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Will Biden deliver on his commitment to Africa in 2022?

Witney Schneidman considers the future for American support and investments in Africa. During his electoral campaign, President Biden made bold statements rooted in cooperation and democracy. The US Secretary of State, Senator Anthony Blinken, stated that infrastructure projects would build upon democratic principles, echoing the main themes of the Summit. Schneidman considers the broader context … Continued

How to Deliver for Citizens in Fragile States After the Democracy Summit

Corinne Graff of the United States Institute of Peace considered the potential for the Summit to have a positive impact in fragile states. While the Summit focussed on several of the governance challenges that affect fragile states, notably anti-corruption, only 18 out of the 111 invitees were conflict-affected. Given that civil wars are increasingly shaped … Continued

Diplomacy Alone Can’t Save Democracy

Yasmeen Serhan critically considers in the Atlantic how far diplomacy can go in effecting more democratic governance, emphasising that for lasting change to occur, the impetus and drive must come from within. Diplomacy “can pressure and promote more democratic practices, but it is not what drives democracy forward”, as democratisation is a process that occurs … Continued

The Summit for Democracy Is a Good Start—But What Comes Next?

Max Bergmann of the Center for American Progress addresses some common criticisms of the Summit, arguing that the initiative is a valuable effort that holds great potential for supporting democracy. Success hinges on the momentum set off by the initiative for leaders to feel empowered and democracies across the globe to support each other in … Continued

Whither Democracy? Perspectives from South Asia

Aarya Nijat of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) discusses the Summit with different voices from South Asia. The discussion reflects on five questions: challenges to democracy in the region, the relation between South Asia and the global trend of democratic backsliding, opportunities for reversing the trend, the role South Asian countries can play … Continued

What a Successful Summit for Democracy Looks Like from Africa

Gregory Kearns outlines in Modern Diplomacy concrete ways for the Summit to advance democracy in Africa. He begins by considering the state of democracy in Africa, before moving on to concrete suggestions to which the US and its allies should commit. Suggestions include promoting intra-party democracy and the inclusion of minority groups (notably youth and … Continued

Biden’s summit for democracy: what Africa needs to bring to the table

John J Stremlau in the Conversation considers the African context regarding the participation of the seventeen African country invitees to the Summit. The immediate context in Africa is considered in terms of the three issues on the agenda: defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting human rights. Read the full piece in the Conversation here.

Global Views of Biden’s Democracy Summit

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace gathers voices from across the world to consider how different regions and countries perceive the Summit, and what it will take for it to be a success. Inputs are given from Africa, Europe, Japan, Latin America, South Asia and the United States. The piece ends with a consideration of crucial … Continued

Reversing the Democratic Gaze

Kalypso Nicolaidis and Richard Youngs write in Carnegie Europe as a part of their European Democracy Hub Initiative an analysis of the EU’s approach to democracy promotion, making concrete suggestions for its reform moving forward. It is increasingly clear that traditional models of external democracy support need to change, with many lessons to be learned … Continued

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