The 11th World Forum for Democracy revolves around the pertinent theme: "Democracy = Peace?" Over the course of three days starting today, more than 150 decision-makers and activists will discuss solutions to crucial challenges faced by democracies worldwide. A significant part of the programme, starting tomorrow, involves thematic discussions in the labs. These discussions will be based on initiatives and ideas selected through an open call and submitted to Forum participants for critical review. In general, the labs analyse the extent to which the initiatives enhance democratic transparency, accountability, responsiveness, inclusiveness, accessibility, participation, trust in democratic institutions, and the effectiveness of democratic processes.

The first Lab, “The art of dialogue: can empathy deliver peace?”, will take place on 7 November at 9 am CET. It is sponsored by the North South Centre of the Council of Europe and moderated by the Chair of the Executive Committee, Ambassador Francesca CAMILLERI VETTIGER.         

This lab provides a moment to explore whether conflicts often arise out of competition for resources, and they become aggravated by our inability to understand the position of the other party. This, in turn, limits our capacity to find a compromise solution and can contribute to the vicious circle of escalation.

The North-South Centre sponsors this Lab in line with its mandate of raising awareness about global interdependence and solidarity. Promoting dialogue, fostering mutual understanding, and encouraging cooperation between countries in and beyond Europe are part of its core mission. It is an opportunity to promote the participation of experts in the field to engage in the discussion.

This year, the concept of Peace is at the heart of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe's activities, being a component of the University on Youth and Development, and next, of the Global Education Week.

If you are interested in following the discussions, live broadcasts of all the sessions are available on the World Forum for Democracy webpage.

By identifying and analysing experimental initiatives and practices, the Forum highlights and encourages democracy innovations at the grassroots and their transfer on a systemic level in order to strengthen the foundations of democratic societies. The Forum thus contributes to the evolution of democracy towards more participatory and inclusive structures and institutions.