July News: Democracy Narratives Campaign, mainstreaming participation resources, and more
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Introducing the Democracy Narratives Campaign
We’re launching a bold new global campaign to reshape how we talk about democracy. Under the umbrella of the Global Democracy Coalition, the Democracy Narratives Campaign brings together over 30 organizations — including International IDEA, the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Busara, Fundación Corona, FrameWorks Institute, and the SNF Agora Institute — to develop and promote new narratives that grow public support for democracy. The campaign is coordinated by People Powered, with support from Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Too often, democracy is framed narrowly around elections — leaving people disillusioned with politics. But research shows that when people see how democracy helps them shape decisions on the issues that matter, support and engagement grow. This campaign will connect global research, build shared messaging tools, and offer new strategies for engaging people in democracy. Our first campaign workshop takes place in October, with initial resources launching at the 2025 OGP Summit.
Campaign members
Renewing democracy by mainstreaming participation: Lessons learned & tools to get started
From Mostar to Senegal, Bogotá to West Sumbawa, communities are showing that participation isn’t just a one-off event — it’s how government can work every day. In this new feature, we explore how governments and advocates are embedding participatory democracy into institutions, culture, and policy. Co-created with global partners, the Mainstreaming Participation Playbook is your step-by-step guide to making this shift, alongside curated impact data and long-term reform strategies.
The most useful participatory democracy resources, all in one place
Looking for trusted resources on participatory democracy — without spending hours digging through PDFs and Google Scholar? The People Powered Resource Center is your shortcut to nearly 500 curated tools, templates, and case studies in 39 languages, spanning 136 countries. Here’s how to make the most of it:
Find what you need, fast: Use filters to narrow by country, language, type of participation, or institution — so you get only what’s relevant.
Browse curated collections: Explore themes like climate action, digital participation, inclusion, and top-rated tools.
Connect with your peers: Every resource includes links and contact info, so you can learn directly from the people behind the work.
Thousands of practitioners around the world are using these tools to build more inclusive and responsive governments — you’re not alone.
People Powered is now incorporated in Ireland
Last year our members decided to incorporate People Powered as a nonprofit organization in the European Union, and we’ve now completed the process of incorporating in Ireland! People Powered is and will remain a member-driven global organization, with staff and members around the world. At the operational level, People Powered legal entities in the US and Ireland advance our global mission and strategies.
You likely won’t notice any differences in our work, but this administrative step provides important behind-the-scenes benefits. Incorporating in the EU enables People Powered to participate as a full partner in European initiatives such as Nets4Dem, and to help our members access EU funding for collaborative programs. We’ve also been glad to share learnings with other organizations that are exploring international incorporation to be more resilient. Stay tuned for updates on the other projects that our members prioritized!
July 27–31: Democratic Innovations in Latin America (Online and Brazil)
August 21–22: International Conference on AI and Governance in Asia (Thailand)
September 30–October 3: Athens Democracy Forum (Greece)
October 7-9: Open Government Partnership Global Summit (Spain)
October 15–16: 2025 Democracy R&D Conference: Democracy at a Crossroads (Belgium)
November 5–7: World Forum for Democracy 2025 (France)
Here are some resources to help you learn and level up your participatory programs.
Methodological guide: School climate assemblies: This guide (available in English, Catalan and Spanish) provides a practical framework for implementing climate assemblies in schools, including facilitation strategies, tools and educational resources.
Participation of young people in citizens' budgets: a toolbox: A German toolkit of methods to involve youth in all phases of participatory budgeting.
Nine-step guide on participatory and deliberative formats in policymaking: This guide (in English, Slovak, Hungarian, Polish and Czech) offers a practical roadmap for the integration of citizen participation and deliberation mechanisms into policymaking.
European Endowment for Democracy: Funding for local democracy organizations in the Eastern Partnership, Middle East and North Africa, the Western Balkans and Turkey. (Rolling deadline)
European Commission: Pacific Islands - Promoting democratic participation and accountability and supporting youth (Concept note by July 29)
Karibu Foundation - Africa Grantmaking Program: African-led initiatives that strengthen the collective struggle for systemic justice (Apply by August 6)
