In March 2026, we celebrated Africa with two pre-forum webinars, a hybrid forum, a podcast episode, and a month-long social media campaign. The first pre-forum webinar, Elections, Youth Participation, and Democratic Accountability, took place on March 4 and the second pre-forum webinar, Democratic Disruptions, Civic Movements, and Digital Democracy, took place on March 19.
The hybrid GDC Africa Regional Forum was held on March 26 in Nairobi Kenya, co-hosted by Nuru Trust Network and Youth for SDGs Kenya. We also released the Africa Regional Month Thank You Democracy Podcast Episode featuring Cynthia Chigwenya, a political researcher, pracademic, research consultant for Club of Rome, and former African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace for Southern Africa, to unpack what democracy looks like on the ground in Southern Africa.
Pre-Forum Webinars:
Prior to every GDC Regional Forum 2026, the GDC Secretariat hosted 2 webinars designed to introduce the main topics that would be discussed during the forum. During the month of March, the GDC organized the following 2 panels:
GDC Africa Pre-Forum Webinar: Elections, Youth Participation, and Democratic Accountability
This webinar approached elections not as a technical exercise, but as a critical lens to examine democratic resilience. It explored how African youth act as a first line of democratic defense during electoral moments, resisting civic space closure, countering digital repression, and demanding accountability.
GDC Africa Pre-Forum Webinar: Democratic Disruptions, Civic Movements, and Digital Democracy
Across Africa, civic movements and digital activism are redefining democratic participation amid accelerating authoritarian consolidation. Recent unconstitutional changes of government, protest waves, and grassroots mobilizations reveal both the power and fragility of digitally enabled political participation. Youth-led movements are increasingly leveraging online tools for organizing, advocacy, and accountability, while facing threats including surveillance, disinformation, and harassment. This webinar critically assessed whether digital democracy is expanding civic agency or reproducing new forms of control.
Africa Regional Forum:
Theme: Reclaiming the Democratic Promise – Youth Agency, Digital Resilience, and Combating Kleptocracy in Africa
Date: 26 March 2026
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Co-Hosts: Nuru Trust Network and Youth for SDGs Kenya
*The GDC Regional Forums 2026 are sponsored by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
Background and Regional Context
Across Africa, democratic governance faces mounting strain, with shrinking civic space driven by restrictive laws, security responses, and digital controls limiting citizens’ ability to question power, demand accountability, and engage in public life. Youth across the continent, assert agency through election observation, grassroots movements, online advocacy, and civic tech, reshaping participation beyond traditional structures. Recent elections in Tanzania, Cameroon, and Madagascar show these challenges clearly. Young people led voter education and election monitoring, even as internet shutdowns, false information targeting women and minorities, and restrictions on civil society made their work harder. Upcoming elections in the region offer key tests for safeguarding civic space, enabling safe youth and women’s engagement, and using technology for transparency rather than manipulation.
The Africa Regional Forum 2026 leveraged elections, civic movements, and digital engagement to advance youth agency, women’s leadership, digital resilience, and anti-kleptocracy, aiming to rebuild trust and protect civic space continentwide. This dialogue interrogated Africa’s evolving democratic landscape. The forum grounded analysis in lived experiences, drew insight from practitioners and experts, and created space for honest exchange on how civic movements, elections, and digital tools to be reclaimed as instruments of accountability rather than control. This convening was not just a conversation, it was a strategic intervention to help shape a more inclusive, resilient, and participatory future for the continent.
Programme:
Forum Panelist and Speaker Profiles
Forum Hosts
Opening Speeches
Moderators
Panelists
Watch the full Forum recording here:
Africa Regional Month #ThankYouDemocracy Podcast Episode:
Intergenerational Solidarity: The Missing Ingredient in Democratic Renewal
In Episode 2 of the Thank You Democracy podcast, we sat down with Cynthia Chigwenya, a political researcher, pracademic, research consultant for Club of Rome, and former African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace for Southern Africa, to unpack what democracy looks like on the ground in Southern Africa. Drawing on her experience across parliaments, peacebuilding institutions, and youth governance spaces, she offers a rare, multidimensional view of how history, inequality, migration, and political culture shape democratic participation today.
Through personal reflections and regional analysis, Cynthia explores why young people’s motivation to engage is deeply affected by institutional trust, economic exclusion, and the perception that democratic systems are not delivering. She also highlights where progress is emerging, from youth-led co‑leadership to new generations entering politics with intention, competence, and a commitment to accountability.
Her insights remind us that democracy is not only about elections; it is about sincerity, transparency, meaningful participation, and institutions that protect rather than harm. And they underscore why safeguarding civic space, investing in youth leadership, and strengthening trust must be central to any democratic renewal.