Athens reminded us what becomes possible when we make space not only to speak, but to truly listen to one another. Almost a week on from the #GDCGlobalForum 2026, we are still reflecting on the energy, openness and extraordinary collective spirit that filled the room. To everyone who joined us in Athens: thank you. Thank you to our Regional Forum hosts @mayvnne of @NuruTrustKenya, Olga Caballero of @AlmaCivica and Dr. James Gomez of @asiacentre_org for carrying the conversations from Nairobi, Asunción and Seoul all the way to Athens. And although Ľubica Kováčová of the @WeAreEDYN, who hosted our Europe Forum in Prague, was unable to join us, she and the Europe Forum community were very much with us in spirit. Together, these four Regional Forums laid the foundations for the global conversation we brought together in Athens. A very special thank you to @Pita_MFP for opening our Forum and challenging us to think deeply about democratic participation and trust, and to @IngvillBR of the @NobelPeaceOslo and Pavle Cicvaric for helping us bring an extraordinary day of conversations to a close. To our incredible facilitators, Jaco Roets of @AccountLab, @LauraLThornton of @Princeton, Lina Antara, and Kourtney Pompi of Democracy Renewal Group: thank you for creating the conditions for meaningful exchange, guiding conversations across different experiences and perspectives, and ensuring that every voice had space to be heard. And to our note-takers, thank you for listening closely throughout the day and capturing the ideas, insights and reflections emerging from these conversations. Your work was essential to a Forum intentionally built around equal voice, deep listening and participation. Above all, thank you to every GDC partner, democracy practitioner, civil society leader, researcher, advocate and friend of the Coalition who joined us. You arrived ready not simply to attend another democracy conference, but to participate: to question, challenge, listen, share experiences across regions and think collectively about what comes next. From the Regional Forums in Nairobi, Asunción, Prague and Seoul to our gathering in Athens, this Forum has always been a collective effort. The success of the day belongs to everyone who brought their ideas, experience, honesty and commitment into the room. Thank you for making the GDC Global Forum 2026 what it was. Athens may be behind us, but the work we began together continues. #GDCGlobalForum #GDCForum2026 #Democracy #DemocraticTrust #CivilSociety #CollectiveAction #RenewingDemocracy

We’re pleased to announce that @Pita_MFP, Senior Democracy Fellow at the @Kennedy_School, will deliver the Opening Keynote at the GDC Global Forum 2026 next week in Athens. Following a year of conversations across Nairobi, Asunción, Prague and Seoul, the #GDCGlobalForum will bring together democracy practitioners, civil society leaders, researchers and partners from around the world to explore a question that emerged across every region: why does democratic participation continue to grow while trust in democratic institutions continues to decline? Educated at Harvard and MIT, Pita Limjaroenrat worked in business before entering politics and is the author of The Almost Prime Minister, a personal account of his political journey. Today, as a Senior Democracy Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, he mentors a new generation of political leaders. Opening the Forum, he will reflect on democratic participation, trust, and what it takes to keep faith with democracy at a time when democratic institutions face growing pressure around the world. Join us in Athens next week as we move from listening to collective action. The GDC Global Forum is sponsored by the @KetteringFdn and @CarterCenter. Registration and the full programme are available through the link in the comments. #GDCGlobalForum #GDCForum2026 #KeepDemocracyAlive #AthensDemocracyForum