Global Forum 2026 Announced: Join Us in Gaborone

From 7–10 October 2026, we will gather at the University of Botswana, an institution that reflects the very spirit of citizen participation. When it was founded, people across the country contributed what they could to create Botswana’s first national university. It is a fitting setting to explore how democratic innovation is shaped not only by institutions, but by the everyday commitment of citizens.

Botswana offers a powerful context for the Forum. One of its most remarkable democratic traditions is the Kgotla: an open-air village assembly where citizens meet regularly with their leaders to raise concerns, debate public issues, and shape decisions together. These gatherings are not symbolic; they remain living democratic spaces that continue to influence governance today. 

The 2026 programme will examine how traditions like the Kgotla can inform and energise modern participatory and direct democracy. Discussions will range from constitutional reform and youth participation to democratic resilience and the intersection of democracy with global challenges such as natural resource management and climate change. Through workshops, plenary sessions, community visits, and exchanges with voices from Botswana, across Africa, and around the world, the Forum will be more than a conference — it will be a gathering where democracy is explored, debated, and experienced first-hand

To help you prepare, we invite you to join the upcoming webinar series “Botswana: What Can We Learn from Africa’s Oldest Democracy?”, organised by our partners Mehr Demokratie e.V. and Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung NRW. The series offers an early introduction to Botswana’s democratic culture and the themes that will shape next year’s Forum.

Please save the date for 7–10 October 2026, with an optional pre-programme on 6–7 October. Registration will open soon, and we encourage you to save the date and follow updates as they are released. 

We hope you will join us in Gaborone for this special edition of the Global Forum, and be part of the conversations and experiences that will shape it.