The 11th World Forum for Democracy 2023 calls on innovative international applicants to submit expressions of interest. This program aims at enhancing and improving democracy and contributing to sustainable peace. Public or private organizations worldwide are eligible to apply for the 2023 Forum.

Ultimately, one selected presenter will receive an invitation to Strasbourg to participate in the World Forum. The Council of Europe will provide travel and accommodation expenses.

Format of the World Forum for Democracy

The 11th WFD will discuss the issues and generate new ideas for tackling the world’s peace challenges today. Mainly, the WFD format is as follows:

Plenary Sessions allow participants to discuss with speakers from all continents. The speakers include politicians, public and private officials, international organizations, and members of civil societies.

Forum Talks gather academics and relevant experts to discuss and share their experiences on improving the current situation.

Forum Labs informs participants about innovative initiatives that offer solutions to the fundamental questions above based on an analysis of their actual impact and replicability.

The initiatives should help participants to understand how democracy, democratic organizations, and practices help wage peace and causes of war in our societies.

The labs are an essential part of the WFD, intending to address specific issues through critically analyzing tested initiatives.

Public or private organizations who have submitted the selected initiatives will present their initiatives in short speeches of ten minutes. Multidisciplinary panels and participants in the labs will assess their speech.

Participants will discuss the key lessons and the labs’ results in a summing-up session to prepare the overall conclusions of the Forum. The Forum participants will vote for selecting the winner of the Democracy Innovation Award from the presented initiatives.

Brief Details

• Application Deadline: 15 June 2023
• WFD Dates: 6-8 November 2023 (in-person)
• Location: Strasbourg, France
• The Theme of WFD 2023: “Democracy = Peace.”
• Gender: Male/Female
• Eligible Countries: All
• Funding Type: Partially Funded
• Target Groups: Public or private organizations
• Organized by: Council of Europe
• Co-Organizers: European Parliament, French Authorities, Region Grand Est, and City of Strasbourg

Benefits and Costs Coverage

The Council of Europe will cover the following costs for the participants of the World Forum for Democracy for any public or private organization:

• One presenter for the selected initiatives will participate in the World Forum in Strasbourg.
• The Council will pay travel and accommodation expenses if required.

Eligibility Criteria for the World Forum for Democracy

To participate in the World Forum 2023, youth applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Ability to communicate and work in English.
• Participate actively in the program.
• Be inspired to contribute to developing fresh ideas on peace and democracy.
• Be prepared to discuss democratic and peace.
• Prepare to take a solution-oriented approach to the issue of democracy by bringing in new ideas and ideals.
• Commit to engage in the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg fully.

How to apply for the World Forum for Democracy?

Submissions from any public or private organization are possible by answering the questionnaire in the link below and sending it to the submission email.

Questionnaire

Submission Email:forum_democracy@coe.int

To learn more about World Forum for Democracy, please visit the official call and Council of Europe’s website.

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