Dear friends, partners and supporters of Democracy International,
As we are preparing to move into a new decade, 2019 has truly been a year of scale-up for Democracy International. Our work is more diverse and international and we are planning further ahead than ever.
This year, we have launched a number of new and exciting projects, such as our online platform for democracy activists and our campaign for a World Citizens’ Initiative. At the same time, we have seen a lot of our work of the past years pay off: we had a spectacular edition of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy, our European Public Sphere went on its most extensive tour to date and the European elections signified a watershed moment for our campaigns, with long-awaited successes on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) and lobby transparency.
All of this happened in between moving boxes and address changes, while we have taken up residence at our new offices in the city centre of Cologne!
Nonetheless, we are very worried about the state of democracy in the world. Throughout the year, we have seen the signs of continuous chipping away at the foundations of our democratic institutions. In 2019, we have seen ugly and repeated political attacks on freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of the judiciary around the world.
Not only are the foundations of our democracy under attack, so are the people defending it. Civic space is in an alarming and accelerated decline. A recent CIVICUS report estimates that 40% of the world’s population now live in repressed countries, twice as many as last year. It is more necessary than ever to support activists on the ground. This is why, at Democracy International we have started working even more to create spaces for civil society and citizens: for the first time this year, we offered grants for young activists to join our Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy, and we are well on the way to open an Initiative House for Human Rights and Democracy in Cologne.
Around the globe, people are being pushed to reappraise the true worth of our democratic institutions. Citizens everywhere have sent a clear signal that participation in decision-making is of vital importance to them. The European elections saw the highest turnout in 20 years, not least due to civil society mobilization, and a record number of ECIs were registered this year.
We are also happy to see new models of participation being developed and implemented worldwide. This year, citizens’ assemblies were called into being in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Eastern Belgium.
2019 really was the year of the citizen! All over the world, citizens concerned about their future took to the streets, from the Fridays for Future movement that swept the planet to pro-democracy demonstrations in Lebanon, Sudan, Hong Kong and Chile. The citizens of the world have one clear message, “the future belongs to us!”
And so, maybe things are not very different from 30 years ago, when peaceful protests in Eastern Germany provided the catalyst for the implosion of one of the great poles of power in our world. We would do well to pay close attention to what happened here three decades ago. It is a timely reminder that power can only exist by virtue of the people.
With that principle as our guideline we will continue our work in the new decade. But we cannot do it alone. As you read through our annual report, know that nothing we do would be possible without your support. You continue to inspire and encourage us, and for that we are incredibly grateful.
So thank you for your encouragement and passion! Together, we are ready to start the roaring twenties!
The Democracy International team
Our gallery: 2019 in Pictures