Dear ,
In our last newsletter ahead of Christmas, I shared my concerns about "democratic backsliding" with you. The shock was immense following the recent elections in the Netherlands, where a right-wing populist party emerged victorious. I happened to be attending an event in the Netherlands at that time and witnessed firsthand how we, the participants, gave ourselves a push after the initial shock - yes, and then took courage together again!
Is this necessary push now also going through Germany? Absolutely! We can sense it! Following the publications of the Correctiv research portal, people all over Germany have been taking to the streets for weeks in support of democracy and the safeguarding of human rights! They are taking a stand because they no longer want to tolerate right-wing populist parties and enemies of democracy dominating the discourse. They are showing courage, strength and a decisive will to defend democracy!
Will this even make Germany a global trendsetter? I certainly hope so. Because 2024 could be a decisive year. More people than ever before will take part in an election in 2024 and set the course for our democracies in the coming years. In the super election year 2024, we will not only decide which governments will represent us in the coming years, but also whether we will have more or less democracy worldwide.
And for me, there can only be one answer: We need more democracy. More opportunities for co-decision! And more commitment to our human rights! The commitment to democracy must become the new global movement that replaces the trend of "democratic backsliding".
I want to promise you one thing: we at Democracy International will not stop working for more democracy! With projects in schools, our Democracy Youth Camp, a campaign for the European elections, our Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy and many other programmes and events, we have a lot planned again this year.
Support us in this endeavour! Come to our events, get involved and, if you can, support our work with a donation:
