GIZ Future Forum 2021: Mind the Gap - Inclusive Digital Democracy & Deliberation

International IDEA's Head of Democracy Assessment Unit Dr Seema Shah will participate in the panel "Inclusive Digital Democracy and Deliberation" which will be part of the Future Forum 2021 on 21 September from 12:30 to 13:15. 

The Future Forum is a fully digital conference, launched by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) with the objective to engage participants in a global learning experience within the field of governance and conflict and to (re)connect the community in times of distance during the current global pandemic. It addresses the transformative impact of the digital transformation in the context of governance and peacebuilding. This year's conference topic is "States, Societies and People in the Digital Age – Shaping a Global Transformation" and will be held between 20 - 23 September 2021. 

The Future Forum brings together experts from all over the world, with the aim to foster community learning and inspiration as well as provoke discussions and conversations on the matter. To do so, the virtual event is divided into four thematic focus areas:

• Focus Area 1  (Digital) Power to Perform⁠– Changing Capacities of State and Non-State Actors
• Focus Area 2  Social Cohesion and Peacebuilding in the Digital Era
• Focus Area 3  Mind the Gap: Inclusive Digital Democracy and Deliberation
• Focus Area 4  Data for Development 

Thematic Focus Area 3: Mind the Gap - Inclusive Digital Democracy and Deliberation

In the course of four events, this thematic area will look into how digital transformation changes the nature of democracy and power dynamics within states and societies. The discussion will be guided by the following questions: 

• What framework conditions need to be in place to promote inclusive digital democracy?

• How can we increase access and ensure digital inclusion of marginalized groups?

• How can we create meaningful digital participation processes?

• How do digital media and fake news affect public opinion-forming?

To kickstart the discussion, International IDEA will contribute to the topic through our work on The Global State of Democracy and present some key findings and insights during the opening event 'Inclusive Digital Democracy – The Starting Point'. Together with members of the Governance and Conflict community, this session will explore different dimensions of democracy such as inclusion, participation, public-opinion forming, and accountability. 

You can find more information about this event on the official website: https://www.future-forum.net/en/future-forum-2021