How to Build a Global Pro-Democracy Movement | Yordanos Eyoel | TED

TL;DR

Democracy advocate shares personal experiences and argues for the need to build a global pro-democracy movement.

Transcript

It is September 1991. I'm wearing my new green and white uniform, and I show up to my second grade class with both excitement and trepidation. It should have been a walk in the park, but my first grade year was disrupted by a coup d’état, which was a culmination of a 17-year civil war in Ethiopia. As a second grader, I was now emerging back into th... Read More

Key Insights

• ✊ The speaker's personal experiences shaped their belief in the power of democracy to address identity politics and build inclusive societies.
• 😮 Democracy is facing a crisis globally, driven by economic change, inequality, information ecosystems, demographic changes, and the rise of populist leaders.
• 👯 Making democracy inspiring and relevant to people's everyday lives requires a compelling narrative that addresses practical needs and root ideas.
• 😊 The pro-democracy movement needs to accelerate innovation and learn from successful initiatives around the world.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the speaker's experiences in Ethiopia shape their perspective on democracy?

The speaker's experiences of navigating identity politics as a multiethnic individual in Ethiopia made them realize the importance of inclusion and inspired their belief in the power of democracy to build inclusive societies.

Q: What are the key drivers of the crisis of democracy globally?

The key drivers identified by the speaker include economic change and inequality, dysfunctional and unregulated information ecosystems, rapid demographic changes, and the interplay between opportunistic populist leaders and political elites.

Q: How can democracy be made inspiring and relevant to people's everyday lives?

Democracy can be made inspiring by telling a better story about it, one that speaks to how democracy meets people's everyday needs. This can be achieved through innovative initiatives that address practical needs while also connecting with people's values and aspirations.

Q: What strategies can be employed to accelerate innovation in the pro-democracy movement?

Efforts should be made to learn from pro-democracy innovations around the world and create transnational learning platforms, convenings, and networks to enable democracy champions to support one another and exchange ideas. By learning from each other, the pro-democracy movement can become more effective in countering authoritarian tactics.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker recounts their experience as a multiethnic individual in Ethiopia, where they learned about the political significance of their identities.

• They argue that both developed and developing countries face the challenge of inclusion and othering and believe that democracy is the answer to building functional and inclusive societies.

• The speaker founded a nonprofit organization called Keseb to address the rise of authoritarianism and reimagine democracy.