Playbook Launch: How can we foster a Fourth Democratic Wave?

A powerful autocratic wave is sweeping the globe. According to the V-dem Institute, global democracy has declined to 1986 levels.

Can these trends be reversed? What will it take to foster a new democratic wave? As grassroots pro-democracy movements contend in places like Iran, Venezuela, and Belarus, how can democratic countries more effectively support them?

Join us for the launch of the Playbook from 9.30-11.00, Wednesday May 17th at the Danish Parliament/Folketinget in room Pro D.

The playbook will be presented by Hardy Merriman, President of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, and the principal investigator on the Fostering a Fourth Democratic Wave project.

The project has been conducted by the Atlantic Council and the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict and builds on a growing body of research showing that nonviolent civil resistance movements are one of the most powerful drivers of democracy and human rights around the world.

The playbook was created with input contributions from an extensive taskforce of democracy practitioners, co-chaired by Derek Mitchel, President of NDI, Daniel Twining, President of IRI, Damon Wilson, President and CEO of NED and Lisbeth Pilegaard, Executive Director, DIPD.

The playbook outlines three pillars of strategy for democratic governments to better support and enable these movements internationally by:

Proposing new approaches and tools to support civil resistance movements
Advancing a new international norm — the “Right to Assist” pro-democracy movements
Developing strategic and tactical options to constrain authoritarian regimes and drive up the cost of their repression
Agenda

9:30 Introductory remarks by Lisbeth Pilegaard, Executive Director, DIPD

9:40 Presentation of the Playbook for Countering the Authoritarian Threat by Hardy Merriman, President of ICNC

10:10 Panel discussion with Trine Pertou Mach, MP Red-Green Alliance, Tim Whyte, Secretary General Action Aid DK, Adam Moe Fejerskov, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies and Hardy Merriman

10:55 Closing remarks