GCD International Working Group

The fourth annual meeting of Toda Peace Institute’s Global Challenges to Democracy International Working Group (IWG) was held from June 17-20 in Oxfordshire, UK.  The group members came from the USA, Brazil, Germany, Tunisia, India, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand, and were joined in the UK by the Director and support staff.

This year’s gathering, titled “Defending Democracy in the Face of 21st Century Challenges” focused on democratic resilience. The Working Group’s research cluster, formed in December 2024, presented ten working papers that served as the foundation for the discussions. In addition to papers on the “spirit of democracy,” the core elements of democratic resilience, and the numerous changes in the international context affecting democracy across the globe, papers were presented on specific challenges and opportunities in the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, India, Poland, the Philippines, the MENA region, and the emerging Gen Z democracy movements in Southeast Asia. Zoom sessions were held with a Hungarian political scientist on prospects for rebuilding democracy in Hungary and with six members of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region group on the impact of war on democratization efforts in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and Mauritania. The papers and Zoom session offered rich opportunities for shared learning and discussion, and will soon be published on the Toda website.

In addition to the prepared papers, holding the gathering at a Quaker retreat centre allowed for a focused and reflective time to discuss the many challenges facing democracy throughout the world, including militarization and the rise in far-right movements. The group’s main shared interest, however, continues to be researching opportunities for constructive change.

Building on this past year’s work on democratic resilience, the group decided that the theme for the coming year will be “Why Democracy?” which will aim to better understand how to address the growing global disillusionment with democracy and to explore adaptations and innovations that might enable democratic institutions to more successfully address 21^st century challenges.

Image: Droneski Imaging / shutterstock.com