Stories

Germany
The People’s Candidate
The United Nations is choosing its next Secretary-General at perhaps the most precarious moment in its history. The process tells us something uncomfortable about the institution the successful candidate will inherit: the UN has...
MUNICH
THE PLANETARY PUEBLO: A New Model of Local Democracy and Governance
A New Model for a Locality That Governs Itself and the World
Participants of the Democracy Camp Bulgaria. Photo courtesy by Tom Goupil
Bulgaria
Our Four-Step Methodology on Giving Space for Young People’s Voices
The European Union acknowledges that democracy is under internal and external pressure, and also how...
European Union
If Ordinary People Can Handle This, Why Aren’t We Asking Them?
From The Hague to a Swiss ballot box, citizens keep proving they can make hard climate decisions. Democracy...
HOLLYWOOD
COLUMN 'Who Gets the Credit?' A Feature Film
Are Tax Credits, or Creativity, Best for Saving a City?
Iceland and EU flags
Iceland
Iceland said no to EU talks. There is no need to panic.
I’ll admit it. I would have preferred a different result. On 29 August, Icelanders voted 52.8% to 47.2%...
Germany
Participation without Accountability: What the end the Cage Age case Tells...
In March 2024, the Citizens’ Committee behind the End the Cage Age initiative (EtCA) took the European...
Ukraine
Talking their way to trust: can dialogue save Ukraine’s EU dream?
In June 2022, something extraordinary happened. Ukraine, a country under invasion, was granted candidate...
Germany
Citizen Initiatives: It Is Not the Signature That Counts. It Is What...
Imagine coming across a petition on a topic or theme you genuinely care about. You read it, you sign it, and...
Global
What Young People Are Seeing, Changing and Questioning
A tote bag. A shrinking river. Plastic waste. A community where rubbish is not collected on time. These...
Germany
When the Door to Democracy Is Open, Who Gets Through?
A citizen initiative begins with a simple promise. If enough people believe something should change, they...
Photo by Bruno Kaufmann
MALMO
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BRUNO KAUFMANN? Malmo, Sweden
Finding Local Sucess in a City Defamed Internationally