The National Civic League’s Center for Democracy Innovation participated in the German Marshal Fund Cities Fortifying Democracy Forum from June 16-18 in Barcelona, Spain.
The forum brought together experts from Canada, the United States and Europe to discuss inter-related subjects: youth and consistent support, combating dis- and misinformation in relation to the rise of authoritarianism, bridging divides and finding common ground, and how to build multi-racial and inclusive cities.
The exchanges at the forum outlined the pivotal role that cities play in protecting and promoting democracy. Examples from participants included:
- Turin’s Open Mosque Initiative as open spaces for broad community interaction.
- Barcelona’s civic technology decidim for online idea crowdsourcing.
- Philadelphia’s Black and Gold series for cross-racial cooperation.
- Fort Collins’ Futures Committee devoted to topics the city should focus on going forward.
- Toronto’s Community Coordination Plans.
- Netherlands’ neighbourhood budgets.
- Eastern Europe’s forms of mutual engagement.
- Bristol’s 91 Ways to share culture through cuisine.
- The United States’ All-America City Award to highlight how cities promote democracy to solve important issues.
However, we were reminded that the rise of authoritarian attitudes and political agendas is spreading, necessitating a strong focus on combating misinformation and disinformation. To address these challenges, we need robust hardware and software to strengthen civic infrastructure and mitigate areas of vulnerability. Discussions highlighted that an essential part of this effort involves local media dedicated to providing accurate information and sharing stories of local actions committed to the values of freedom and equity. Additionally, fostering balanced conversations, as exemplified by initiatives like My Country Talks, is crucial.
Other necessary work concerns youth programming at a national level like Generation Citizen’s work to build civic agency from an early age.
Learn more from the German Marshal Fund’s Democracy Actions in Cities case studies.
