--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While the broad principles of democracy…" description: "\"While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies considerably ... We are at the beginning of the r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png" --- # While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the… ![“While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies considerably ... We are at the beginning of the road, at the very beginning. We still have a long way to go.” quote by Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png) > “While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies considerably ... We are at the beginning of the road, at the very beginning. We still have a long way to go.” [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy’s core ideas are shared worldwide, yet each nation implements them differently, and progress is still early. **In simple terms:** Democracy is universal but applied differently; we’re just starting. Key Takeaway Recognize diversity and keep advancing democratic practice. Themes democracy universality implementation progress Mood optimistic reflective Type political inspirational When to use this quote - nation‑building - policy reform - civic education - international aid Key Concepts political theory comparative politics Questions to Reflect On - How can we respect local contexts while promoting democratic standards? - What steps can accelerate democratic development? A Different Perspective Uniform application is unrealistic; cultural and institutional barriers exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Application](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/application/) [Beginning Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-road-615174/) [Broad Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad-principles-2518610/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-universal-3218409/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-way/) [Long way to go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-way-to-go/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Principles Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles-democracy-1303757/) [Remains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remains/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) [Vary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vary/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“A man of broad principles. Of liberal sentiments. Even a generous man...Yet one might say that his way through the world was so broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/a-man-of-broad-principles-of-liberal-sentiments-even-a-generous-man/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Democracy is a universal value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/democracy-is-a-universal-value/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“The direction you choose to face determines whether you're standing at the end or the beginning of a road.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/the-direction-you-choose-to-face-determines-whether-you-re-standing/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Everyone starts at the beginning of the road, and the world is in an endless state of childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tayeb-salih/everyone-starts-at-the-beginning-of-the-road-and-the-world-is-in-an/) [Tayeb Salih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tayeb-salih/) > [He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/he-who-chooses-the-beginning-of-the-road-chooses-the-place-it-leads/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [He chooses the beginning of a road, also chooses its outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/he-chooses-the-beginning-of-a-road-also-chooses-its-outcome/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“There are so many roads in the world and all have a beginning and an end and a road lies ahead to be discovered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ssembajjo/there-are-so-many-roads-in-the-world-and-all-have-a-beginning-and-an/) [David Ssembajjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ssembajjo/) > [The tragic evils of our life are so commonly unintentional. We did not start out for that poor, cheap goal. That aim was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-tragic-evils-of-our-life-are-so-commonly-unintentional-we-did-not/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [“The first half hour of my run is for my body. The last half hour, for my soul. In the beginning the road is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sheehan/the-first-half-hour-of-my-run-is-for-my-body-the-last-half-hour-for/) [George Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sheehan/) > [He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/he-who-chooses-the-beginning-of-the-road-chooses-the-place-it-leads-to/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [I wouldn't know where to start." "He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to." "Thoreau?" "Harry Emerson Fosdick...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/i-wouldn-t-know-where-to-start-he-who-chooses-the-beginning-of-the/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“This is the beginning of a road whose end is totally unknown and totally known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/this-is-the-beginning-of-a-road-whose-end-is-totally-unknown-and/) [Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/) > [My people are going to learn the principles of democracy the dictates of truth and the teachings of science. Superstition must go. Let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/my-people-are-going-to-learn-the-principles-of-democracy-the-dictates/) [Mustafa Kemal Atatürk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/) > [I think that rather than talking about particular models, of which there could be a huge number, we should talk about basic principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/i-think-that-rather-than-talking-about-particular-models-of-which/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [In America, we've got to get back to these base principles of what democracy is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/in-america-we-ve-got-to-get-back-to-these-base-principles-of-what/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) ## More by Boutros Boutros-Ghali > [We must rid the world of the scourge of these agents of death and destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/we-must-rid-the-world-of-the-scourge-of-these-agents-of-death-and/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [It has long been recognized that an essential element in protecting human rights was a widespread knowledge among the population of what their rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/it-has-long-been-recognized-that-an-essential-element-in-protecting/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [Water will be more important than oil this century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/water-will-be-more-important-than-oil-this-century/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [The real problem was not the troops; the real problem was that only the United States had the infrastructure to do the transport of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/the-real-problem-was-not-the-troops-the-real-problem-was-that-only/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [I believe it will take time to find a solution to the problem. Thus we must have patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/i-believe-it-will-take-time-to-find-a-solution-to-the-problem-thus-we/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [Democracy is an objective. Democratization is a process. Democratization serves the cause of peace because it offers the possibility of justice and of progressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/democracy-is-an-objective-democratization-is-a-process/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [The problem is when you are writing something in retrospective, it needs a lot of courage not to change, or you will forget a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/the-problem-is-when-you-are-writing-something-in-retrospective-it/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [So this is why I'm always say happy that somebody mentions Rwanda, because behind Rwanda, we have Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/so-this-is-why-i-m-always-say-happy-that-somebody-mentions-rwanda/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [But I believe that the DPKO at this time was very much involved with American administration and was acting, taking on consideration the demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/but-i-believe-that-the-dpko-at-this-time-was-very-much-involved-with/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [When you have an accident, they will save their own people, and those who have worked with you or with the NGOs are left.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/when-you-have-an-accident-they-will-save-their-own-people-and-those/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [There is a greater fatigue concerning the African problem today than five or 10 years ago. The situation now in Africa is worse today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/there-is-a-greater-fatigue-concerning-the-african-problem-today-than/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [Co-operative enterprises provide the organisational means whereby a significant proportion of humanity is able to take into its own hands the tasks of creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/co-operative-enterprises-provide-the-organisational-means-whereby-a/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [Only stupid people don't change their minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/only-stupid-people-don-t-change-their-minds/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [I used to say I never talk about my successor, neither about my predecessor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/i-used-to-say-i-never-talk-about-my-successor-neither-about-my/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [It was a mistake. I was wrong, but I discovered this many years later. I was acting on the basis of this mandate given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/it-was-a-mistake-i-was-wrong-but-i-discovered-this-many-years-later-i/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) [Explore all 32 Boutros Boutros-Ghali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) ## More Application quotes > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [I've been in real estate for a long time and I always try to stay on the edge. I'm really excited about the partnership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-hammer/i-ve-been-in-real-estate-for-a-long-time-and-i-always-try-to-stay-on/) [MC Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-hammer/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“...why don't you take a picture of yourself next to a fucking job application? How about that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-wolf/why-don-t-you-take-a-picture-of-yourself-next-to-a-fucking-job/) [Josh Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-wolf/) > [Everything for us is a system. We don't think about it discretely as just as a piece of hardware, or discretely as an application...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosain-rahman/everything-for-us-is-a-system-we-don-t-think-about-it-discretely-as/) [Hosain Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosain-rahman/) > [To each eye, perhaps, the outlines of a great civilization present a different picture. In the wide ocean upon which we venture, the possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/to-each-eye-perhaps-the-outlines-of-a-great-civilization-present-a/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [Without application of the mind; there is no drive for taking affirmative action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mercado/without-application-of-the-mind-there-is-no-drive-for-taking/) [Joseph Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mercado/) > [“Having no applicable skills, in any possible area whatsoever, effectively makes me the master of redundancy. But that info is obsolete, like my insults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/having-no-applicable-skills-in-any-possible-area-whatsoever/) [Will Advise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-advise/) > [At every juncture, advanced tools have been the key to a new wave of applications, and each wave of applications has been key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/at-every-juncture-advanced-tools-have-been-the-key-to-a-new-wave-of/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The effect of the discovery of printing was evident in the savage religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Application of power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-innis/the-effect-of-the-discovery-of-printing-was-evident-in-the-savage/) [Harold Innis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-innis/) > [As science is more and more subject to grave misuse as well as to use for human benefit it has also become the scientist's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-science-is-more-and-more-subject-to-grave-misuse-as-well-as-to-use/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you ask ... the man in the street ... the human significance of mathematics, the answer of the world will be, that mathematics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassius-jackson-keyser/if-you-ask-the-man-in-the-street-the-human-significance-of/) [Cassius Jackson Keyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassius-jackson-keyser/) > [Technology, and applications of this technology, will continue to improve and evolve, providing unprecedented, global access to information, individuals, training, and opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/technology-and-applications-of-this-technology-will-continue-to/) [Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/) [Browse all 918 Application quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/application/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies considerably ... We are at the beginning of the road, at the very beginning. We still have a long way to go.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Boutros Boutros-Ghali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy-are-universal-the-fact/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Application" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy-are-universal-the-fact/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/boutros-boutros-ghali-19672_application_while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy_462897.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies…” — Boutros Boutros-Ghali", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Boutros Boutros-Ghali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "While the broad principles of democracy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy-are-universal-the-fact/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/while-the-broad-principles-of-democracy-are-universal-the-fact/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```