Upcoming GCRD events
Contemplative Policy Retreat
The Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy invites 20-25 senior policy leaders to four days of contemplative practice and ethical discernment at the intersection of AI governance and democratic renewal.
DDI Certificate Ceremony
The NED University of Engineering & Technology in Pakistan will host a Certificate & Award Ceremony to recognise and honour student researchers who have contributed to the Democracy Discourse Index (DDI) as part of their Spring 2026 course work.
The DDI is a pioneering human-validated AI initiative measuring the moral and informational health of democracy through public discourse. Developed by GCRD and Sensika Technologies, the DDI is registered on the Doha Solutions Platform for Social Development, launched in November 2025 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Governments of Qatar and France.
NED University is one of seven universities participating in the DDI’s founding global consortium. Under the leadership of Professor Wajiha Raza Rizvi, students coded and analysed 3,000 social media posts using structured discourse-analysis protocols measuring empathy, civility, trust, and civic agency. Their work contributes directly to the training and refinement of AI models designed to detect early signals of democratic stress and social fragmentation.
The event will be attended by senior academic and institutional leaders including Prof. Muhammad Tufail, Vice Chancellor of NED University; Prof. Noman Ahmed, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Urban Regions; Prof. Dr. Sajida Zaki, Chairperson of the Department of English Linguistics & Allied Studies; Prof. Mirza Mehmood Baig, Dean of Architecture & Sciences; and Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, Executive Director of GCRD.
Format: In-person & Online
Date: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Time: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM PKT
Venue: STEM Centre, NED University, Karachi, Pakistan
Video link: https://meet.google.com/mjm-xuvp-fjw
Rehumanising Democracy in the Age of Algorithms: Social Justice, AI, and Democratic Trust
Marking World Social Justice Day 2026, this virtual panel discussion will explore how algorithmic governance intersects with democratic resilience, inclusion, and the future of work. Convened by GCRD in collaboration with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the discussion will bring together perspectives from governance, artificial intelligence, media and gender studies, and youth leadership to examine how institutions can ensure that emerging technologies serve human dignity and democratic values.
Democracy, AI, and the Freedom to Learn: A Survival Curriculum for the 21st Century (Pt 3)
PROTECTING THE FREEDOM TO LEARN - The final lecture in this three-part series examines why academic freedom is a strategic target in AI-Enhanced Reflexive Control (AIRC) operations—and a cornerstone of democratic resilience.
Democracy, AI, and the Freedom to Learn: A Survival Curriculum for the 21st Century (Pt 2)
THE LIBERAL ARTS AS CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE - This second lecture confronts AI-Enhanced Reflexive Control’s (AIRC) most dangerous insight: humans do not process information purely rationally—we seek belonging, meaning, and coherence.
Democracy, AI, and the Freedom to Learn: A Survival Curriculum for the 21st Century (a three-part lecture series)
THE DIGITAL BATTLEFIELD OF TRUTH - The opening lecture in this three-part lecture series introduces AI-Enhanced Reflexive Control (AIRC)—a framework explaining how AI scales and modernizes Soviet-era psychological warfare into a system of unprecedented manipulation.
Democracy Discourse Index: Faculty Intake & Curriculum Integration
Join us for an exciting information session on the Democracy Discourse Index (DDI). The session is specifically designed for university teaching staff interested in bringing the DDI to their classrooms in the Spring 2026 semester.