratic principles and also human principles. I believe in human beings. Dictatorships are a terrible thing, useless.

Can democracy solve climate change?
I believe that by using democracy, by respecting it, we can protect and fight for it, and we can’t ever give up struggling. In a way democracy exists to defend human beings, and the environment and nature are part of human existence. I believe in the relationship between people and space. We must look after this place. Nature belongs to it.