Rehumanising Democracy: GCRD and UNITAR convene expert dialogue on democratic renewal
The Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy (GCRD), in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), will mark the International Day of Democracy on 15 September 2026 with an expert-led, multistakeholder dialogue on public discourse, democratic health and civic renewal.
The 90-minute online event comes at a consequential moment. With democratic backsliding continuing across regions, as documented in V-Dem’s 2026 Democracy Report, defending democracy requires attention to both its institutions and the relationships that sustain them. When opponents become enemies, exclusion becomes politically acceptable and citizens doubt that their voices matter, the conditions for democratic cooperation weaken. Recognising these pressures—and responding before they become entrenched—is an urgent policy and civic task.
Rehumanising Democracy: Public Discourse, Democratic Health and Civic Renewal will bring policymakers, scholars, practitioners and citizens into a shared examination of what democratic renewal requires in policy and practice.
The dialogue will be anchored in GCRD’s Democracy Discourse Index (DDI), drawing on evidence from Bulgaria, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Its analysis of empathy, civility, trust language and democratic agency will inform discussion of emerging pressures, the limits of the evidence and proportionate responses.
Peter de Clercq, former UN Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, will bring experience of rebuilding trust, civic habits and participation after conflict. Professor Stef Pukallus and UNITAR’s Alexandra Severino will connect these practical insights with scholarship on public communication and approaches to institutional learning and capacity development. Dr Antonio Garcia will moderate.
Nearly half the session is reserved for dialogue, including participant contributions. Participants will leave with a clearer basis for recognising democratic strain and practical touchstones across four areas: evidence-informed policy responses; civic participation that gives people meaningful agency; communication that supports listening and legitimate disagreement; and political practices that strengthen accountability and resist exclusion.
A concise post-event note will capture the principal signals, interpretive cautions and proposed interventions, including who could act and how progress might be assessed.
Democracy’s future concerns everyone. Policymakers, researchers, educators, civil-society practitioners and citizens are invited to bring their questions and experience to the conversation.
15 September 2026 | 14:00–15:30 UTC | Online
London 15:00 · Geneva 16:00 · Sofia 17:00 · Karachi 19:00 · US Eastern 10:00
