Our International Day of Democracy gathering this year centred on the theme ‘democracy starts with us.’
It recognised that the state of democracy can feel pretty disheartening at the moment, but that we can re-energise our faith in democracy by reframing what it means. Not democracy in the narrow sense of voting or formal political processes, but democracy as people power – the fundamental belief that we all have agency in shaping the world around us.
The room was filled with people from such different lived experiences, professional backgrounds, and community connections. Everyone came because they genuinely care about democracy, and it was because of these diverse perspectives that we were able to have such rich, generative conversations about what we can each do to create change and build our collective power. The energy was infectious – a room full of people committed to figuring out how we become more empowered, both individually and together.
We gathered around a big question:
If democracy is to evolve in a changing world, what must we do in the next year?
So many ideas surfaced. Here are some of the moments we shared; drawings that sparked new ways of seeing, and reflections that named both the challenges and the possibilities of democracy today:
Connecting across difference and taking the time to go deeper – There was a recognition that real democratic practice requires us to slow down and genuinely engage with perspectives different from our own. This isn’t about shallow diversity initiatives or tick-box consultation; it’s about creating the conditions where people can build understanding across lines of difference. Several participants reflected on how rare it is to have spaces where this kind of deep connection is possible, and how much we need them.
Recognising that movements often begin with seemingly ‘small’ events – This insight challenged the assumption that change only happens through big, dramatic actions. Instead, we talked about how movements are mobilised through moments that might seem small or local but generate ripples of change in ways that can’t be predicted. A conversation at a community gathering, a connection made at an event like this one, someone finding their voice to speak up – these are the seeds from which larger transformations grow. It’s a reminder to pay attention to what feels small, because it might not be.
Shifting from transactional approaches to more relational ones – This theme kept surfacing throughout the evening. Transactional approaches treat everything as an exchange: we ask for your input, you give it, we move on. Relational approaches recognise that democratic participation is built on ongoing connection, mutual respect, and shared commitment over time. It’s the difference between extracting knowledge from communities and building relationships with them. We talked about how exhausting it is to constantly operate in transactional modes, and how much more meaningful and sustainable relational approaches can be.
Prosperity can be built for all of us – One of the most powerful insights from the evening came from Ngarra Murray from the First Peoples’ Assembly, who encouraged us to reimagine what prosperity means and how we achieve it. Rather than prosperity as individual accumulation or competition for scarce resources, Ngarra spoke about prosperity as something we build together through care, connection, and genuine commitment to collective wellbeing. This means recognising that our prosperity is tied to each other – that thriving communities create the conditions for individuals to flourish, and that building shared prosperity requires us to show up for each other consistently. It’s a fundamental shift from “how do I get mine?” to “how do we all thrive?” I’m deeply grateful for this insight and believe it’s critical to how we move forward.
We ended the night reflecting on what we might be celebrating on International Day of Democracy 2026. I truly hope those reflections were predictions instead of wishes. Only time will tell – and the actions we take between now and then will shape what’s possible.
Thank you Nalika Peiris for co-facilitating the night with me – working with you to hold space for these conversations is always such a joy!
About the author
Dr Emanuela Savini
Emanuela is both a researcher and practitioner, dedicated to supporting people to participate in decisions that affect their lives and to create the change they want to see in their communities. She founded Public Value Studio as a space for expanding civic participation and now leads its work as Director.
