Policy Proposals

We launched a Network of Democratic Solidarity to unite pro-democracy actors across the Global North and Global South to coordinate action on the basis of mutual respect.

The network will operate on two interlocking tracks: a first stream of research and advocacy by civil society, feeding into regular meetings of policymakers at political and working levels.

Paper by Dr. Thorsten Benner, GPPi

Corruption can erode democracies from the inside out. Yet the measures needed to protect democracy from corruption are the responsibility of international actors as much as domestic ones. Stopping the theft of public resources abroad begins with better enforcement at home.

Paper by Susan Cote-Freeman and Jon Allen, Transparency International Canada

Nowhere are the norms of democratic nations under more strain than in accommodating people fleeing a growing number of wars and catastrophes. But nowhere do democratic societies shine more than when they welcome and integrate newcomers. By sharing responsibilities for settlement, democracies can strike a better balance.

Paper by Craig Damian Smith, Toronto Metropolitan University

COVID-19 has disproportionately negatively affected low-income countries all while climate change reached acute levels and the war in Ukraine devastated food and fuel supplies around the world. Only a holistic global approach can avoid losing the solidarity of low-income countries from the rules-based international order. If we are to call on the solidarity of these countries, we must address the impact of compounding crises.

Paper by Jean-Francois Tardif and Robert Greenhill, Global Canada

Citizens cannot exercise the power democracy gives them if the news they read is intentionally distorted to polarize or otherwise render public debate impossible. Platform companies must be regulated to prioritize the public interest over private gain.

Paper by Dr. Ulrike Klinger, European New School of Digital Studies”