06-08/11/2019 - World Forum for Democracy (France)

“Democracy and information” is the theme of the World Forum for Democracy in 2019 with two main threads:

Democracy dies in darkness: are we getting the information we need?
Information and the Future: lost in space or masters of our own fate?
Information is changing. The volume, the content, the platforms: each of these has evolved beyond recognition in a short period of time. This evolution continues. Twenty-five years ago, most of our information came from printed publications, television and radio. Today, these are complemented, rivalled and often eclipsed by websites, blogs and social media. Well-known outlets have been joined by a plethora of new sources – including millions of individuals – that spread news with the click of a share button.

The questions we must address in 2019 are to what extent the information is reliable, whether this helps or hinders citizens in taking part in democratic processes, and what lessons we should learn for ensuring the free flow of information in the future.

The core content of the Forum will consist of discussions about successful initiatives and actions, which have real-life initiatives as a starting point. General guiding principles will then be drawn to encourage and support future policy responses and field action.

In this context, the Youth Department of the Council of Europe will invite 50-60 young people to participate and engage with decision-makers and opinion-formers in a reflection on the question of Democracy and Information.

Further details:
06-08/11/2019 - World Forum for Democracy (France)