Democracy in the Digital Age

~~Democracy in the Digital Age is a satellite event organised by Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli within the International Forum on Digital and Democracy (IFDaD),~~ a leading international forum that brings together prominent thinkers from academia, policy, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders to discuss and debate some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Since the first edition of the Forum, in December 2020, the stretching of pandemic control measures constrained furthermore individual freedoms. In some cases, it provided legitimacy to an authoritarian shift in frail democratic governance.

According to Democracy Index in 2021 global democracy continued its decline and experienced its biggest annual drop since 2010 after the global financial crisis. Whereas even the United States, the stronghold of democracy, on the occasion of the Capitol attack, showed to be unshielded from the outburst of illiberal forces.

For fragile democracies, difficult times lie ahead. However, if the spirit of democracy and its needs remains strong among people, recovery hopes are also to be placed in the righteous use of digital technologies.

The expected outcome of the Forum is to gain a greater understanding and shared view of how digital technologies can positively affect the electoral process and pluralism.

On 16 November, high-level panellists will discuss whether and under what conditions the digital revolution can improve the quality of our democracy by fostering processes of aggregation and participation.

Can digital technologies contribute to reducing the increasing distance between citizens and institutions? According to what tools and processes can digital solutions strengthen democratic innovations and help involve people who do not usually participate?

Giovanni Allegretti, PHOENIX Project Coordinator, will discuss these topics with:

Pari Esfandiari, Co-founder and President Global TechnoPolitcs Forum;

Emiliana De Blasio, Scientific coordinator of Centre for Media and Democratic Innovations Massimo Baldini, LUISS Guido Carli;

Stefano Quintarelli, Chairman Advisory group on advanced technologies – United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business.