Stories

Member Story
Shadows of the Past: How Soviet Inferiority Narratives Hinder Democracy in Moldova and Ukraine
Post-Soviet countries like Ukraine and Moldova are deeply influenced by inferiority narratives — pervasive beliefs of national inadequacy rooted in Soviet-era legacies. This article examines how these narratives shape...
IDC Theme of the Month
From Backsliding to Breakthrough: Civil Society as Democracy's Last Line of Defence
Democracy does not vanish overnight; instead, it erodes step by step. Authoritarianism grows in the cracks, but so does civic resistance. Around the world, civil society is proving that when democratic institutions weaken,...
GABORONE
LOCAL SNAPSHOTS: A Sign Full of Promises Outside the Civic Center
The Botswana Capital Puts Its 'Response Time' Promises Where Everyone Can See
GENEVA
COLUMN: Why My Governor Should Have 7 Heads
The Swiss Seven-Headed Executive Is a "Magic Formula." Let's Try It at Home.
LOS ANGELES
COLUMN:The U.S. Has Already Divorced California
Stop Talking About Secession or Independence. We're Already Gone
BASEL
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BRUNO KAUFMANN? In Basel, for Mom and Voting
A visit to mom, and a window on votes to collaborate across voters—and create an electronic ID.
MOSHUPA, BOTSWANA
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BRUNO? In Moshupa Village
To Visit a Former Botswana President, and Reflect on a Country as Old As He Is
Spain
Europe for the World: The EU’s Global Partnerships in a Changing Era
The EU4Global conference in Madrid on the 27th of September, 2025 hosted by IE Univrsity explored how Europe’...
HO CHI MINH CITY
NOEMA: A Diverse World of Sovereign AI Zones
The emergence of virtual territories will reshape geopolitics.
VIENNA
AWARDS: Meet the Democracy Innovation Winners
At Vienna City Hall, honors for Europe's most promising democracy innovations.
GABORONE
NEWSLETTER: All Democracy Resilience Is Local. Democracy in Defense...
Also: History in Bógota; LA Charter News; October Events; Democracy Local (DL) Goes to Africa
POMONA
COLUMN: It's the World's Longest Local Light Rail. I Hate It.
The A Line Connects My L.A. Life. But It's Slow and Frustrating