Democracy and peace: highlights from the World Forum for Democracy

Author: Ana Kuprava, YEA From Georgia  

I had the pleasure to attend the World Forum For Democracy in Strasbourg, France as a Young European Ambassador from Georgia, currently living in Italy. The conference was held at the Council of Europe from 6-8 November, and for the first time, I had the opportunity to actively participate in events in the heart and capital of Europe. 

The World Forum for Democracy brought together 700 worldwide citizens of almost all ages. The conference is held annually to talk about important issues that are experienced  by both youth and experts and to find solutions to them. It provides a platform for decision-makers to strengthen the foundations of democratic societies. 

The theme of this year’s meeting  was “Democracy = Peace?” and the main question discussed was “Can democracy deliver peace?”.

Today, the peace of the world is in question and there are almost no regions without conflict or war. In these conditions of instability, it is hard to reinforce our democratic norms, and different types of democratic violations can easily occur. 

The World Forum for  Democracy provides a place for dialogue between various parties, it consists of  plenary sessions and panels where individuals with common areas of interest can unite, learn, and express their opinions. 

I  had the honour to ask a question about how countries that are experiencing war, crisis or occupation can still manage to promote equality and democratic development across  all communities. This is particularly relevant for countries such as Georgia, where young people do not have the same opportunities for democratic development. 

It is particularly important to note how inclusive and diverse the guest speakers were. One particular inter-generational discussion stands out: that between 95-year-old Lana Ghoghoberidze, a survivor of Soviet repression, who was also Georgia’s second female film director (Lana’s own mother was the first), and 17-year-old youth delegate Isak Sorling,from Sweden. This was a conversation between two people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences:on the one side, a woman who had struggled for years under the Soviet regime and on the other, Isak, who has never experienced war or lived under a communist regime. But both of them value peace and democracy in the same way, and both work hard to secure freedom, using  every opportunity to give a better future to the following generations. 

During the forum, I also had the chance to watch Lana Ghoghoberidze’s documentary film about Communist repression. It felt symbolically significant  for me to watch and discuss the struggle for freedom of speech and independence in the Council of Europe at  the heart of Europe.

The conference once again reminded us that in today’s fast-moving world, it is crucial to be aware of technology, and the pitfalls involved in the use of social media and to use both as a tool for democracy–making. While social media of course is very helpful in keeping up with news and ongoing conflicts around the world, as well as being a platform for promoting equality and democracy, it can also be harmful, spreading fake news (as we have already seen done multiple times by the Russian government), creating deep fakes and using AI for manipulation. As democracy-makers, we should be aware and be able to react fast when we see it being misused. 

The World Forum for Democracy gives a place to women, minorities, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community to talk about issues such as racial and gender discrimination which weaken the democratic process. The forum is intended to function as a platform to create connections all around the world, to brainstorm and initiate project ideas and enable people of various backgrounds to connect and explore diversity together! 

Those values are identical to those of our network. The YEA initiative promotes diversity and tolerance, united in the core principle that we are stronger together! Democracy means to work together, with equal conditions and accessibility to create a community where all voices can  be heard.