The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy

The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy held its annual meeting at the University of Botswana in October in partnership with Mehr Demokratie, the Swiss Democracy Foundation and Citizens in Charge. This multidiclipinary event welcomed participants from academic, political and civil society perspectives from across the globe to engage with and explore democratic innovations that place citizens at the centre of decision-making.

Jeremy Seekings participated in a panel discussion on elections and democracy in Botswana. He drew on his village-level research prior to the 2024 elections to point to the links between direct and representative democracy through the role that formally non-political kgotla meetings play in local electoral competition. After the Forum, the co-founder of Democracy International, Bruno Kaufmann, visited the IDCPPA to meet with our researchers.