Daniel Johnson writes for the Durham University’s Palatinate on how Norway’s reaction to terrorism at the hands of Anders Breivik shows why governments should become more open and democratic:

Few people would begrudge those who demand heightened and more extensive security measures after an attack as horrific as the one committed by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway last summer.

The methodical and callous nature of Breivik’s actions in Oslo and on the island of Utoya which left 77 dead – the majority of whom were children at the Norwegian Labour Party’s summer camp – could quite easily have provoked widespread hatred. The politics of paranoia could have begun to dominate Norway’s national discourse with little trouble…

In the aftermath, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged the need for improved policing – the response of the police to Breivik’s attack was much maligned – but the overriding message was one of openness and tolerance.

He called on Norway to commit itself to “more democracy, more openness and more political participation”. 200,000 Norwegians spontaneously took to the streets of Oslo in the days after the attacks in a remarkable showing of unity and love…

Full article here.