GDC Americas Forum 2026

Theme: Democratic Resilience from the Ground Up: Lessons from Crises and New Civic Energies Shaping the Future of the Americas
Date: 23 and 24 April 2026
Location: Asuncion, Paraguay
Co-Host: Alma Civica

*The GDC Regional Forums 2026 are sponsored by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Background and Regional Context

Across the Americas, democratic governance is under sustained pressure, marked by shrinking civic space, deepening polarization, and declining trust in public institutions. Legal reforms and administrative measures have increasingly constrained civil society activity, while hostile rhetoric and selective enforcement have normalized the stigmatization of activists, journalists, and community leaders. These pressures are compounded by widespread disinformation, algorithmic amplification of polarizing content, and digital harassment, which distort public debate and disproportionately target women, youth, and marginalized groups, reinforcing existing inequalities and deterring participation in civic life.

At the same time, the region is shaped by large-scale human mobility, multicultural transformation, and persistent socio-economic exclusion, all of which are reshaping democratic identities and expectations. Migration, displacement, and urbanization have created new forms of political engagement, but have also fueled backlash politics and exclusionary narratives. Gendered political violence, particularly against women leaders and activists, remains a significant barrier to inclusive participation, while young people face structural obstacles to influence despite being among the most active civic actors. Yet across the Americas, youth, feminist movements, local communities, and territorial actors continue to reinvent democratic practices through grassroots organizing, creative expression, digital experimentation, and local innovation, asserting democratic agency beyond formal institutions. These emerging civic energies highlight both the fragility and the adaptability of democracy in the region, underscoring the urgency of protecting civic space, countering polarization and disinformation, and strengthening inclusive, ground-up pathways for democratic resilience.

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 April, the GDC organized the following 2 panels:

GDC Americas Pre-Forum Webinar: From Dependency to Resilience: Rethinking Democratic Action in the Americas Amid Shifting Funding Landscapes

This webinar approaches the funding challenge not only as a constraint, but as a moment of transition. It explores how democratic actors in the Americas are moving from dependency toward greater resilience, and what this means for the future of democratic renewal in the region.

Watch the full recording here.

GDC Americas Pre-Forum Webinar: From Polarization to Participation: Democratic Narratives in the Americas in a Changing U.S. Context

This webinar approaches these dynamics through a regional lens. Rather than focusing on the U.S. in isolation, it examines how democratic narratives circulate across the Americas and how they shape participation, legitimacy, and democratic renewal in different contexts.

Watch the full recording here.