21st-Century Democracy: Building a Transnational Innovation Ecosystem

​​“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

People and countries alike are impacted by what happens within and outside of their borders. As such, we need local, national, and transnational solutions for defending, strengthening, and reimagining democracy.

While foes of democracy have developed sophisticated and innovative strategies leveraging cross-contextual connections, pro-democracy actors and movements have remained largely siloed by national borders.

This Keseb-sponsored essay series, authored by leading democracy champions from Brazil, South Africa, and the United States, discusses effective nonpartisan pro-democracy strategies by:

1. Illustrating how democracy entrepreneurship is driving innovative local and national solutions using examples from the authors’ home countries; and

2. Providing transnational insights to facilitate cross-border learning, innovation sharing, and solidarity-building among democracy champions.

Our aspiration is that these five essays will inform, challenge, and expand our imaginative capacities to innovate for 21st-century democracy—within and across our borders.