Democracy is on the global defensive. Dictators in China and Russia, autocrats in India and Turkey, and nationalist populists in the United States and Europe are among the many elites attacking democratic principles and institutions. Among the world’s citizens, trust in democracy and its capacity to advance political, social, and economic justice is on the decline. Ece Temelkuran makes the case for a new, secular democratic faith—a commitment to the transformative power of democracy to address polarization and advance justice in practice.
What are the origins of the current global crisis of democracy? What combination of political, social, economic, cultural, and psychological forces is driving it? How might renewed beliefs, emotional bonds, and political commitments help to revitalize democracy around the world? Ece Temelkuran and Sohrab Ahmari explored these questions in a conversation moderated by Charles King.
This event was part of the Georgetown Global Dialogues, which featured leading intellectuals from the Global South in forward-looking conversations with U.S.-based thinkers across a range of topics. It was co-sponsored by the Center on Faith and Justice, Master of Arts in Democracy and Governance program, Department of Government, Institute of Politics and Public Service, and Office of Mission & Ministry at Georgetown University.
