Policy Dialogue 2021
“Rethinking Democracy”: the 2021 Policy Dialogue
The 2021 Annual Policy Dialogue “Rethinking Democracy” took place on 27–29 October 2021 as a hybrid event, preceded by Action Labs on 18–20 October. It was organised by Club de Madrid with Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Bertelsmann Foundation North America, and produced the concluding document “Our Commitment to Democracy”.
Key facts
| Action Labs | 18, 19 and 20 October 2021 |
|---|---|
| Policy Dialogue | 27–29 October 2021, hybrid |
| Organisers | Club de Madrid, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Bertelsmann Foundation North America |
| Outcome | Concluding document “Our Commitment to Democracy” |
Working groups and Action Labs
| Action Lab | Working group | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct | The New Information Ecosystem | How to reconcile truth, trust and freedom of expression |
| 19 Oct | Responsible Leadership in Democracy | Values and accountability of leaders |
| 20 Oct | Resilient Democracies, Resilient Institutions | Reforming democratic institutions and processes |
The Rethinking Democracy Challenge
University students wrote white papers for the dialogue. Participating universities included the European University Institute, Howard University, the University of São Paulo's Observatory for Democracy in the World, Yonsei University, Seoul National University and the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town. A youth session, “Youth vision for the future of Democracy”, was facilitated by Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada.
Speakers
Bertelsmann Stiftung names among the speakers Danilo Türk, Liz Mohn, Gordon Brown, Helen Clark, Ernesto Zedillo, Laura Chinchilla, Mehdi Jomaa, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Aminata Touré and Alexander Stubb. Topics ranged from populism and polarisation to inequality sharpened by the pandemic, the risks of social media for fundamental rights, and universal healthcare.
Outcome
The concluding document “Our Commitment to Democracy” collects proposals for democratic renewal. Working groups published final recommendations and position papers; youth recommendations stressed responsible political leadership, media accountability, civic education, consensus building and local solutions to global problems.
Frequently asked questions
When was “Rethinking Democracy”?
Action Labs on 18–20 October 2021 and the Policy Dialogue on 27–29 October 2021.
Was the 2021 Policy Dialogue online?
It was a hybrid event, with in-person and online participation.
What did the 2021 dialogue produce?
The concluding document “Our Commitment to Democracy”, working-group recommendations and youth white papers.