The European Endowment for Democracy (EED), European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), and Carnegie Europe are proud to invite you to the 2023 edition of the International Democracy Day Brussels conference.
The event will take place on Thursday, 14 September (afternoon), and Friday, 15 September (morning), at the European Committee of the Regions.
The theme of the 9th edition of IDD Brussels is ‘An era of democratic unrest?’. Experts and activists will discuss how the global decline of democracy and the rise of authoritarianism worldwide have been met with a new wave of civic activism.
In recent times, major protests have taken place in Iran, Georgia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, and Hong Kong, as citizens worldwide have taken to the streets to demand their rights and a more democratic future for their countries. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a massive volunteer movement has emerged to meet the population’s needs at a time of war.
We are now at a watershed moment for democracy’s future. The European Union can seize the opportunity of this era of democratic unrest to deepen its ties with worldwide pro-democracy movements by supporting their efforts.
These and other important matters will be debated in the 2023 edition of International Democracy Day Brussels.
Thursday, 14 September
- 14:00 – 15:30 – A conversation on the current state of democracy, with a keynote address by EU Commissioner Věra Jourová and interventions by Rosa Balfour (Carnegie Europe), and Damon Wilson (National Endowment for Democracy).
16:00-17:15 – Global faces of activism, showcasing the work of activists from Georgia, Iran and Costa Rica.
15 September
- 09.15 – 10.45 – An Era of Democratic Unrest?, with Helena König (EEAS), Olaf Böhnke (Alliance of Democracies), Kevin Casas Zamora (International IDEA), and Filsan Abdi (former Ethiopian Minister of Women, Children and Youth).
11.00 – 13.00 – Democracy in Action: Empowering Youth and Advancing Global Governance, with Filsan Abdi and Natalia Gómez Solano, Special Adviser on Youth to the EU
Further details of the programme to be announced
This is a joint event organised by the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), and Carnegie Europe. Due to data protection laws, all organisations are emailing our contacts separately and we apologise for any cross-posting.