What we did at the People Powered 2026 Convening
/
This March, People Powered hosted its biggest convening yet, in Nairobi. We welcomed 200 organizations and advocates from around the world, for five days of collective work to build a more participatory democracy. We learned, laughed, and planned together. We synthesized research, tested new tools, and prioritized strategic actions. Together, we built participatory solutions to global challenges. Below, we share five key takeaways.
1. Participatory democracy is growing in Africa.
Our first convening in Africa lifted up innovative participatory programs in Nairobi and across the continent. On March 2 we visited local programs across the city, learning about local citizens’ assemblies, participatory climate planning, and youth-led environmental governance. The tours were led by Civic Voices, Kounkuey Design Initiative, and Pathways Policy Institute (People Powered members or accelerator participants). The rest of the convening featured many of People Powered’s 75 African members, and connected this work with global debates.
2. We can change the story of democracy - if we learn how democracy narratives work.
We hosted workshops for the Democracy Narratives Alliance, a global effort to build narratives that deepen democracy and weaken autocracy. Together with over 30 international organizations and funders leading work on democracy messaging, we synthesized what we know into five key sets of narratives, prioritized 10 collective actions, and moved this work forward through hands-on sessions. Learn more at the March 24 webinar: Democracy Narratives: What works—and what doesn’t.
3. Democracy only works when it’s inclusive.
The convening marked the conclusion of two cohorts of the Inclusive Democracy Accelerator. For the past four years, we have developed and applied global guidance on how to make participatory programs more inclusive of marginalized communities, especially women, youth, and displaced people. The accelerator participants came together to share what worked and keep pushing for more inclusive processes. This remains a work in progress - let us know if you want to collaborate on future editions of the Inclusive Democracy Accelerator.
4. Climate democracy can empower communities to address the climate crisis.
The convening showcased flagship programs from the Climate Democracy Accelerator, which are building community power to decide climate policies. The local NGO Civic Voices, for example, shared how they used participatory policy-making to introduce clean energy buses to city streets and install food-preserving cold storage facilities at produce markets.
5. The future of democracy is participatory, and we are building it together.
Many sessions challenged current democratic practices and explored new democratic futures. Inclusive by Design modeled how to use play and our bodies to bring unheard emotions into democracy. Postcolonial and Anti-Colonial Visions for Participatory Democracy questioned how democracy is shaped by colonial histories and postcolonial identities, and how to transcend these legacies. A workshop tested prototypes of AI-powered democracy support tools developed by People Powered and its members.
At other sessions we planned global pooled funds for democracy, learned how to mix different participatory democracy methods, and experimented with new communications strategies to make democracy go viral. We closed the convening with a day of strategic planning, to identify new strategic directions for People Powered and the global participatory democracy community. Explore the convening program to learn more.
The convening, like all of our work, was a group effort. Our staff, board, and members worked countless hours to make the event a success. We especially appreciate the collaboration and funding of the National Endowment for Democracy, Waverley Street Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Institute of Public Finance, and Busara.
If you want to be part of this magic, apply to join People Powered as a member!
