At the core, the session tackled the urgent question: how can societies learn from history to strengthen democracy amid rising populism, polarization, and challenges to the rule of law?

First, the panellists emphasized democracy’s fragility and the ongoing work needed to sustain it. As moderator Matjaž Gruden - Director for Democracy within the Council of Europe - reminded the audience, democracy is not an inevitable endpoint but a “recent phenomenon” that requires conscious effort and vigilance. This call to remain constantly engaged set the tone, with voices from post-conflict societies in the audience echoing the importance of truth, inclusion, and local participation in defending democratic values.

Central to this renewal is the way history is taught. María Luz Martínez Seijo - Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Culture, Education and Democratic Values, and Rapporteur on “Multiperspectivity in Remembrance and History Education for Democratic Citizenship”, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Lorena Zuccolo - Development Officer at the Atrium European Cultural Route, both explored the transformative power of multiperspectivity in history education, urging that students should engage with history from multiple angles - through monuments, museums, political memory, and even contentious architectural legacies. As Ms Martínez Seijo explained, multiperspectivity “helps students to understand history from different angles,” promoting tolerance, inclusion, and the ability to think critically, rather than absorbing single narratives. The panel also flagged the essential role of teacher support and the need to make civic education a compulsory subject for all. Ms Martínez Seijo also tackled the pivotal role - and challenges - of education. In particular, the ideas that effective democratic and civic education should be compulsory, hands-on, and supported with resources and teacher training. Schools are vital arenas for students to experience, discuss, and enact democratic principles, but face challenges like inadequate resources and the influence of disinformation.

A third distinctive thread running through the session was the role of art, memory, and collective participation in building democratic citizenship. Francine Mayran - Psychiatrist and artist committed to preserving the memory of the Shoah - shared striking examples of how artistic expression and projects with students - including exhibitions and collective artworks - can personalize history, bridge individual and collective memory, and connect students with difficult topics such as the Holocaust. “For me, what's important is the motto ‘United in diversity’,” Mayran reflected, reminding participants that vibrant democracies thrive when diversity is explored and respected.

Good governance is essential for democracy’s legitimacy. Alina Mungiu-Pippidi - Social psychologist and Professor of Comparative Public Policy at LUISS Guido Carli – walked us through multiple historical examples of countries around the world where democracy and good governance was built organically or induced by foreign actors. Building inclusive, merit-based systems requires citizen engagement, coalition-building, and using tools like social media to fight corruption and promote universal values. History is instrumental in understanding how current democracies that apply good governance achieved this, and how we can take inspiration from these examples in building the required critical mass of support to democracies.

Ultimately, the session highlighted both the challenges facing democracies and the creative, collaborative responses necessary to overcome them. By addressing “who” participates, “what” narratives we teach, and “how” communities engage, this session of the World Forum for Democracy offered food for thought and begged for further questions related to these extremely important aspects of today’s challenges for democracies.