Democracy Festival: Democracy is not an actvity, it a culture

By Abiodun Dominic Odunuga, Senior International Engagement Partner at ReadyToLeadAfrica. 

Participating in Folkemødet 2023, held in the village of Allinge on the beautiful island of Bornholm, was a great honour. I had the privilege of speaking and interacting with various stakeholders at the International Arena under the auspices of the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD). 

Folkemødet was, to me, many things, but most importantly, it was all shades of inspiration. With tens of thousands of people attending the event and hundreds of debates happening across various tents, I was amazed by the level of engagement that took place. 

I spent a significant portion of my time at The International Arena. Representing the Ready to Lead Africa Initiative and Youth Democracy Cohort (YDC), I spoke on two different panels: "Breaking the toxic cycle of media and politics" and "Political Youth Summit on Democracy". I was captivated by the thought-provoking debates and conversations that were held there at various sessions touching on different aspects of democracy with renowned speakers.

   For many Nigerians and Africans, democracy is still perceived solely as an election cycle with no dividends for the populace. We need to reinstate that democracy is not an activity; it is a culture that should permeate our socio-economic fabric.

I also took the opportunity to partake in other debates and engagements spread around the island. The creativity and diversity of how each stakeholder hosted their events are worth mentioning. From side events under tents, on boats, under trees, by the seaside, in houses, bars, etc., one could easily come to the conclusion that the entire festival was a true reflection of Danish leadership in fostering concrete conversations that uphold democracy. The many events and speakers led me to five key reflections about the nature of democracy. 

Firstly, democracy needs a conducive atmosphere to be sustained. One major thing that stood out to me was the unrestricted interaction and depth of conversations that transpired at the festival. I have attended many international events as a delegate and speaker worldwide for over a decade. I must confess, I took a step back to reflect on how our "rigid and uptight" approach to organising events could be one reason such events deliver below expectations. At Folkemødet, the strategy around the organisation created the atmosphere needed to foster frank discussions to advance democracy. 

Secondly, democracy should leave no one behind. As part of my role at the event, I represented the voices of young people and echoed the innovative ways young Africans are championing the future of democracy using their soft power. It was inspiring to see tens of thousands of Danes visit the festival daily. Beyond this general participation, I couldn't help but notice that various segments of society were duly represented to ensure the dialogue was robust enough. Major Danish political parties, youth groups, embassies of other countries, NGOs, associations, universities, religious organisations, companies, and development institutions, among other groups, had well-curated side events. This kind of multi-stakeholder approach delivers holistic engagements that leave no one behind. 

Thirdly, democracy requires solidarity. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". The ongoing war in Ukraine gained the needed attention and easily became a major mainstream discussion in the engagements, especially at The International Arena. It is commendable that an event of such magnitude did not waste the opportunity to discuss the ongoing war and possible ways different actors can support the Ukrainians. It was quite strategic to have various Ukrainians from Ukraine and the diaspora, emanating from different walks of life, give their perspectives. Their personal touch to the unfortunate events happening in Ukraine struck a chord, and it was inspiring to see their resilience as a people. The message here for me is that if democracy must thrive and not just survive, solidarity at every level is non-negotiable to ward off detractors or distractions. 

Fourthly, democracy thrives on conscious engagement. I couldn't resist the urge to compare what was happening in Denmark to what should be happening in other places, especially in Nigeria and Africa. The basis for this comparison is not to downplay the evolution of our growing democracy but to elevate our consciousness to the possibilities available in our polity. For many Nigerians and Africans, democracy is still perceived solely as an election cycle with no dividends for the populace. We need to reinstate that democracy is not an activity; it is a culture that should permeate our socio-economic fabric. I think a festival like Folkemødet illustrates this very well. 

Lastly, we need to 'mind the gap' if democracy won't turn crazy. One of the hallmarks of my experiences was easy access to high-ranking government officials. You could have easily brushed past ministers and other high-ranking public officials between sessions at the festival and mistaken them for random citizens. The festival was a real 'wall remover' and reduced the space between 'the governors and the governed'. I love the idea of occasionally taking public officers out of their comfort zone, away from pre-arranged press meetings or rigid public offices. The casual atmosphere around having a heart-to-heart conversation with elected officials in a natural environment (without the paparazzi) is a great way to maintain the sanity of our democracy. 

   In recent years, the number of states moving towards authoritarianism has more than doubled compared to those journeying towards democracy. The solution is certainly not business as usual. We need to rise to become better stewards of democracy.

The world is facing a significant crisis as many democracies have stagnated, and half of the world's democracies are in retreat. Among non-democracies, research has shown that 50% are becoming significantly more repressive. In recent years, the number of states moving towards authoritarianism has more than doubled compared to those journeying towards democracy. The solution is certainly not business as usual. We need to rise to become better stewards of democracy, and some of these solutions involve defining new social contracts, investing in civic education, encouraging meaningful youth and civil society participation, and upholding electoral integrity. 

I left Bornholm with the inspiration to leverage critical stakeholders and our youth engagements back in Nigeria to curate and spread the "spirit of Folkemødet". This means creating an atmosphere that allows for people-centric engagement to foster democracy, serving as an inspiration across the African continent. I can boldly say that Folkemødet is indeed a "People's Summit" because of the sense of ownership in the collective engagement. 

Thanks to the entire team at DIPD for the great work and the opportunity to shine the torch on the excellent work being done by the Ready to Lead Africa Initiative and Youth Democracy Cohort (YDC). I look forward to returning to Folkemødet and hopefully sharing the results of the collaborations forged and the inspiration gained during this year’s festival. 

Abiodun Dominic Odunuga participated at Folkemødet as a representative for the Youth Democracy Cohort funded by the European Union.