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How do we celebrate democracy when it is at a crossroads? That question occupied our minds as we marked International Day of Democracy (15 September) this year.
The Democracy Report 2026 by V-Dem Institute paints a gloomy global picture: democracy is ‘facing existential challenges around the world’. Only 7% of people (0.6 billion) live in liberal democracies like Australia, and ‘almost all aspects of democracy register far-reaching declines during the last decade’.
Yet, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Democracy Index indicates that, ‘following 8 years of decline, 2025 marks a stabilisation of democracy scores that suggests an end to the global democratic recession’. Almost 75% of countries either improved their score over 12 months or remained constant. The United States is presented as the glaring exception.
While most news coverage defaults to crisis and despair, people and organisations all over the world are resisting decline and working to strengthen and renew their democracies.
For this special event, our aim is to hold real challenges and genuine hope in the same room. Should we be celebrating democracy today — flaws and all — or reimagining it for tomorrow? Or both?
To help us explore these questions, we’re joined by Lisa Witter and Josh Lerner, two leading democratic innovators whose work traverses continents and the democratic ecosystem, from communities to public servants and elected representatives.
What better way to celebrate International Day of Democracy than bringing citizens together across the world for an interactive dialogue about democracy’s present and potential futures.
Conversation Leader - Lisa Witter
Lisa is a serial (political) entrepreneur, executive, writer, and public speaker.
She is the co-founder and Board Member of Apolitical, a global peer-to-peer learning platform used by over 500,000 public servants across more than 170 countries. This platform is recognised as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in the World.
She is the co-founder and the Executive Chair of the Better Politics Foundation (formerly, Apolitical Foundation), a global, non-partisan initiative working to update politics for the 21st century. Among other work, its Better Politics Index is the world's first index measuring the support and development of political leaders as key democratic infrastructure, and the Better Politics Fund is the first global fund backing political leadership innovation.
Beyond her entrepreneurial endeavours, Lisa is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, the recipient of the Creative Bureaucracy Award, and a BMW Foundation Futurity Fellow. She has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards and counselled CEOs, Nobel Peace Prize winners, politicians, philanthropists, scientists and academics.
Conversation Leader - Josh Lerner
Josh is the founder of People Powered, the global hub for participatory democracy. He has 20 years of experience developing, researching, and supporting innovative democracy programs around the world. He previously founded and directed the Participatory Budgeting Project, a not-for-profit organisation that empowers people to decide together how to spend public money.
Josh completed a PhD in Politics at the New School for Social Research and a Masters in Planning from the University of Toronto. He is the author of Making Democracy Fun: How Game Design Can Empower Citizens and Transform Politics, Everyone Counts: Could Participatory Budgeting Change Democracy?, and dozens of articles exploring the future of democracy.
Josh recently stepped down as Co-Executive Director of People Powered, to write his next book on the future of democracy.
Event Format
First time joining a Folio Conversation?
Folio Conversations explore the big issues of our times in a welcoming and trusted setting.
These unique small-group gatherings:
- connect people from all walks of life with inspiring thinkers and doers
- prioritise open, honest and inclusive dialogue
- limit seat numbers so everyone can meaningfully participate
- encourage curiosity, active listening, and sharing of ideas, perspectives and experiences.
Each conversation aims to help us better understand the issues, each other, and the world around us.
Folio is an independent, non-partisan, and not-for-profit social enterprise. We exist to strengthen democracy through civic conversations and education.
Our events and programs inspire and empower people to become active, capable, and responsible citizens and shape their communities in and between elections
