Day: September 16, 2024

Reflections from the Local Democracy Academy 2024

16 September, 2024

The Local Democracy Academy (LDA) 2024 was a week full of intellectual exchange, collaborative research, and deep reflection on the pressing challenges facing democracies around the world. The Academy brought together scholars, policymakers, and local government representatives to explore the role of local governments in addressing global democratic challenges. Here’s a look back at some of the week’s most compelling moments and themes.

Opening Day: Setting the Stage for Global Transformation

The Academy kicked off on Monday, August 26th, with a warm welcome from key figures including Johan Lilja, ICLD’s Secretary General, Kristina Jönsson from Lund University, and Philip Sandberg from Lund Municipality who extended a warm welcome on behalf of the hosting city. The opening remarks set an ambitious tone for the week, emphasizing the importance of local governments as catalysts for global democratic transformation. The day continued with a World Café & Democratic Fitness session, where participants from diverse backgrounds shared their research interests and engaged in lively discussions about the definition and challenges of local democracy. This session not only broke the ice but also laid the groundwork for a week of rich, cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Even the coffee breaks were full of important interactions. Photo: ICLD

From Local Solutions to Global Impact

One of the Academy’s standout sessions was the Panel on Hope and Local Democracy in Times of Crisis. This open event, featured a powerful discussion on the role of local governments in fostering democratic resilience during times of global insecurity. Panelists, including Professor Winnie Mitullah from the University of Nairobi and Carola Gunnarsson, Vice President of UCLG, shared insights on how local initiatives can inspire broader democratic renewal. This theme of local solutions having a global impact resonated throughout the week.

Winnie Mittullah Professor at University of Nairobi, Markus Holdo Associate Professor at Lund University, Philip Sanberg, former KSO Lund Municipality, Carola Gunnarsson Vice President of UCLG

From the left: Winnie Mitullah, Professor at University of Nairobi, Markus Holdo, Associate Professor at Lund University, Philip Sandberg, former KSO Lund Municipality, Carola Gunnarsson, Vice President of UCLG. Photo: ICLD.

Tuesday’s Local Democracy Labs provided a practical forum for participants to engage directly with local governments facing real policy challenges. These digital discussion forums, organized in each thematic group, such as Climate Action, Democratic Resilience and Gender Equality, allowed researchers to offer expert advice on issues sent in by local governments in ICLD’s networks. The labs is play an important part in bridging the gap between academic research and practical policymaking.

Local Democracy Lab with the Gender Equality Group and Panajachel Municipality in Guatemala discussing how to increase political participation among women and youth. Photo: ICLD

Deep Dives into Autocratization and Democratic Resilience

On Wednesday the attention turned to the global context of democratic decline as Marina Nord, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at V-Dem, took the floor. Marina´s presentation on the Third Wave of Autocratization was an important look at the current state of democracy worldwide. She outlined how modern autocratization differs from past waves and highlighted the crucial role of local governments in resisting these trends. This was followed by a roleplaying exercise that challenged participants to think creatively about how local democracy can counter the rise of illiberal regimes. These sessions were not only intellectually stimulating but also provided concrete strategies for defending and advancing democracy at the local level.

Roleplaying exercise debating participatory practices at the micro-level that are used to legitimise illiberal governance on a wider scale. Photo: ICLD

Co-Creating the Future

The spirit of collaboration reached its peak during the Research Co-creation sessions on Wednesday afternoon. Participants worked within their thematic groups to develop research ideas and proposals aimed at tackling specific local challenges. This hands-on approach culminated in Thursday’s Pitching Session, where the groups presented their ideas to a panel of experts and a supportive audience. The pitches showcased the innovative potential of cross-disciplinary collaboration and the practical impact of research when closely aligned with local government needs.

Interesting discussions emerged: Photo ICLD

Closing Reflections and Looking Ahead

The Academy concluded with a celebratory wrap-up session on Thursday, recognizing outstanding contributions and reflecting on the week’s achievements. The Prize Ceremony honored the best research ideas and policy-relevant papers, highlighting the Academy’s commitment to fostering actionable insights that can directly benefit local communities. Michael Touchton won this year’s best policy relevant paper and received a grant to convert his insights into a policy brief. Jua Cilliers’ pitch, on behalf of the thematic group on Youth Inclusion, won the best research idea pitch.

Michael Touchton receiving prize for ‘Best Policy-Relevant Paper’ from Johan Lilja, Secretary General. ICLD: Photo: ICLD

The Child and Youth Inclusion team won ‘Best Research Idea Pitch’. Photo: ICLD

See you at the next Academy?

As we reflect on this year’s Local Democracy Academy, we want to extend a huge thank you to all the participants, researchers, and organizers who made it such a success. For those who joined, LDA 2024 was an opportunity to forge new connections, rethink assumptions, and brainstorm innovative solutions to some of today’s biggest democratic challenges. And for those who couldn’t make it, the ideas and insights from the week will hopefully influence research, policy, and practice in the months to come.

More than just a conference, LDA 2024 became a place of networking and thinking that will continue to inspire the global push for stronger democracies. Your energy and collaboration have truly shaped this event into a platform for meaningful change. We look forward to seeing you at the next Academy!