Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy

Our colleagues at the University of Geneva are organizing this great event: Semaine des Droits Humains.https://www.unige.ch/cite/evenements/semaine-des-droits-humains/sdh2025

Is today!
💥AI and the Democratic Commons: New Practices of Participation, by Clarie Alspektor
28/10, 12:30 - 13:30
Room S11, Maison de la paix, and online

www.graduateinstitute.ch/communicatio...

We often get Citizens’ Assemblies backwards. Don't fit a problem to an institution. Instead:
☑️Define the problem.
☑️Assess strengths & weaknesses.
☑️Choose the right participatory tool.

Align resources with the problem, not the other way around.
#DeliberativeDemocracy #ProblemSolving

I've lived in Europe for + 20 years. It’s either extremely difficult to get political rights (Switzerland), or theoretically easy but practically blocked by administrative obstacles (Spain).

Today I exercised my voting right for the Argentine elections, voting from Barcelona. Mixed feelings.

How can journalism fulfill its mission in a protracted conflict where reporters navigate restricted access, political and physical threats, and struggle to verify facts with rigor?

Join our event
'From Gaza to Tel Aviv: What Journalism in a Society at War?'

📅Monday, 3rd November

shorturl.at/ZDt2B

Global Challenges - Arts and the Study of the International Art and the Social Sciences: Between Research, Creation and Social Commitment by

👉 New article: “Art and the Social Sciences” by Alessandro Monsutti in Global Challenges
@gvagrad.bsky.social
@ceri-sciencespo.bsky.social

How #art and the #SocialSciences can converge to rethink our ways of knowing, representing, and acting in the world?
— in #OpenAccess

shorturl.at/qzo3T

Open House Week starts today and here's today's classes still left to join real time, online.
Designed for prospective students but open to anyone to get a true sense of what it’s like to study here.

Access via webex, links below:
www.graduateinstitute.ch/open-house-w...

The @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social launches its Research Seminar 2025–2026, a forum for sharing ongoing research in an informal setting, opening methodological perspectives on the study of #democracy.
This year's theme is Democracy Unsettled.

Upcoming sessions👇 www.graduateinstitute.ch/communicatio...

Hosted by @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social, Geneva Democracy Week took place from 1-9 October, to foster debate on a range of themes.
Read Christine Lutringer's reflections on the week and watch the recording of the keynote: 'Can Democracy Survive Polarisation?' by George Papandreou.

👉 shorturl.at/9BoGG

How can #generativeAI strengthen democracy rather than undermine it?
Clarie Alspektor (make.org) will present @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social's research seminar:
"AI and the Democratic Commons: New Practices of Participation"
📅28 Oct, Maison de la paix & online

👉 www.graduateinstitute.ch/communicatio...

And the evening was reserved for the “Faire voter les jeunes : une question de moyens ?” debate + roundtable with Et pourquoi pas ?, moderated by Nicolas Duvoux.

And a big thanks to @norrag.bsky.social for giving a preview of their exhibition.

We continued at  Maison Rousseau with “Démocratie et économie” with Antoine Mach, Corinne Momal-Vanian, Yves Froidevaux, Yann Wyss, Erica Moret and Marie Laure Salles from the @gvagrad.bsky.social

Today was #DemocracyWeek day 2. A deep dive into Swiss institutions, the role of business, and youth civic power.

Kicking off with a tour of the Hôtel de Ville, followed by a workshop on referenda & initiatives by @GE_chancellerie

Democracy week is off to a great start with a keynote by former greek prime minister George Papandreou "Can democracy survive polarisation?"

Find the rest of the programme at https://f.mtr.cool/qzxdsglhjg

On 9 Oct in Geneva, join us for Remapping Political Power in India: a discussion on how the next census + redistricting could reshape, representation & democracy.

🗓️ 9 Oct 2025 | 18:30–20:00

https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/communications/events/remapping-political-power-india

@gvagrad.bsky.social

Democracy + Rights = more than words.
On 9 October 2025, 12:30-13:30 at the Graduate Institute join a panel on “How to protect rights-based pathways to democracy and development?” 

https://f.mtr.cool/kojhpzhtxx

Faire voter les jeunes : une question de moyens ?
7 octobre, 18h-20h | Maison des Fondations, rejoignez un débat participatif pour explorer ce qui encourage ou freine la participation des jeunes.

https://f.mtr.cool/waubusbeiy

Democracy week is back!

Democracy week, October 1-9: Reinventing democracy At the end of the Cold War, Francis Fukuyama believed that Western liberal democracy would become the universal form of government. However, the times they are a-changin, and today, it seems that history is repeating itself as a farce, with the 2020s bearing a striking resemblance to the 1930s. It's not a surprise, then, that democracy has become a key topic in our collection.

Democracy Week is coming soon! A quick look at our selection on display in the Library.

@gvagrad.bsky.social students, Curious how Swiss democracy works?
Join us 7 Oct, 11:30–14:30 at Hôtel de Ville, Geneva for an interactive visit + workshop with a democracy expert

Places are limited register now! 👉  https://f.mtr.cool/oucupposjx

YouTube video by Ciencia Política UBA Protagonistas de la Ciencia Política #8 Yanina WELP

📺 Estuve en "Protagonistas de la Ciencia Política", un ciclo de entrevistas organizado por la Carrera de Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA).
Comparto con fe de erratas: Cuando digo Chile 1980 debería decir 1988 😐 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijxP...

Director Marie-Laure Salles will deliver the Keynote 'POWER WITH: A WAKE-UP CALL', at the
ELIA Leadership Symposium 2025,
at the forum serving as a platform for discussing the evolving role of arts education in addressing global challenges.

📅15 Oct, 14:00 📍 HEAD – Genève & Online

shorturl.at/W09PS

In the age of digital revolution and social media, #Propaganda is proving to be more prevalent than ever.
In our Opening Lecture of the Academic Year 2025-26, Professor @davidcolon.bsky.social will explain how our brains have become the target of a new global information war.
👉 shorturl.at/zFYPM

Polarisation is straining democracies across the globe. Can they survive it?

Join us for a public debate on 6 Oct, 18:30 | @gvagrad.bsky.social 

Register here: https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/communications/events/can-democracy-survive-polarisation

Your perspective matters! As a student in Geneva, be a part of the discussion on youth shaping an inclusive green transition.

 6 Oct, 09:00 | @gvagrad.bsky.social 

🔗 https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/communications/events/towards-inclusive-green-transition-local-international-youth-driving-change

The @redpolitologas.bsky.social #NoSinMujeres (Network of Women Political Scientists) will be the topic of the next seminar of the Program in Latin American Studies (PLAS) at Princeton University. More than happy to share the floor with Julieta Suarez-Cao. @gvagrad.bsky.social

📝While Youth climate activists distrust traditional politics, their mobilizations pushed cities to adopt Citizens’ Assemblies. Our study explores whether these new spaces truly amplify youth voices—or risk fueling further disengagement. #ClimateAction #DemocraticInnovation @laurabullon.bsky.social

The democracy week 2025 is coming soon!https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/communications/events/democracy-week-2025

Assemblées citoyennes sur le climat : un bilan mitigé pour les jeunes militants Les assemblées citoyennes sur le climat avaient pour objectif de réengager les jeunes dans des initiatives démocratiques. Quel bilan peut-on en dresser aujourd’hui ?

Authored by researchers of @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social of the Institute, this article in @theconversation.com highlights how citizen climate assemblies offer meaningful democratic engagement for young activists—yet many express disappointment over their limited real-world impact."

👉 shorturl.at/1wji6

First, I show how new pedestrian areas reduce radical-right support while helping incumbents, focusing on Milan’s Piazze Aperte. I’m really thankful for all the feedback I received at @dec-gr.bsky.social @uab.cat, @unil.bsky.social, @ahcdemocracy.bsky.social, @epsanet.bsky.social, @apsa.bsky.social