As democracy faces mounting challenges worldwide, a growing movement is reimagining how people, institutions, and communities can work together to strengthen participation and trust. This session explores the concept of democratic innovation ecosystems—networks that connect governments, civil society, and communities to co-create and scale participatory solutions.

Josh Lerner will share insights from his recent white paper and People Powered’s work to support these ecosystems around the world (check out Josh's recent article and People Power's video on Community-led climate solutions in the Amazon. Ro will offer a practitioner’s perspective on translating these ideas into real-world action, highlighting lessons from implementing participatory and community-driven initiatives in diverse contexts.
Together, they’ll explore practical strategies for building thriving ecosystems for democratic renewal at home and abroad followed by an open conversation on how participants can apply these principles in their own work.

Bios:

Josh Lerner
Josh is the Co-Executive Director of People Powered: Global Hub for Participatory Democracy, and a leading thinker on participatory and deliberative democracy. His recent work explores how democratic innovation ecosystems can foster collaboration between governments and civil society to make participation more impactful and sustainable. Josh’s ideas have been featured in Nonprofit Quarterly, including his article “Three Emerging Strategies for Renewing Democracy.”

Ro Tucci
Ro is a practitioner and policy leader with over 15 years of experience advancing democracy, governance, and peacebuilding across government and civil society. Until January 2025, Ro served as Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, and previously also led USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance. She has also directed peacebuilding initiatives at the U.S. Institute of Peace, working to bridge policy and practice in building more inclusive, participatory, and resilient democracies.


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Meeting ID: 896 5245 3733
Passcode: 328042

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From climate change to democratic backsliding and inequality, today’s crises demand more than ad hoc consultation, they require institutions that embed citizen voice into decision-making. In this DRGHub conversation, Professor Graham Smith will share insights on how countries are experimenting with permanent citizens’ assemblies, participatory budgeting, and leveraging existing or creating new agencies for public engagement. We’ll discuss what it takes to move beyond pilots and projects, and how mainstreaming participation can build the democratic capacity needed to confront our toughest global challenges.

Graham Smith is Professor of Politics at the Centre for the Study of Democracy. He is founding Chair of the Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA), advancing the impact of citizens’ assemblies on climate governance. His influential books include Democratic Innovations and We Need To Talk About Climate, and he has been named one of Apolitical’s Top 100 Most Influential Academics in Government.

Join Zoom Meeting by using the following link

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83442128217?pwd=bHfBADUI4shiLKemhjAjgeaTbFnYgv.1

Meeting ID: 834 4212 8217

Passcode: 410836

As we reflect on the tumultuous year of 2024, one thing is clear: the state of democracy is at a critical juncture. We will hear from three eminent scholars about the implications of 2024's global elections for the future of democracy.

This event promises to be an insightful exploration of emerging challenges to democratic institutions, the primacy of elections in the democratic process, and the radicalization of policy.

Register online here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/year-of-elections-retrospective-tickets-1405240134069

When democracy is under attack, what sparks resistance—and what actually stops it? Drawing on the new DARE dataset, Paul Friesen and Rachel Beatty Riedl map out the tactics of backsliding regimes and the strategies that successfully push back. From courts to coalitions, this research reveals which actors are most effective, when they step in, and how institutional strength and legislative control shape the outcomes. Join us for a one-hour discussion with Rachel on their research and we explore what a data-driven roadmap for defending democracy might look like.

This event is co-hosted by DRGHub and EIRP.