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Hello and welcome to the very first issue of Upgrade Democracy News!
Since we launched upgradedemocracy.de in April, we’ve published 6 blog posts and 1 impulse, hosted and/or facilitated 3 workshops/events, and brought our remote team together in person once. You’ll find links to our publications below and if you want more “behind the scenes” material, we invite you to check out our Instagram, Mastodon, and LinkedIn handles.
But of course, work is about more than numbers, and life is about more than work. There were a few things that caught my attention in the last couple of weeks and still have me thinking – not least in terms of their potential impact on the spread of disinformation.
First, according to UN estimates, India has surpassed China as the most populous country in the world -- and it’s the largest democracy heading to the polls next year. Geopolitical questions and dynamics in the lead up to their elections aside, this will also be a tipping point for the democratic development of the country. Which direction will India go and how resilient will its democracy prove going forward? I know I will be following these trends closely – and if you have good materials or insights, please share.
Meanwhile, in Germany, the debate around climate protests is reaching new lows. After a few incidents where car drivers are more and more violent, trying to forcefully pull people off streets or threating to run them over, the Berlin senator for the interior commented that, unfortunately, the police will have to investigate such actions for self-justice too. “Unfortunately.” It may seem like a minor statement, but it is indicative of an incredibly heated debate where leading figures in press and politics are fuelling resentment and drawing disproportionate comparisons. To me, this feels dangerous. Any democratic society should think twice before scandalizing any form of protest. And many would do well to take a breath and consider who they’re targeting, those drawing attention to an emergency or those refusing to act on it? While this is very much my personal opinion, I can’t help but reflect on what this will do to social cohesion and German political discourse – these are the seeds that can (and very likely will) be exploited by disinformation campaigns.
We hope you enjoy Upgrade Democracy News and welcome any feedback and ideas for things to include or change. And: we would love it if you could help us spread the word.
The next issue drops in 2 weeks.
Warmly, Cathleen
All info on: https://upgradedemocracy.de/
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