Application Deadline: 15 June 2023.
The World Forum for Democracy calls for expressions of interest from innovative initiatives, from all over the world, aiming at enhancing democracy and contributing to sustainable peace.
The World Forum for Democracy is a platform for global dialogue and democratic participation which brings new ideas into the work of the Council of Europe and promotes its principles across the world. A unique event of its kind, it deals with challenges facing democracy, taking innovative initiatives and practices as a starting point and fostering constructive debate to find solutions. A democratic exercise, the Forum aims at giving the people – demos – their rightful place in political decision-making. It thus contributes to the evolution of democracy towards more participatory and inclusive structures and institutions.
The 11th World Forum for Democracy will debate the issues and generate new ideas for tackling the challenges to peace we face today. Plenary sessions will be an opportunity to discuss with speakers from all continents, including politicians, public and private officials, international organisations and civil society. Forum Talks will bring together relevant experts and academics that will share their experience and discuss how to improve the current situation. Forum Labs will allow participants to learn about ground-breaking initiatives that offer responses to the key questions above based on an analysis of their real impact and replicability. The initiatives should help us understand how democracy and democratic institutions and practices can help us wage peace and counter causes of war in our societies.
The World Forum for Democracy calls for expressions of interest from innovative initiatives, from all over the world, aiming at enhancing democracy and contributing to sustainable peace.
These may be for example, but not limited to:
- Innovative forms of civic engagement and public-private partnerships
- Cross-border partnerships related to democratic governance and peacebuilding
- Advocacy for underrepresented groups, women, minorities, children, indigenous communities, immigrants, refugees, and non-citizens (stateless and undocumented persons)
- Fostering democracy and peace through education, new platforms for conflict resolution and peace-building
- Learning from the past, fighting historical revisionism, innovative approaches to presenting the past, i.e. museums, media, collaborative events, documentaries, multi-perspectivity
- Public accountability, anti-corruption, transparency of public and private finance
- Addressing the wealth gap, new ways of lifting people out of poverty, crowdfunding activism, social enterprises, rural development
- Reconciliation and trust-building processes, truth-telling, restorative justice
- Protection for activists promoting peace and non-violence as a way of life
- Promoting social, economic and or civic empowerment of women and girls
- Study, data collection or analysis of hate crimes, extremism, inequalities, polarisation, propaganda, cyber warfare etc.
- Alternative economic practices, for example local cooperatives, non-monetary exchange, collective ownership, virtual economies, people-centred businesses, socially responsible financial practices
Benefits
Any public or private organisation is eligible to apply.
- One presenter for the selected initiatives will be invited to Strasbourg to take part in the World Forum. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Council of Europe if required.
Submission Details
- Submissions from any public or private organisation should be made by answering the questionnaire in the appendix and sending it to forum_democracy@coe.int by 15 June 2023
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the World Forum for Democracy 2023