Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy 2026 to Take Place in Botswana

From 7 until 10 October this year, Botswana will host the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy in Gaborone. As the world's largest gathering dedicated to direct democracy and citizen participation, the Forum will bring together civil society leaders, practitioners, policymakers, researchers and citizens from across the globe to exchange experiences and explore democratic innovations that place citizens at the centre of decision-making.

The event is organised by Democracy International and the University of Botswana in partnership with Mehr Demokratie, the Swiss Democracy Foundation and Citizens in Charge.

Democracy, like a diamond, is not formed in comfort. It is shaped over time, under pressure. Across the world, democratic institutions face growing challenges, from political polarisation and declining trust to shrinking civic space and the accelerating impacts of climate change. The Global Forum provides a space not only to examine these pressures but to explore how democratic systems can be strengthened, sharpened and renewed in response.

Botswana offers a particularly meaningful setting for these conversations. The country's kgotla tradition demonstrates how dialogue, participation and collective deliberation can remain rooted in local communities while continuing to evolve in a changing world. As Botswana has been on a process of constitutional reform, the Forum will also provide an opportunity to reflect on how direct and participatory democracy can help turn constitutional change into a genuine public stocktaking of a nation's future.

Over four days of discussions, workshops, cultural activities and site visits, participants will explore how the fusion of tradition and innovation can breathe new life into grassroots democracy. They will share experiences of citizen participation in constitutional reform, examine democratic responses to contemporary challenges and showcase citizens-led approaches to addressing issues that increasingly transcend national borders.

By bringing together perspectives and experiences from every continent, the Global Forum aims to foster practical exchange, international cooperation and new ideas for democratic participation in the twenty-first century.

Links:

• More about the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy here.
• Register here to join the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy
• Images from previous conventions of the Forum here.