The Democracy & Culture Foundation

The Democracy and Culture Foundation is thrilled to welcome new members to our Board of Governors. Among them is Nanna-Louise Linde, Vice President of European Government Affairs at Microsoft. With nearly two decades of experience at Microsoft, Nanna-Louise leads the company’s government affairs and public policy efforts across Europe. Her leadership has fostered critical partnerships, from preserving Greece’s cultural heritage through AI to supporting Ukraine's cybersecurity and resilience efforts. A competition lawyer by training, she has spearheaded impactful collaborations with governments and institutions, making Microsoft a trusted partner across Europe. Known for her transparent and empowering leadership style, she brings a wealth of expertise to the Foundation’s mission. We are excited to have Nanna-Louise’s expertise and leadership on board. Welcome! #DemocracyAndCulture #Leadership #BoardOfGovernors #PublicPolicy

This year marked the fourth consecutive year of the International Youth Think Tank (IYTT) partnership with the Athens Democracy Forum, represented this year by @Bia Turnbull from South Africa and Persiana Aksentieva from Bulgaria. Their participation highlighted the work of the IYTT’s African Youth Fellows and celebrated the inaugural African International Youth Conference in South Africa, a milestone as the country marks 30 years of democracy. Bia presented “Citizen’s Science,” a proposal focused on empowering citizens through digital literacy, while Persiana discussed media integrity during the panel discussion “Rethinking Journalism: A Crisis of Confidence.” Their contributions showcased the transformative role of youth in democracy and human rights. Catch their inspiring talks on the Athens Democracy Forum YouTube channel here https://lnkd.in/dmBT7MHb, and read more about their experiences in their own words here: https://lnkd.in/ededbizy #AthensDemocracyForum #IYTT #YouthInDemocracy #CitizensScience #AfricanYouthFellows #MediaIntegrity #DemocraticFuture

📢The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2025 are open for submissions📢 Launched by the European Commission and managed by Europa Nostra with support from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, these prestigious awards celebrate exceptional achievements in the protection, conservation, research, and promotion of cultural heritage across Europe. The awards offer significant benefits, including recognition at the European level, increased exposure, and the chance to receive monetary prizes of up to €20,000. For more information and to submit your application, visit europeanheritageawards.eu. 🗓️ Deadline for submissions: 20 November 2024 #EuropeanHeritageAwards #CulturalHeritage #EuropaNostra #HeritageRecognition

We're excited to share the latest episode of “Beyond the Ballot,” a podcast series produced by Bertelsmann Stiftung, along with Are We Europe, and Awe Studio. In this episode, David Becker, Founder and Executive Director of the The Center for Election Innovation & Research, examines the complexities of voter suppression in the U.S. He sheds light on genuine examples of suppression while discussing how widespread narratives around the issue can lead to voter self-suppression, discouraging participation at the polls. Looking ahead to the 2024 election, David Becker also explores whether the U.S. needs an updated version of the Voting Rights Act to address modern challenges. You can listen to this episode—and the entire series, which covers key election topics like primaries, youth voters, and election security—on usa2024electionhub.org, Spotify, and Deezer. The 2024 Athens Democracy Forum also tackled the topic of U.S. elections during the panel “Case Study Panel: America’s Moment of Truth (Again),” featuring María Elena Agüero (Club de Madrid), Amy K. Dacey (AU Sine Institute of Policy & Politics), and Rob Richie (FairVote), now available on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/d7YPK3gD #BeyondTheBallot #VoterSuppression #Election2024 #Democracy #VotingRights #BertelsmannFoundation #USPolitics #CivicEngagement #PodcastSeries

Are you a civil society leader or activist working to protect human rights and promote democracy in authoritarian contexts? The Human Rights Foundation's Online Activist Academy offers a comprehensive, self-paced 10-module course to enhance your advocacy skills. This program equips participants with practical knowledge in nonviolent strategies, digital security, outreach, and social media, among other crucial areas. Secure your spot today by emailing onlineactivistacademy@hrf.org for free access. The registration deadline is November 15, and spaces are limited. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dx4Tkcrp #HumanRights #Democracy #Activism #CivicEngagement #NonviolentAction #AdvocacyTraining #DigitalSecurity #CivilSociety #HRF #OnlineLearning

In partnership with the Apolitical Foundation, the Democracy and Culture Foundation is thrilled to introduce the recipients of the "Democratic Innovators of the 21st Century" 2024 Politicians' Hall of Fame. This esteemed honor, announced during the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum, celebrates outstanding leaders—women and men who have dedicated their lives to advancing democracy on a global scale. 👏 We’re excited to present this year’s cohort, including: 🇦🇺 Aaron Violi MP, Parliamentarian 🇰🇷 Choi Ho-Joeng, Chairwoman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council 🇨🇴 Carlos Fernando Galan, Mayor of Bogotá 🇰🇪 Stewart M. Madzayo and Aaron Kipkirui, Majority and Minority Leaders of the Kenyan Senate 🇬🇧 Graham Allen, Democratic Reformer and Former Parliamentarian These remarkable individuals are transforming democracy by championing circular power politics and empowering citizens to shape their societies. Their meaningful contributions serve as an inspiration for the next generation of democratic innovators. Watch the presentation here: https://lnkd.in/dSqvjTpr #DemocraticInnovators #PoliticiansHallofFame #AthensDemocracyForum2024 #Leadership #DemocracyAndCultureFoundation #ApoliticalFoundation #GlobalDemocracy

Applications are now open for the 2026 European Capital Of Democracy #ECoD. Our partners at European Capital of Democracy lead this initiative, where a jury of 4,000 European citizens selects a new city each year to hold the title. Barcelona launched the program in 2023, and next month Vienna will take over, hosting a year of events and activities. Could your city be next? Cities with populations over 100,000 from Council of Europe member states and Kosovo are eligible to apply until 15 November 2024. Watch the video for more information and follow the link for the application form: https://lnkd.in/e-rMGYV #EuropeanCapitalOfDemocracy #ECoD2026 #Democracy #CivicEngagement #CityLeadership

🗞️ Featured in The New York Times and undoubtedly one of the achievements of this year's Athens Democracy Forum: more youth representation. https://lnkd.in/eP3aBrRM Promoting the role of youth in political and democratic spaces is simply crucial - but quite often they just do it better themselves than any individual or organization could. 🙌 Thank you for joining us this year and inspiring us all Omar van Reenen (Equal Namibia, and winner of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize with the Kofi Annan Foundation), Persiana Aksentieva and Bia Turnbull (International Youth Think Tank), Nicole Kleeb (Bertelsmann Stiftung), Lauren Perl (BallotWise), Luis V. Villaherrera (TRACODA). And another round of thanks to all the students of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA), and the 40 participants of our Teens for Democracy program. “We have brilliant minds, we can talk about our future and this forum is all about the youth as well.” 🤍

🙌 New Team Member - Welcome Tullia V.! Excited to announce Tullia has joined the team as Global Development Director. With a proven track record in fundraising, strategic partnerships, and development, Tullia will play a key role in expanding our sponsor and donor base while driving financial sustainability through innovative partnerships. Tullia brings extensive experience from the luxury, lifestyle, arts, and culture sectors, having worked with top media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Vogue and many more. Fluent in multiple languages, Tullia is passionate about supporting NGOs, activists, and cultural leaders, making her a perfect fit for our work in advancing meaningful social change. We’re excited for her to bring her vision to the interplay between the arts and democracy, shaping the impact we strive to create.

🙌 Delighted to be partnering with RepresentWomen. The Strengthening Democracy - Women in Politics panel received a truly engaged and vibrant response from the audience at the 12th Athens Democracy Forum. We were able to address complex issues such as how culture and stereotypes affect women’s representation in politics, the power of normalizing women at the top, and discuss how different countries fare in the representation indices (and why) was both interesting and important. Speakers included Alison Duncan, Australian Ambassador to Greece, Jennifer Piscopo, Professor of Gender and Politics at Royal Holloway University of London; and Susannah Wellford, Founder and CEO of Running Start, with moderation by Cynthia Richie Terrell, Founder and CEO of RepresentWomen.