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,...
Netherlands
Meer Democratie Netherlands to sue Minister over Abolition of the Dutch...
Meer Democratie, our Dutch partner organisation, is starting a legal case against Dutch Minister of Interior...
Korea South
Korea: From Teargas to Candlelight
In 1987, South Korean democratic protests achieved the direct election of the president, opening the door for...
Korea South
Democracy’s bright flame in South Korea
The Republic of Korea has gone through turbulent times in the past years, but with the presidency of former...
Taiwan
“Breaking The Birdcage And Returning Power To The People”
Just before the end of the year Taiwan`s parliament, the Legislative Yuan, approved a comprehensive revision...
Iceland
People Power Lights Up The Shores Of Arctic Ice Deserts
#ddworldtour Notebook from Reykjavik/Iceland: If you think that Europes far north is populated by quiet and...
Switzerland
Swiss and US democracy: Twins Separated At Birth?
No other countries in the world have such strong direct democratic people´s rights as the United States and...
Australia
The Seldom Case Of A Positive Plebiscite
Australia just finalized a lengthy process of modernizing its marriage laws. After years of debates in the...
Italy
Join us for the 2018 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy
To anyone on earth who is interested in democracy: It´s not every day that you get an invitation to Rome to...
European Union
Update on ECI reform – Headed in the right direction
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the world’s first transnational direct-democratic instrument, is...
Michigan campaign aims to restore democratic power back to the citizens
In Country in focus, Democracy International takes a closer look at advances in modern direct democracy and...