Athens Democracy Forum

How do we track democracy in a constantly evolving world? 🌍 The International IDEA Democracy Tracker provides real-time insights into how social, legal, and political changes shape democracies globally. With monthly updates, interactive graphs, and flagged high-impact events, this tool helps policymakers and researchers monitor progress and challenges. Developed by International IDEA, funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung and presented by Seema Shah during the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum, this innovative tracker uses comprehensive data from global and local sources to define democracy's core attributes and analyze changes over time. Learn more about it here: https://lnkd.in/e962VUsT #DemocracyInFocus #AthensDemocracyForum #DataForDemocracy #ToolsOfDemocracy

The Students of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance shared #ActionPoints following my presentation at the Athens Democracy Forum with The New York Times! In my talk, I explained how we can use gamification to improve deliberative democracy, building on a fantastic project developed at The EUROPAEUM. I could not agree more with their points: 📣 "Deliberative democracy should begin at a young age, so students grow up knowing how their participation has an impact." 📣 "Children growing up in the digital age often know how to use technology on an intuitive level, but don’t know how it works or the consequences and tradeoffs of using and deploying the technology." 📣 "the enjoyment of ‘play’ is shared across boundaries" 📣 "Gamification, then, can improve political participation and education across all ages." 📣 "If civic education is expected to improve the quality of democracy by helping youth understand politics, then the education system must be reformed at least for that subject." I cannot wait to see this generation, empowered like none before, bring a wind of change to this world! You can watch my talk here: https://lnkd.in/gnaBKZu6 #AthensForum #AthensDemocracyForum #DeliberativeDemocracy Institute of Security and Global Affairs Leiden University

🗣️“There is Modi the developmentalist, there is Modi the Hindu nationalist, and there’s Modi the man. And all of these have combined to create the allure of Modi." – Maya Tudor, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford This blend of charisma, nationalism, and personal appeal has shaped Narendra Modi’s image over nearly a decade in power. Despite expectations of a clear victory in the spring election, Modi’s party fell short of a simple majority, forcing him to govern a diverse coalition. Still, his popularity endures, fueled by welfare programs and a “cult of personality.” Was this election a reflection of India’s robust democracy, or a signal of political compromise and a shift toward tempered expectations for the future? Join experts Maya Tudor and Yamini Aiyar (Visiting Senior Fellow, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, Brown University) as they explore these pressing questions in the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum case study panel “India and the Allure of Modi.” Watch the full discussion on our YouTube channel here: https://lnkd.in/d-t5q6wh #AthensDemocracyForum #Modi #India #Democracy #PoliticalAnalysis

🎧 Listen to Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, in the Aristotle-Confucius Dialogue. With humor, he connects Jesus' teaching—"take the mote out of your own eye"—to modern foreign policy, highlighting self-reflection and mutual respect as essential for meaningful dialogue. Watch the full conversation between Dr. Jeffrey Sachs as Aristotle and Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang王辉耀, Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization as Confucius on our YouTube channel here: https://lnkd.in/d-7Qn8SE #AthensDemocracyForum #JeffreySachs #GlobalDialogue #Democracy

🗣️“When you engage in participatory tools, you really have to fulfill the expectations that you give to people. You cannot say I give you the voice, I give you the power to decide, but then I decide what you do with your decision.” – Graça Fonseca, Former Minister of Culture, Portugal and Co-Founder, Because Impacts This idea is echoed in initiatives across the globe, from local citizens’ committees in Chile and Australia to open-source government models in Taiwan and Estonia. But can we truly blend deliberative practices with representative democracy? Do citizens’ voices lead to meaningful outcomes, or are they simply heard without effect? Join the conversation and explore these questions in the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum panel discussion “Rethinking Citizens: Vox Populi, Vox Dei” on our YouTube channel here: https://lnkd.in/du4kTfiX #AthensDemocracyForum #CitizenParticipation #Democracy

🗣️“There are two kinds of swing voters[..], those who are likely to vote and just genuinely undecided[...] Then there’s the people who might not vote. And that’s really what Trump’s contribution to our system in recent years is—he  doesn't really go after traditional swing voters, [...] he is a mobilizer of people who have been disaffected.” – Rob Richie, FairVote Catch the “America’s Moment of Truth (Again)” panel from last month’s Athens Democracy Forum for insights on what Trump’s recent win could mean for immigration, women’s rights, diplomacy, electoral integrity, executive power and the future of democracy. This discussion goes beyond the election itself, examining how the mobilization of previously disengaged voters could reshape the American political landscape for years to come. Watch the discussion with Amy K. Dacey (AU Sine Institute of Policy & Politics), María Elena Agüero (Club de Madrid) and Rob Richie here: https://lnkd.in/dsuAu6SS #AthensDemocracyForum #USElection #Democracy #FairVote

🎧Meredith Whittaker, the president of Signal Technology Foundation, explains why it is frighteningly easy for digital companies to collect data, and the pains Signal has gone through to maintain its status as the leading secure messaging app. For more insights, watch the full conversation “Free Expression in a Post-Truth Era” with Pamela Paul, columnist at The New York Times, on our YouTube channel here: https://lnkd.in/dQZKtqvh #FreeExpression #DigitalPrivacy #SignalFoundation #DataProtection

🎧 Azeem Azhar, Founder of Exponential View, researcher, investor, and entrepreneur, underscores the link between democratic participation and accessible energy in emerging economies, where affordable climate technologies are creating transformative impacts. For more insights, watch the full panel discussion “Rethinking Climate Tech: Promise or Pipe Dream?” with Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist of the EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Ivan Sergejev, Coordinator of Estonia's Just Transition Process, on our Youtube channel: https://lnkd.in/db8SPNTR #AthensDemocracyForum #ClimateTech #SustainableFuture #EnergyEquity #Democracy

🗣️"It is very, very difficult for Israel to understand how a Palestinian state will make it more secure, and I think that's what the focus of the future needs to be if we're trying to work out how to get there. Because if Israel isn't convinced, and I am convinced, that the Palestinian state is in Israel's National Security interest, then we're going to get more and more and more cycles of war[...]" – Nomi Bar-Yaacov, International Negotiator and Associate Fellow, Chatham House Watch the full panel discussion "The Middle East Powder Keg" from the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum, where leading experts examine the ongoing conflict’s devastating human toll and its broader geopolitical implications, available here: https://lnkd.in/dNszGi7f. The discussion covers the shifting balance of power in the region and whether long-term peace is within reach. Featuring Nomi Bar-Yaacov (International Negotiator and Associate Fellow, Chatham House), Roger Cohen (Paris Bureau Chief, The New York Times), Mabel Lu Miao (Co-Founder and Secretary General, Center for China and Globalization), and Ahmed Shihab-Eldin (Journalist, Producer, and Actor), moderated by Steven Erlanger (Chief Diplomatic Correspondent, Europe, The New York Times). #AthensDemocracyForum #MiddleEast #Israel #Palestine #Geopolitics #Diplomacy #MiddleEastConflict #GlobalSecurity

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors for their support of the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum. Your commitment plays a vital role in advancing the global conversation on democracy, inclusion, and justice. Together, we have created a space for thought leaders, policymakers, and changemakers to inspire progress and foster meaningful dialogue. We appreciate your partnership in making this year’s Forum a success and for empowering the next generation of democratic leaders. Microsoft Google Climate Democracy Initiative Arizona State University Libra Philanthropies Global Challenges Foundation Greek National Tourism Organisation Council of Europe COSMOTE City of Athens, Greece National Bank of Greece Athens International Airport #AthensDemocracyForum #ThankYou #Sponsors