Plus/Minus Democracy: A Global Perspective on Democratic Deficits

“Democracy, I was thirsty” - Soul Keita

Democracy has many faces and even more foes. Democratic structures are threatened by economic inequalities, wars, and conflicts. In 2024, a record number of elections will take place, but within increasingly less democratic systems. The conversation explores how economic disparities, wars, and conflicts impact the stability and effectiveness of democratic systems and human rights. It seeks answers on how democracy can be thought of in pluralistic and global terms.

Shoura Zehetner-Hashemi, Secretary-General of Amnesty International Austria, contributes her expertise in human rights issues. Olga Grjasnowa, Professor at the Institute for Language Arts, focuses on topics such as multilingualism, identity, and social participation. Judith Kohlenberger, a specialist in flight and migration, provides insights into her research on the dynamics of migration and their impact on democratic societies. The discussion is moderated by Julia Herrnböck, an investigative journalist and Vice President of Reporters Without Borders/Austria.

What attitudes and behaviors are necessary to halt the current decline of real democracies? Make democracy great again? What's missing in the super election year 2024? How can the ideals of democracy and human rights be preserved and promoted within different socio-political contexts