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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 7d

✨ OCTOBER ISSUE OUT NOW!✨

🎃🍂 Read it FREE through October 30 here: muse.jhu.edu/issue/55657

Reposted by Democracy Without Borders

World Citizens Australia @worldcitizensaus.bsky.social · 7d

🗳️ GLOBAL DEMOCRACY FOR GLOBAL PEACE
🕰️ 20th October, 8:30pm-9:30pm
💵 Free
🖥️ Online
🗣️ Register now and obtain insights from this amazing list of speakers:
www.wcaa.org.au/events

#globalpeace #peace #worldpeace #globaldemocracy #democracy #worlddemocracy @democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · 12d

On the sidelines of the UN's general debate in New York, civil society pushed for a review of the UN's 1945 Charter to make the organization fit for purpose in view of ongoing conflicts, the climate crisis and a failing international system.

www.democracywithoutborders.org/37774/articl...

Article 109 coalition pushes for UN Charter review in New York

On the sidelines of the general debate of the 80th UN General Assembly the Coalition for UN Charter reform rebranded as Article 109 and gathered supporters at a launch event.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · 15d

According to @internationalidea.bsky.social's recent Global State of Democracy report, 2024 marked the ninth consecutive year of net democratic decline: 54% of countries experienced declines whereas 32% recorded improvements.

Here is our summary:
www.democracywithoutborders.org/37744/

Democracy worldwide faces its ninth year of net decline: IDEA report

International IDEA’s 2025 report finds 2024 extended the global democratic downturn, with 54% of 173 countries deteriorating and 32% improving, as representation hit a 2001 low and press freedom fell.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · 16d

The UN chief last week proposed a 2026 budget that would cut nearly 1/5 of staff. Experts warn that the crisis will still get a lot worse unless urgent steps are taken. Otherwise, the UN will be in a "liquidity crunch, maybe close to insolvency" by early 2026.

genevasolutions.news/sustainable-...

UN faces dark future if nations don’t act, says analyst ahead of high-level meet - Geneva Solutions

A week after the UN secretary general proposed a new 2026 budget that would cut nearly a fifth of staff, experts warn that its financial crisis will still get a lot worse unless urgent and reasoned me...

genevasolutions.news

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · 23d

The United Nations "really needs to seek stronger engagement with civil society, citizens, and the public at large, not less", our Executive Director told IPS News. The UN should resist efforts by authoritarian states to shut out civil society, he added.

www.ipsnews.net/2025/09/ngos...

NGOs on a Virtual Blacklist at UN High-Level Meetings of World Leaders

When the high-level meeting of over 150 world political leaders takes place September 22-30, thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their accredited UN representatives will either be b...

www.ipsnews.net

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · 23d

On this #DemocracyDay we renew the call for a UN Rapporteur on Democracy. We also invite you to explore our brochure "What is Democracy?" for an overview of democracy’s history, core principles, and the challenges it faces.

Find it here:
www.democracywithoutborders.org/what-is-demo...

What is Democracy?

Democracy is a form of government based on popular representation and participation, individual rights and liberties and the rule of law.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · 29d

On 11 September @internationalidea.bsky.social will launch their 2025 The Global State of Democracy Report, providing an up-to-date assessment on the situation in the world's countries:

www.idea.int/events/globa...

Launch of The Global State of Democracy Report 2025: ‘Democracy on the Move’ | International IDEA

Can democracy keep pace with a world on the move?

www.idea.int

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Sep 5

The UN is in its deepest crisis in decades. The UN80 reform initiative should not be just about cuts but also forward-looking proposals. Citizen participation can strengthen legitimacy and yield a positive return on investment, argues @ronpatz.bsky.social:

www.democracywithoutborders.org/37574/

Reframing UN80: from mere cost-cutting to optimistic reform talk

UN80 seeks to address the UN’s funding and governance crisis. Beyond cost-cutting, this push can open space for bold ideas like improving citizen participation and representation.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Sep 1

At a recent UN consultation with civil society on the implementation of the UN's so-called "Pact for the Future" we and other speakers underlined the need for institutional reform and democratization of the United Nations

www.democracywithoutborders.org/37540/civil-...

Civil society speakers urge deeper change as UN pursues its "Future Pact"

At a UN consultation, NGO speakers press for democratic innovations, UN Charter reform, and citizen engagement to ensure the UN's Pact for the Future leads to meaningful change.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Aug 28

Afghanistan is one of the worst setbacks in democratic state-building in recent history following the violent takeover of the totalitarian Taliban, Afghan parliamentarian in exile Mariam Solaimankhil reminds us. In this article, she urges the UN to appoint a Special Rapporteur on Democracy.

Why the UN needs a rapporteur on democracy: an Afghan perspective

Afghanistan shows how state collapse fuels repression and crisis. This article urges the UN to appoint a Rapporteur on Democracy to help prevent and address democratic state-building breakdowns worldw...

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Aug 26

Education is not merely a tool for personal advancement but a public good that sustains the foundations of democratic society argues Nicolette Karina Kalfas in this article

www.democracywithoutborders.org/37500/

Education: the silent infrastructure of democracy

Education remains one of the strongest foundations of democratic society in many respects, argues this article.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Aug 25

AwareNow spoke to our co-founder @andreasbummel.bsky.social: "What drives me is a firm belief that global democracy is essential to tackling today’s global challenges and to ensure a flourishing of all life on Earth."

Read the full interview here:
www.awarenowmedia.com/story-feed/d...

DEMOCRACY WITHOUT BORDERS

Exclusive Interview with Andreas Bummel by Alex Taylor

www.awarenowmedia.com

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Aug 22

NGOs are often seen as the backbone of civil society. But in many places, they’re under growing pressure. But civil society runs deeper. Even when NGOs are pushed back, grassroots movements can and do thrive, argues Sibahle Zuma.

www.democracywithoutborders.org/37469/

NGOs under pressure: why civil society will survive and thrive

NGOs and grassroots movements each play vital, complementary roles in civil society, showing how diverse forms of organizing together sustain democratic action even in times of political pressure.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Aug 20

The World Liberty Congress supports the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy and urges governments from every region to do the same, writes Félix Maradiaga on their website:

worldlibertycongress.org/the-un-is-on...

The UN Is on the Sidelines of Democracy. It’s Time to Appoint a Special Rapporteur – World Liberty Congress

By Félix Maradiaga, WLC Academy Director “We the Peoples” is not a poetic flourish in the United Nations Charter; it is the operating system the institution promised to run. And yet, on the core quest...

worldlibertycongress.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Aug 18

More than 25 experts from around the world gathered in London to discuss how the planet is (not) governed in view of accelerating global crises, including war, climate change, pandemics, artificial intelligence, and inequality.

Read our report here:
www.democracywithoutborders.org/37452/

London conference explores government for the planet

Experts gathered in London to examine pathways toward global government, exploring UN reforms, citizen participation and representation, and better arrangements to address urgent planetary challenges.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 22

The 2025 Freedom and Prosperity report from the Atlantic Council @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social highlights that democracy pays off: countries that democratize see an 8.8% GDP per capita boost over 20 years, outpacing autocracies www.democracywithoutborders.org/37415/freedo...

Freedom boosts economic prosperity, says Atlantic Council 2025 index

Atlantic Council’s 2025 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes link democracy to economic prosperity.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 16

Interviewed by CIVICUS, our Executive Director @andreasbummel.bsky.social explains why the UN should appoint a Special Rapporteur on Democracy, what the benefits would be, and what is needed to make it happen: majority support in the UN Human Rights Council.

lens.civicus.org/interview/de...

‘Democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin’

CIVICUS discusses the potential for a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Democracy with Andreas Bummel, founder and executive director of Democracy Without Borders, an international civil socie...

lens.civicus.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 15

Authoritarian regimes use regional organizations to suppress dissent and bolster their power as @debremaria.bsky.social shows in her new book "The Dictators' Club". As autocrats coordinate across borders, democratic actors must do the same, she writes.

www.democracywithoutborders.org/37302/

Dictators’ clubs: how regional blocs support authoritarianism

Authoritarian regimes use regional organizations to suppress opposition, resist pressure, and stay in power, new book shows.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 8

In this piece, featured by the self-organized academic platform of the G20, the so-called T20, Tim Murithi makes the case for South Africa spearheading a UN Charter Review to rebuild and democratize the United Nations. We fully agree. t20southafrica.org/commentaries...

Invoking Article 109: How South Africa's G20 presidency can lead global governance reform

South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy exemplifies how political transformation can be driven by vision and international solidarity.

t20southafrica.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 4

Quality declined in over half of 2024’s 62 elections worldwide says the new Global Electoral Report 2025 with most concerning findings related to established and emerging democracies, including Mexico, the UK, the USA, India and Indonesia www.democracywithoutborders.org/37218/qualit...

Quality declined in over half of 2024’s 62 elections worldwide: report

2025 report finds election quality declined in over half of 62 national votes held in 2024

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 2

Artificial intelligence is advancing at unprecedented speed. Former Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law calls for a global Democracy AI movement that demands transparency, citizen participation, and rights-based regulation. www.democracywithoutborders.org/37130/a-move...

A movement is needed to ensure AI serves humanity and democracy

A call to action for building a democracy movement to ensure public oversight and governance of artificial intelligence.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jul 1

While the UN investigates everything from torture to toxic waste, democracy – supposedly a core UN principle – receives no systematic international oversight. Civil society wants to change that. Read more in this piece by our partner CIVICUS:

lens.civicus.org/democracy-un...

Democracy under attack: the case for a new UN Special Rapporteur

Civil society is calling on the United Nations (UN) to create a Special Rapporteur on Democracy. The campaign argues that while the UN monitors specific human rights through specialised rapporteurs, d...

lens.civicus.org

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jun 30

As the United States retreats from the UN and the global order, the governments of the global majority need to commit to putting their money where their mouths are if they are serious about reviving multilateralism, argues Tim Murithi in this piece mg.co.za/columns/2025...

The UN at 80 must not be sidetracked by global hegemons

The UN80 initiative weakens multilateralism and empowers a minority of self-interested nations, prioritising military spending over global crises

mg.co.za

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Democracy Without Borders @democracywithoutborders.org · Jun 27

It's important that international organizations engage with civil society and other stakeholders. A recent OECD @oecdgovernance.bsky.social paper studied 26 different mechanisms. Here's a summary on our blog:

www.democracywithoutborders.org/36983/oecd-p...

OECD paper explores good practices in global civil society engagement

An OECD paper outlines how civil society engagement enhances the legitimacy and effectiveness of international decision-making.

www.democracywithoutborders.org

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