Recommendations and policies (Part Two)
Context
Democratic institutions worldwide are facing an unprecedented threat from malign influence operations that undermine public trust, distort political discourse, and disorient citizens. These operations, often fueled by state and non-state actors, are designed to erode faith in democratic processes, sow division, and promote extremist ideologies. Propaganda campaigns, especially those associated with Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have become central to this strategy, flooding media channels with misinformation, divisive content, and fringe narratives.
As a consequence, citizens are increasingly drawn to far-right populism, quick-fix solutions, and ideologies that promise simplicity in a complex world. This environment of confusion and manipulation diminishes trust in established democratic norms and institutions, leaving societies vulnerable to further destabilization.
To reclaim public confidence, it is essential to dismantle these deceptive tactics and work toward rebuilding the integrity of democratic processes, ensuring that they serve the needs of all citizens, not just the political elites or authoritarian interests.
Rebuilding trust in democratic institutions, processes, and the rule of law is essential. Immediate action, combined with a long-term revitalization process, is urgently needed.
The Defending Democracy Initiative recommends that for democracy to thrive, it must be actively embraced, supported, and defended—not only by official actors but also by the broader public.
The process of restoring trust in democratic institutions requires close cooperation among international organizations, donors, civil society organizations (CSOs), independent media, academia, and responsible businesses.
All stakeholders must work together to reinforce key democratic values, including mutual respect, inclusivity, and the responsibility to protect vulnerable groups. To foster a strong democratic culture, civil society, intellectuals, opinion leaders, and socially responsible businesses—supported by donor communities and democratic governments—should commit to implementing visible, effective, and impactful initiatives.
Recommendations
Show the benefits of democracy, through fostering dialogue – convening various groups across the moderate political spectrum, involving communities across the societal pallet, including representatives of various ethnic, religious, and cultural communities, while providing gender balance and equitable representation of various other communities. These activities need to be implemented at local and national level, as well as through cross border cooperation at regional level; and in suitable formats
introduce, promote, and upgrade at international levels, using experiential lines to work on problems that are cross-cutting and transversal.
For instance, convene groups to work on the issue of environmental degradation, to resolve economic suffering, and EU integration. To the extent that organizations already exist that are organized along ethnic lines (e.g., women’s organizations from different ethnic communities), seek to provide space and support for collaboration.
Recognize that building transversal movements is delicate work, particularly in the context of historic and ongoing oppression and the aftermath of wars. An environmental movement, for instance, can quickly devolve into rhetoric about protecting what is “ours” from historically hated and feared “others,” thus reproducing historic domination and hatred. It is crucial, therefore, when bringing groups together, that all commit to protect the principles of inclusive democratic dialogue, while countering disinformation, false and hateful narratives, and far-right radicalism and exclusion.
Civil society organizations and initiatives need to develop and implement effective tools and methodologies that engage citizens.
One of the possible approaches, proposed by the New European People’s Forum and the Defending Democracy Initiative is to introduce “citizens assemblies” where people from diverse backgrounds can come together to articulate needs and goals on issues that matter to them most, for instance, confronting environmental degradation; improving social services; improving the economic situation; European Union integration, etc.
Provide safe spaces where people from multiple backgrounds can communicate, learn, and form bonds that transcend hardened markers of identity and community, developing a more civic-minded form of identity and community.
Overcome polarization and transcend nationalism by bringing people together at a municipal level, with events that help people find common ground and address shared interests.
Introduce methodologies that provide flexibility in the face of political, social, and security dynamics; and inclusivity along all criteria – political, ethnic, religious, cultural and other – to secure equitable representation.
Local and international democratic institutions need to communicate clearly with the public and invite an increase of community involvement.
Strengthen interaction between civil society organizations, academia and media; overcome academism and engage in substantial interaction and cooperation with local communities entities, while creating safe spaces for creative authenticity; make knowledge understandable and close to wider audiences. One of the ways to achieve this is to create inclusive and open ended programs of cooperation and exchange.
Opinion makers and civil society leaders should spearhead the national and global efforts to reclaim the concept of “Democracy” and agree around clear definitions of democratic values.
Concrete steps, measures, and actions
1. Demonstrating the benefits of democracy
· Foster dialogue by convening diverse groups across the moderate political spectrum.
· Engage representatives from different ethnic, religious, and cultural communities, ensuring gender balance and inclusive representation.
· Organize discussions at local, national, and regional levels, and expand them internationally through cross-border cooperation.
· Use experiential, problem-solving approaches to address shared concerns, such as environmental protection, economic development, and European Union integration.
· Facilitate collaboration between organizations that are traditionally structured along ethnic or cultural lines (e.g., Macedonian and Albanian women’s movements) to build bridges and cooperative platforms.
2. Preventing democratic backsliding and polarization
· Recognize that building inclusive movements requires careful navigation of historical and ongoing injustices.
· Prevent democratic dialogue from being co-opted by divisive narratives (e.g., environmental issues turning into exclusionary rhetoric about protecting “our” land from “others”).
· Commit to countering disinformation, hateful rhetoric, and far-right radicalism through inclusive and fact-based discussions.
3. Engaging citizens in democratic processes
· Develop and implement participatory tools, such as citizens’ assemblies, where people from diverse backgrounds can deliberate on commonly recognized pressing issues (e.g., climate action, economic recovery, EU integration).
· Create safe spaces for dialogue where individuals and groups from different communities can interact, build trust, and form new civic-minded identities.
· Organize local initiatives that bring people together at the municipal level, fostering common ground and shared interests beyond political and nationalistic divisions.
4. Strengthening institutional communication and community involvement
· Democratic institutions, both local and international, must communicate clearly with the public and actively encourage civic participation.
· Increase interaction between CSOs, academia, and media to ensure that expert knowledge is accessible and relevant to the wider public.
· Move beyond traditional academia and engage local communities in knowledge-sharing initiatives, creating open-ended and inclusive programs for cooperation and exchange.
5. Reclaiming and defining democratic values
· Opinion leaders and civil society organizations should spearhead national and global efforts to reclaim the concept of democracy.
· Establish clear and widely accepted definitions of democratic values to counter the manipulation of these concepts by authoritarian actors.
· Promote civic education programs that emphasize democratic principles, critical thinking, and media literacy to equip citizens with the tools to defend democracy.
Defending Democracy: Recommendations and Policies – Building Cross-Party and Societal Alliances
