Giving Compass' Take:

• Experts at Skoll World Forum discussed the state of democracy and steps that can be taken to prevent its downfall. 

• How can philanthropy best support democracy? Where is democracy thriving? 

• Learn how Facebook's use of data may be problematic for democracy.

In the last several years, a wave of populist leaders have risen—and in many cases taken office—around the world. As a globalized economy and the automation of work catapults winners and excludes losers, the world’s geopolitical stability has begun to falter. At the same time, we have witnessed a surge in political engagement and activism.

What can we learn from major geopolitical shifts of the past, especially in a future that feels more unpredictable than ever?

At the most recent Skoll World Forum, Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America, Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton, led a spirited conversation with Ece Temelkuran, Journalist; Ebrahim Rasool, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University; and David Simas, CEO, Obama Foundation.

Exploring what to do about our presently developing crisis, panelists also enumerated countermeasures.

  • Regain faith in democratic engagement.
  • Understand the power of narrative and stories.
  • Invest time and effort in mapping out the key issues, who has power, who influences the decision makers.
  • Build coalitions that engage people at deeper levels of citizenship.
  • Work to make sure all of society, not just politics and institutions, understands and values the roles of the judiciary and the press.
  • Listen to each other.

Read the full article about democracy by Ruth Norris at Skoll.