Democracy is under stress throughout the world. Trust in elected leaders is declining in key countries and remains too low in others. In the UK, the Brexit referendum has thrown one the world’s democratically elected legislatures into chaos.
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In other places, rising right-wing populist movements challenge the legitimacy of democratic institutions, while claiming to represent the authentic voice of the people. In many places, civil society faces attacks that undermine its ability to support spaces for civic participation.
And yet, the last twenty years have witnessed the emergence of hundreds – If not thousands – of political innovations that signal the potential emergence of new forms of democracy that are more deliberative, participatory, and inclusive. Do these innovations offer hope for protecting, deepening, and advancing democracy in the face of today’s challenges?
In this panel, hosted by the Participedia Project and the Institute of Development Studies, five leading democratic scholars and practitioners will offer their thoughts on how democratic innovations can play a role in addressing democratic crises and in shaping a new democratic future.
The panel includes:
- Leonardo Avritzer, Professor of Political Science at Federal University of Minas Gerais
- Selen Ercan, Associate Professor of Politics, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra
- Archon Fung, Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government, Harvard University
- Bonny Ibhawoh, Professor of History, and Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University
- Melissa Williams, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto
- Moderator: Professor John Gaventa, Institute of Development Studies
Each speaker will be given 10 minutes for an initial presentation, followed by discussion.
Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) at the University of Sussex.
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