Bright Spots of Democracy – European Democracy Youth Network

de·​moc·​ra·​cy
noun
1: government by the people

The dominant narrative today says Europe’s democracy is in retreat. To be sure, the challenges are real – from emboldened authoritarians to hyper-polarized discourse. Generations that lived through Communism have seen democracy’s promises of liberty and prosperity deliver mixed results. But that isn’t the only story about democracy in Europe. Every day, young people are driving change in their own communities by doing the day-to-day work of democracy. In this episode, we’ll hear from six young civic and political leaders from the European Democracy Youth Network on why democracy offers the solutions to the challenges facing their countries.

Guests

Host Sam Johannes speaks with:

Journalism Under Authoritarianism

jour·nal·ism

noun

1. the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media

What is it like to provide accurate news coverage when the government is actively creating false narratives? Journalism is essential to a healthy democracy. But it’s also often a key part of fighting authoritarianism. Dictatorships rely on uninformed citizens who are divided from each other. In these situations, independent media struggles against censorship, limited resources and threats to personal safety. Journalists do this to inform citizens, hold their government accountable and push for democratic change.

For this episode, our host Lucas Jensen ties together the challenges of and the motivations for reporting from within a dictatorship.

Algeria

In February, ten days after strongman president Abelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth term, Algerians took to the streets in massive peaceful protests in what has become know as the “Revolution of Smiles.” While protesters successfully forced Bouteflika’s resignation, over two decades of historical violence, repression and corruption leave the country’s future uncertain.

Will the successful of the protests translate into much needed progress in key areas like youth unemployment? And what does Algeria’s political and economic stability mean for both its African and European neighbors?

Find out on this episode of our podcast Global!

Guests

Our host Francesca Gortzounian (@FrancescaGortz) speaks to:

Guest

Mr. Samy Boukailia

President & Founding Member | Cercle d’Action et de Reflexion autour de l’Enterprise (CARE)

Guest

Dr. Dalia Ghanem

Resident Scholar | Carnegie Middle East Center, Co-Director | Program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States

Cuba: The Reality Of Social Rights

Cuba continues to be a regional threat to democracy. This threat is targeted externally in its support for dictatorial governments like Venezuela and internally in its treatment of dissidents. 

One of the reasons Cuba has been successful is the story it tells about itself. Both domestically and internationally, the Cuban government messages that it respects political and social rights and that its people are cared for with housing, education, and healthcare. This, however, is false. As demonstrated in a recent study by the Cuban Human Rights Observatory, the Cuban government is failing exactly where it claims success.

Guests

For this episode, we spoke with three guests: 

Bright Spots of Democracy – Venezuela Activists

Venezuela continues to grapple with a humanitarian crisis caused by the dictatorial corruption of Nicolas Maduro. But despite the danger to themselves and their families, every day people continue to mobilize and demand respect for human rights and a return to democracy. 

Over the last three years of this podcast, we’ve discussed the political situation in Venezuela a number of times – often focusing on the crisis at the national level situation.

Today, we wanted to bring things down to the personal level.

Guests

Our producers Sam Johannes and Travis Green spoke with two activists on how their journey led them to be involved in politics and what keeps them motivated through such trying times:

Guest

Rafaela Requesens

Venezuelan student activist who gained recognition as the Student Council President of the Central University of Venezuela (Universidad Central de Venezuela, UCV) in 2017-2018

Guest

Armando Armas

Member of the political party Voluntad Popular, who was elected to the National Assembly in 2015

Bright Spots of Democracy – Hong Kong

de·​moc·​ra·​cy
noun
1: government by the people

The greatest challenge to the seemingly overwhelming power of authoritarian governments is the ordinary citizen’s willingness to put themselves at risk for the sake of democracy. This year, Hong Kong’s citizens have been demonstrating that willingness through protests that have been ongoing since June. As protesters seek to maintain momentum in the face of violent crackdowns, their demands are clear – Hongkongers want democracy. In this episode, we look at the stories of four student activists from Hong Kong, their journey into activism, and what keeps them motivated to pursue democracy.

Guests

Host Sam Johannes spoke with: