23 This requires the deliberate choice by leaders of different social, economic, political and religious persuasions to initiate and sustain a process of national reconciliation, reconstruction, peace building and nation building. 3.2.7 Participation and Subsidiarity People have a right and a duty to participate in society in order to search, in collaboration with others, for the common good and well-being of everyone especially the poor and marginalized. People grow physically, intellectually, socially and economically by participating in the activities of their communities and societies. To be shut out from participating is to be denied opportunities for growth and opportunities for contributing to the growth of others. As Martin Luther King (JR) said, “When an individual is no longer a true participant, when he no longer feels a sense of responsibility to his society, the content of democracy is emptied”. • Particular attention must therefore be paid to those segments of our society whose participation at various levels of society has been restricted. There is need for mainstreaming gender and the needs of disadvantaged groups such as children, youths, people with disabilities, minority groups and others in all policy programmes. Participation also assumes the principle of subsidiarity. This principle is meant to guide the complex social relationships by defining the responsibilities and limits of government, the essential roles of voluntary associations, civil society, families and individuals. It says it is wrong for higher levels of social organization or government to do for individuals and groups what they can do efficiently and effectively by their own initiative and hard work. Thus government should not do for people what they can do for themselves. This means that individuals and groups of individuals who are close to social issues should be allowed to deal with them before higher institutions and government itself take them over. This also insures that decisions are made as close as possible to their point of implementation. That is the kind of Zimbabwe we want. 3.2.8 Sovereignty The Zimbabwe that we want is a sovereign state – autonomous, equal to other states and self-governing. Our sovereignty, however, needs to be balanced against a recognition of inter-dependence in the global family of nations. This implies mutual accountability as each nation seeks to uphold commonly agreed standards of governance and human rights. International law and the treaties that bind nations together act as a check on our sovereignty.