UNICEF Innocenti’s Post

Read the latest UNICEF Innocenti report which my friend and colleague Ece Tekbulut contributed to - a very timely and important report!

How are citizens’ assemblies run? Can, and should, the principles of participatory and deliberative democracy be applied to how these processes are organised and implemented? This online seminar on 13 June with Melisa Ross, Flynn Devine and Rikki Dean turns to these complex questions drawing on Global Citizens’ Assembly Network research spanning local and national assemblies in three continents, and the case of the Global Assembly. #CitizensAssembly

We need global solutions. And that means new models of democracy. 

In exactly one week we finally launch our Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholm on November 20th-21st! ⏳🚀💥 At the Forum we will discuss both the challenges that the Nordic democracies face today and develop concrete efforts to diminish polarization, hate and extremism, as well as develop strategies for cross-sector and cross-Nordic cooperation. Over the course of 2 days Ministers, mayors, national and local leaders, representatives from universities, civil society, tech companies, foundations and youth groups will unite to set the direction and initiate shared action. We hope to capture the visions and ideas that will ensure we stay on the forefront in our prevention efforts to keep the Nordic Region a safe, secure, and inclusive place for all in the years to come. Key themes and discussions include: - How do we create and develop an inclusive democracy for all? - How do we support, empower, and integrate youth in building a strong and cohesive democratic society? - How do we combat cross-border youth crime? - How do we foster cross-sector initiatives that create safe neighbourhoods and avoid the deepening of segregation and the development of crime and recruitment to gangs? - How do we create safer digital communities given the challenges posed by disinformation and AI? We look very much forward to seeing all our participants there and are truly grateful to our contributors. #Democracyforum #NordicSafeCities #Safeguardingdemocracy #Safedigitalcity #Community #Cooperation #Engagement

In a year of unprecedented political change, it is apt to reflect: Where does global democracy stand and where is it headed in the new economic world order? To truly reflect the global dynamics of #democracy, indicators must not only capture the level of democracy of individual countries, but also account for their share of global GDP. To this end, INSEAD professor Ilian Mihov developed a measure that paints the state of global democracy in relation to economic power. Alarmingly, the data reveals that the level of democracy in 2022 is close to that in the late 1970s, when the world was in the midst of the Cold War, suggesting that the world is sliding into autocracy. He warns that without an active and aggressive strategy to raise awareness about the perils of losing to autocracy, non-democratic states will continue to grow their economic power and overwhelm those that still count as democracies.

Are we witnessing the slow death of #democracy? "Broken democracy has become the world’s most prevalent political arrangement." Timely wake-up call oped by Kevin Casas-Zamora Secretary General of International IDEA in The Economist This reminds me of this quote from American thinker Robert Hutchins: "The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment." Amongst the root causes of democracy's decline are rising uncertainty and anxiety, especially amongst youth losing faith and hope in the future. For Kevin Casas-Zamora "preserving democracy requires more than playing defense. Societies need to rethink social contracts to reduce uncertainty." Indeed, let's bring hope back in ! https://lnkd.in/eB27b7T4

#Regional versus #global #democracy - Advantages and limitations by Carol C.Gould Introduction Regionalism has come to the fore in recent economic and political developments and has been an important subject of attention in contemporary political science. Especially in view of the rise to prominence of the European Union (EU) over the past decades (despite the various setbacks), theorists have taken notice of the new forms of regional coordination and cooperation not only there but in other parts of the world (e.g., Latin America, southeast Asia etc.), where these particularly concern economic matters, though in some cases political organization as well. However, there has been considerably less attention to the normative implications of these developments, though some theorists (especially of international law) have pointed to the regional human rights agreements that are beginning to be taken seriously, while other theorists (especially of international relations) have commented on the democratic deficit in the EU. Further, while theorists of democracy and human rights have analysed the justifications and roles that these norms may play in national contexts and increasingly even in global contexts, scant attention has been given to their potential for guiding and constraining regional economic and political development. Instead, several cosmopolitan democratic theorists, as also cosmopolitan theorists of justice, seem to want to move the discussion directly from the level of the nation-state to that of the world as a whole, with little analysis of the emerging regionalism, increasingly recognized as important in practical affairs and in political science generally. ... https://lnkd.in/eheg4wrR

Allowing people to imagine alternatives gives all of us a common goal to collectively work towards. ☀ EDRi has been doing transformative narrative work along with racial and social justice organisations through: 🔸 a decolonial approach to digital policy 🔸 stories about communities 🔸 developing a positive vision for our digital futures. 🔗 Read more about our experience affecting change on the #AI Act and #CSAR through changing the narrative around technology and digital spaces in an article EDRi's Shubham Kaushik & Viktoria Tomova authored for European Alternatives' Magazine: https://lnkd.in/e9VGEWrP 📣 Drawing on all of our previous efforts, EDRi published a manifesto that establishes a positive vision for our digital futures. Check it out and help us re-write the story of digital rights by joining our narrative change efforts ahead of the EU elections and beyond: https://lnkd.in/drZ8bHGi

Often, policies are not communicated in ways that make them accessible and relatable. Importantly, how do policies impact us, and what is our role as common people? As the world becomes datafied, with technology impacting us on a fundamental and human level, we need something more connecting and personal. I'm increasingly finding value in simpler ways of communicating complex topics—especially now that I'm back in school, where theory and technicality are tenacious. Check out these everyday digital policy stories and consider reimagining the impact of emerging digital transitions with a focus on people, planet, and technology . . . #DigitalPolicy #TechImpact #DatafiedWorld #HumanCenteredTech #DigitalTransition #PolicyCommunication #DigitalRights

🌍 Defending 21st Century Democracy Series 🌍 As democracy faces unprecedented challenges globally, it’s crucial to foster vibrant connections across borders. By bridging geographic silos, we can accelerate innovation, share effective tactics, and build resilient democracies. The recent efforts of #SkollGrantee, Keseb, inspired by U.S. strategies to combat disinformation, highlight the immense potential of cross-border collaboration. Join us in supporting democracy entrepreneurs who are on the front lines of defending and expanding democratic values. Together, we can weave a stronger, more resilient fabric of democracy across the globe. Read the full article published in Stanford Social Innovation Review: https://lnkd.in/gnQCXFzv