Stories

Member Story
Shadows of the Past: How Soviet Inferiority Narratives Hinder Democracy in Moldova and Ukraine
Post-Soviet countries like Ukraine and Moldova are deeply influenced by inferiority narratives — pervasive beliefs of national inadequacy rooted in Soviet-era legacies. This article examines how these narratives shape...
IDC Theme of the Month
From Backsliding to Breakthrough: Civil Society as Democracy's Last Line of Defence
Democracy does not vanish overnight; instead, it erodes step by step. Authoritarianism grows in the cracks, but so does civic resistance. Around the world, civil society is proving that when democratic institutions weaken,...
NARSARSUAQ
Greenland's Independence Is a Matter of Local Democracy
In Advance of April 1 Local Elections, Greenland Contemplates Self-Governance
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
NEWSLETTER
Singing to Interrupt in Tokyo; Cascais Congrats; Bridges to Belem
ALSO: The U.S. Crisis; Video from Ecuador to Colorado, New Events and Serious Fun
Rakhine (Myanmar)
ASIA DEMOCRACY CHRONICLES: The 'Little' Army That Could
The Arakan Army is close to establishing local sovereignty in Rakhine province.
Image created with Gemini AI
THE DEMOCRACY COLUMN
We Are All Undocumented Now
In American Communities, Jobs, Alliances, Rights, Even Citizenship Are Now Subject to the King's Whim
Photo via Zócalo Public Square
Zócalo Event
VIDEO: The Translocal (And Other) Alliances We Need Now
Fighting authoritarianism today, and building a better tomorrow, requires localities to collaborate.
Photo of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
THE DEMOCRACY COLUMN
COLUMN: Your Local Sheriff Is the Most Dangerous Authoritarian
And Hope for Democracy in San Mateo County
Global
How do EU citizens see Europe's role in the world? Findings from our...
In a world facing global challenges, we asked people from different European countries to share their...
Photo of Apple headquarters by Rairden, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0
COLUMN
Silicon Valley and California Go to Marriage Counseling
The state and its biggest sector can't live with each other.
Audrey Tang photo via Wikimedia Commons CC 1.0
NOEMA
A New Online Platform to Strengthen Democracy
California's new platform, inspired by v.Taiwan, links people with government—and each other.
CARNEGIE: In Online Democracy, Fun Is Imperative
Mystery draws people to digital democracy—from Riga to Buenos Aires