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,...
The Hague Mayor Jan van Zenen attending a rainbow flag raising ceremony at the U.S Embassy The Hague.
Netherlands
COLUMN A Local Coalition to Tear the Fascists Down?
No province or city can beat the far-right alone.
Egypt
READINGS Cairo Call for Action, on Local Housing
Local democracy has failed to produce sufficient housing everywhere. A Cairo gathering suggests ways forward
Mexico
ZÓCALO: Can We Move Climate-Challenged Cities?
Ancient Examples Show It’s Possible to Transplant Metropolises—But Costs Are Steep
Romania
EU for Global: An Initiative to Enhance Youth Participation and Combat...
The EU for Global project started its series of Local Citizens' Panels in Bucharest, Romania, hosted by...
Pakistan
ASIA DEMOCRACY CHRONICLES: A Jirga for Justice
A Pashtun civil rights group holds a huge deliberative gathering to tackle community problems from land grabs...
USA
LETTER A New Golden Age of Local Democracy?
The takeover of elections by the rich offers an opening.
USA
Elon Musk Picked on the Wrong Local Agency
Voter-created commission to protect California's coast could be a planetary model.
USA
Why Trumpism Had Already Won
Protecting democracy requires futuristic vision, not co-opting authoritarian ideas.
Global
FUTURE OF WHERE The Exurban Metropolis
Cities and suburbs have evolved to be sustainable. Can exurbs do the same?
USA
Democracy Is Not on My Ballot
Reading ballot measures reveals an intent to confuse