Protecting and strengthening democracy

Democracy is facing major challenges around the world: The violent rise of autocratic powers is challenging fundamental rights of freedom and participation. The climate crisis requires cross-border cooperation. The coronavirus pandemic has put democratic processes under pressure. Digitalisation offers new opportunities and dangers for opinion-forming and participation. Democracies around the world face the challenge of becoming as inclusive as possible, and especially open to young people. Democracies around the world need to find answers and grow in the process.

The tenth edition of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy, 21-25 September 2022 took place in Lucerne, Switzerland. Together with our partner organisation Democracy International, the City of Lucerne and numerous other partners, more than 500 experts from around the world gathered for the five-day forum to protect and strengthen democracy.

Read more about the history and the future of the Global Forum (in german)

Two Fotogalleries of the Global Forum: 

FOTOGALLERY 1 + FOTOGALLERY 2

the GLOBAL FORUM on SRF TAGESSCHAU

Click here to learn more about the TV comment (24.09.1022) of the Global Forum with Bruno Kaufmann

Knowledge transfer, exchange and insights

In the last days before the Swiss election, the Global Forum was a sign of cooperation between people, organisations, communities, cities and states that are committed to the participation and responsibility of citizens. A sign of further democratisation of democracy and against populist, illiberal and authoritarian tendencies worldwide. More than 400 participants from all over the world contributed to the exchange of ideas, the transfer of knowledge, networking and the search for solutions. At the same time, they gained an insight into the processes surrounding one of the four annual voting days in Switzerland, when important decisions are taken by the electorate.

The Global Forum events in Lucerne were complemented by study visits and events in other parts of Switzerland.

How can we move our democracies forward? The focus is on four thematic tracks:

• Track 1: By the many - How to democratize democracy in the 21st century
• Track 2: Fixing the climate through democracy – solutions and obstacles
• Track 3 : Democratic inclusion and infrastructure
• Track 4: Beyond borders – Building transnational democracy