The future of democracy is inclusive
Beyond being a symbolic representation of the kinship between these two countries, the Futures Forum (which took place on November 2 and 3) brought together a truly diverse set of experts on democracy and digitization. Over the course of two days the forum guests attended a series of thought-provoking talks and workshops, focusing on protecting democracy in a world split by war and political conflict.
The values of diversity and representation were apparent when looking at the Futures Forum selection of participants, who differed both in terms of their age (ranging from young tech prodigies to diplomatic veterans), as well as their professional backgrounds. The topics covered spanned accordingly, with highlights such as Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel’s talk “Making our democracies fit for 2050” and NGO Tactical Tech founder Safa Ghnaim’s speech on embedding human rights in emerging technology.
“We’re in the right to expect more transparency when it comes to the way modern technologies are being used,” Ghnaim said. Talking about her background as a US-born Palestinian, she emphasized that it fueled her desire to make digital literacy more accessible. “At Tachtical Tech we offer free workshops and resources on how data usage affects democratic rights,” Ghnaim explained about the NGO, which partners with fifty-five countries across the globe.
The Futures Forum culminated in a discussion between the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, hosted by ARD news presenter Ingo Zamperoni. During the friendly yet poignant conversation, Mr. Blinken highlighted the common denominator in how both Germany and the US see democracy – namely, as a process which relies on inclusion and diversity.
“Having a diverse set of people in my team isn’t just the morally right thing to do,” he iterated. “It is also what’s smart and necessary.” Ms. Baerbock (who in 2021 became the second female candidate to ever run for chancellor on behalf of a major German party) was quick to agree, adding that inclusivity and representation are a non-negotiable in her field of work.
“The future of democracy isn’t as smooth and easy as we might’ve thought a few years ago,” she said. “Yet it is not despite, but because of these challenges we’re facing that we’ve come to understand the US and Germany only stand a chance if we work together.”
These statements underpinned what the Futures Forum set out to do: proving that a greater range of viewpoints can lead to faster and more efficient democratic problem solving.
They were also far from being anecdotal – in fact, plenty of research supports the claims that Ms. Baerbock and Mr. Blinken made. A 2013 Harvard Business Review study found that companies with diverse teams were more effective in capturing new markets, while research by the management company McKinsey (conducted in 2015) showed that inclusivity in the workplace led to greater profit.
Although those studies focused on diversity in business, their general implication – that complex challenges are best tackled by a diverse set of individuals, is clear.
In an age where political conflict grows ever more prevalent, standing together has never been more important – and cutting-edge, inclusive initiatives such as the Futures Forum are the way to go.