UK Democracy Bulletin, July 2025

Issue #72 — July 2025

Monthly news, jobs, grants and gossip from across the democracy sector, brought to you by James Moulding and Max Roche of the UK Democracy Network. Read by 400+ democracy organisations. We read everyone’s newsletters & research so you don’t have to. If you want us to cover yours, let us know: hello@democracynetwork.org.uk

How you can get involved right now! Do these things 👇

1. Join the Democracy Network as a member
2. Introduce yourself on the Democracy Network WhatsApp Community
3. Sign up to upcoming events
4. See the latest democracy jobs & add your own
5. Check available democracy funding
6. Explore the Democracy Map
7. Share your news to the UK Democracy Forum Mailing List

Highlights

• Democracy Network looking for new host organisation — deadline 3rd July
• Liberty defeats government over ‘serious disruption’ legislation
• Palestine Action to be listed as proscribed organisation
• Scottish Government apologises for historic role in discrimination against GRT communities
• RECLAIM closes its doors
• Climate Emergency UK launch new council climate action scorecards
• British Social Attitudes Survey major new report published

#DemocracyJobs

Featured Job Listings across the Democracy Sector. View the full database of upcoming job listings here — have we missed any? Add them via this form.

Rolling deadlines

• Rolling deadline: Advisory Board at The Traveller Movement (voluntary)
• Multiple roles: Association of Democratic Services Officers

Featured upcoming roles

• Apply by 6th July: Head of Democratic Services at City of York Council (£65,000 — £75,000)
• Apply by 7th July: Senior Research Fellow at IPPR (£48,500 — £54,000)
• Apply by 7th July: Local Democracy Reporter at Fife and Clackmannanshire
• Apply by 8th July: Intern: Policy and Comms at Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit
• Apply by 8th July: Senior Lawyer at The Electoral Commission (£71, 600)
• Apply by 11th July: Head of Business Operations at Act Build Change (£49,500-£62,000)
• Apply by 14th July: Standards Policy Officer at Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) (£34,000)
• Apply by 16th July: Full-time Caseworker for Ed Davey, Liberal Democrats (In line with IPSA scales)
• Apply by 20th July: Executive Support Officer at The Electoral Commission (£31,500–33,100)
• Apply by 20th July: Head of Democratic Services at Liverpool City Council (£61840 — £68419)
• Apply by 20th July: Operations and Data Officer — Living Wage Foundation at Citizens UK (£31,200 + London weighting)
• Apply by 24th July: PhD Studentship: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Democratic Security at Lancaster University (EPSRC Stipend + tuition fee support)
• Apply by 27th July: Digital Movement Building Strategist at Runnymede Trust (£48,000)

Funding Democracy

Hope Not Hate launches their new BID-BUILDER

BID-BUILDER is a new tool developed by Hope Not Hate as part of their new Hopeful Towns project. The resource includes a range of tools, datasets, guidance and advice to support community stakeholders and local authorities in identifying and accessing funding opportunities.

John Ellerman Foundation pen new strategy for 2025–2030

The new John Ellerman strategy involves focusing on supporting changemaking organisations with a clear understanding of their roles within existing systems / new systems, and a clear strategy on how they intend to make change — they are also opening up funding beyond their old three category limit of Arts, Social Action and the Environment. Read on for more information.

Democracy Sector

The Democracy Network needs a host organisation — could it be you?

The Democracy Network is at a key stage in its development. We have had a lot of success over the last few years in bringing together hundreds of democracy organisations, and now we are looking to start a new exciting chapter under a new host organisation. Please do get in touch if you are interested in talking about this exciting opportunity — Deadline for expressions of interest 3rd July. See more information and view the Expression of Interest info sheet here.

Sarah Castell steps down as CEO of Involve

Sarah Castell, CEO of Involve, stepped down this month, saying they are ‘incredibly proud’ of what has been achieved at Involve. Involve are currently considering next steps following this change in the organisation, Carly Walker-Dawson and Steph Draper have been appointed as interim Chief Executives in Sarah’s place. See here for Involve’s statement on the changes.

RECLAIM has now closed as of end of May

RECLAIM has officially shut down as of the 31st of May. The organisation which was set up to challenge inequality and champion working class voices says they are ‘incredibly proud of the work [they] have done’, promising that the spirit of RECLAIM will live on.

Research for Action looking for contacts in Slough, Croydon and Woking areas, can you help?

Research for Action is looking to talk to people (scoping interview, off the record) about their experiences of Westminster interventions at Slough, Croydon and Woking councils. They would like to talk to councillors, officers, journalists, campaign/community groups and trade unions. Do you work in any of these places or have good contacts there? Email info@researchforaction.uk

Our House prepping to run their first public event on 18th July

Oli House, Salma Perveen and the team at Our House are preparing for their first public event, Power to the People: Shaping a People’s Charter. The online session will introduce the project and how people can shape their budding movement by developing people’s charters in their communities. Stay tuned for more!

Scottish Government apologises for treatment of GRT people

The Scottish Government has issued a formal apology to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and the Scottish Parliament for its role in the Tinker Experiment and historical policies affecting those groups. The Tinker Experiment was a UK Government programme to ‘integrate’ GRT people into so-called mainstream society, between 1940–1980, by forcing their children into care. Traveller Movement celebrated the announcement — find out more about their important work.

Migrant Democracy Project looking for researchers

Migrant Democracy Project is looking for researchers who can help build evidence on residence-based voting rights and its practical implementation in Scotland and Wales. They are looking for practical evaluation as well as storytelling on the impact of extending the franchise on migrant voters.

Ideally, we would love to work with researchers with lived experience of migration in Scotland and Wales but we are flexible!

Not1More shine a spotlight on environmental defenders and the right to protest, in Parliament next week

Not1More and Wera Hobhouse MP will be hosting an event in Parliament at 5pm 9th July presenting several years of research on environmental activists in the UK and their experiences facing violence, invasive surveillance, racism and disability discrimination at the hands of the police. The event aims to bring together Parliamentarians, activists, legal experts and those who’ve been imprisoned for taking peaceful action — to develop new connections and identify paths forward to work to restore and strengthen the right to protest in the UK. Email Fran@not1more.org to RSVP for this special event.

New Campaign Lab research reveals the importance of personalised messages for campaigners

New research by Campaign Lab and Lenard Mettson of LSE looks at how campaign organisations can use personalised messages and supporter data to mobilise action and drive engagement. The research used a ‘pressure group campaigning for proportional representation’ as a case study and explored how different messages resonated better or worse with their supporters. Check out all the findings from this key piece of research: video, slides and transcript.

Are you Act Build Change’s next Head of Business Operations?

Steph Wong and the team at Act Build Change are looking for a new member of their team to help transform community organising in the UK — Apply now.

New podcast: Doing Democracy Differently

Hosted by Professor Keith Hyams and Jessica Sutherland, Doing Democracy Differently launches July 4th — they’ll be talking with inspiring guests about why democracy has been slow to respond to the climate crisis, about the rise of populism, the impact of AI on democracy, and more. Check it out now and watch the trailer.

I Have A Voice run new event on Diversity in Politics

Amelia Christie and the team at I Have A Voice have teamed up with Elect Her, and speakers from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Greens, to explore careers in politics in a new event aimed at engaging 18–25 year olds on 14th July in London — Register for the event here.

UCL Policy Lab upcoming drinks on defending democracy

On 2nd July, UCL Policy Lab will be welcoming civil society practitioners to join them for an evening discussing countering authoritarian populism and defending democracy, with the Lab’s Director Marc Stears and Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon.

Centenary Action to host event on championing women in politics from rural areas

The upcoming event by Centenary Action, at 9–11am on the 9th July, will see a keynote from writer Lynne Franks and a cross-party panel of MPs highlighting the voices, leadership and challenges of rural women in politics in the UK. To RSVP for the morning event contact Liz Speight via speight@careinternational.org

The National Lottery Community Fund appoints young people to its board for the first time

The National Lottery Community Fund has for the first time in their history appointed four young people to their board and Country Committees. The appointments — which include Ellie (UK), Holly (Scotland), Caolan (Northern Ireland), Callum (Wales) and Millie (England) — will ensure that young people across the UK have a say in the things the organisation does, the decisions they make, and the way they support generations to come.

John Lubbock explores the history of Black History Month

John Lubbock recently met Addai Sebo, who fled Ghanaian government paramilitaries to escape to the UK in the 1980s, where he played a key role in the development of Black History Month. In the interview Addai unpacks the early development of what became Black History Month, and why October is such an important month for African societies. Read the interview here.

Talk Shop considering designs for a European Festival Democracy

The Talk Shop event will take place this autumn, stay tuned for more information. Last week Talk Shop ran an online event as part of York Festival Ideas, but experienced low participation numbers, something the festival reported more widely — Perry Walker requests any insights / ideas on drumming up interest for online events, email them here.

Care Full launch provocation paper on exploring a care solidarity movement

The paper, CARE, for each other, penned by the Care Full team, explores the potential of a solidarity movement across care, what it could mean, and why we need a collective approach to care. Read the paper here.

Sutton Trust creates Opportunity Index Interactive Map

The new tool allows users to visualise access to opportunities for young people across the UK. The map is based on the Sutton Trust’s Opportunity Index, which ranks constituencies according to a range of measures, including school attainment, access to higher education, employment status and earnings of young people eligible for free school meals (FSM) at secondary school. Check it out now.

Anti-arms groups claim new nuclear deterrent plans ‘undermine democracy’

The UK Government announced plans to buy 12 new tactical-nuclear capable F35A strike fighters, and the deployment of US tactical nuclear weapons, as part of a broader defence spending package as NATO countries push to re-arm amidst the growing threat of a Russian attack on the NATO military alliance and the ongoing full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament called for the largest protests in a generation against the plans at RAF Marham last Saturday, saying: ‘this is being done without any parliamentary debate or vote and completely undermines British democracy.’ Protesters held placards and banners at the gates of the RAF station, home to №207 Squadron, the future home of the new jets.

Petition to block Donald Trump from addressing the House of Commons gains 130,000 signatures

More than 130,000 signatures have amassed behind a petition to prevent the President of the United States from speaking in Parliament. The petition says ‘Trump’s hate fuelled rhetoric has no place in our parliament’, and argues that if Trump were to address the Commons it would be a ‘national embarrassment’.

Devolved & Local Democracy

Demos praise ‘quiet revolution’ on devolution promised in Chancellor’s Spending Review

Demos has praised the Spending Review for ushering in radical changes to public service provision. The Chancellor promised a significant transfer of power to local communities to manage public services at a local level, something hailed by Demos as having the potential to fundamentally transform the relationship between citizen and state. And for more on the ‘devolution revolution’, The Constitution Unit is hosting a webinar to explore prospects and challenges on the 10th of July.

Government’s plan to create ‘mega-councils’ strongly rejected by councillors, poll shows

Government ministers are reportedly considering merging councils to create ‘mega-councils’ of over 500,000 people. Unlock Democracy has strongly criticised the proposals saying they are ‘the opposite of devolution’. What’s more, of the over 800 councillors who responded to their survey, only 20% were optimistic that the Government’s proposed reforms will improve local government, and just 17% of councillors believed that a minimum of 500,000 people is the right size for local councils.

Climate Emergency UK launch local council climate actions scorecards

Climate Emergency UK and mySociety have launched their 2025 Council Climate Scorecards showing the progress all local councils are making around their climate goals. And as this is the second edition of Scorecards, the data allows users to compare their local councillors score to last year. They are also fundraising for the next iteration — please consider donating or sharing the crowdfunding link to your networks.

Centre for Governance and Scrutiny look into hyperlocal governance

Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CFGS) are talking to local and central government about how to make the processes and support for scrutiny more robust as the landscape of local democracy changed in England. If you’re interested in hyperlocal governance and how governance at a neighbourhood level is changing, get in touch with Andrew Brightwell at CFGS.

Democratic Reform & Innovation

Just 1 in 10 trust the government to put the country first, according to extensive new polling

The latest edition of the British Social Attitudes Survey takes an in-depth look at attitudes towards democracy and shows a worrying decline in levels of satisfaction and trust in the state. Just 10% now trust the government to put the interests of the nation over their own party — a record low. Additionally, just 19% think the system of governing needs little or no improvement. Meanwhile, the appetite for electoral reform has reached an all time high, with 60% saying they want to change the system compared to 36% that want to keep it the same. Check out all the findings from this key report on the state of UK democracy.

Scottish Parliament votes to embed deliberative democracy in its work

The Scottish Parliament has voted to support the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee’s blueprint recommendations to embed deliberative democracy in its work. The blueprint lays out plans for the creation of four ‘People’s Panels’ at the next parliament session which will be guided by collaboratively developed processes. Demos’ Polly Curtis has praised the result as a ‘significant step forward in democratic innovation.’

UK Government postpones new parliamentary session to next May

Insiders claim the delays are due to key planks of Labour legislation being held up by ‘difficult’ members of the House of Lords, due to the proposed reform of the upper house. The hereditary bill, which will remove peers who inherited their position, is currently making its way through parliament.

Commission on Political Power publishes briefing paper on Cabinet Reform

In a recently published options paper, The Commission on Political Power has laid out six changes to the Cabinet to make it fit for a 21st Century democracy. These include; making the role and decision making responsibilities of the Cabinet more clearly defined, addressing the problem of leaks, improving overall transparency, and more.

Politics for the Many sets out the trade union case for democratic reform

With support for proportional representation growing amongst the trade union movement in recent years, a new report from Politics for the Many sets out why a rewiring of our voting system is key to building a just society and a democratic economy. Currently the trade unions with a policy supporting proportional representation are; ASLEF, BFAWU, FBU, Musicians Union, PCS, Prospect, UCU, Unison, Unite, USDAW, TSSA.

Climate Outreach new report — 14 case studies of public engagement on climate change

The new report by Climate Outreach outlines 14 inspirational examples demonstrating the power of public engagement. Download the report.

Government to launch steering group to improve the representation of disabled people

ElectHer and their partner organisations are celebrating a major campaign win, the government has announced they will be launching a new steering group to champion disabled people in elected office. The steering group will rely on those with lived experience to guide a set of recommendations on how they can level the playing field and improve representation across the UK.

APPG for Fair Elections say public support for electoral reform at all time high

60% of people now support a change to the electoral system, according to the APPG for Fair Elections. In recent years support for reform has surged from around 25–35% to 60%.

Make Votes Matter to hold rally for Proportional Representation on July 5th

People will be taking to the streets on July 5th as part of the Democracy Action Weekend coordinated by Make Voters Matter. To commemorate the anniversary of ‘the most disproportionate election in history’, the organisation is hoping to gather 100,000 on the streets across the UK to demand real change to our democracy. Find out about an event in your area and get involved.

1,000 people put their name forward to participate in first ever ‘House of the People’

The lottery has now closed for participation in the country’s first ever ‘House of the People’, with more than 1,000 people signing up from all over the UK. On July 20–22, 100 of them will gather in London to listen, deliberate, and write the People’s Charter — a mandate for action across the UK to tackle the interwoven crises that are affecting all of us. If you want to help support the organisation of this important event, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer.

Compassion in Politics joins calls to introduce Automatic Voter Registration

Calls for the Government to introduce Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) are on the rise, and now Compassion in Politics has added the name to the list of organisations calling for the change. They say that AVR could be crucial to supporting young renters, ethnic minority communities, disabled people and others who are disproportionately missing from the register today. Take their survey to let them know if you agree.

250,000 sign petition calling for House of Lords Reform

A petition from The Electoral Reform Society calling for a smaller, elected second chamber has amassed over a quarter of a million signatures! They are aiming for 275,000 at least — so spread the word and share the petition.

Unlock Democracy to launch new campaign looking beyond ending Hereditary Peers

The new campaign by Unlock Democracy aims to encourage peers to back wider reforms on the House of Lords, not just the removal of Hereditary Peers — would your organisation be interested in joining or partnering on the campaign? If so, email Tom Brake.

Demos launches the Epistemic Security Network

Demos has launched the Epistemic Security Network — a new initiative to protect democracy by strengthening our information supply chains, supported by regular cross-spectrum events, targeted policy proposals, and a weekly newsletter sharing the latest research and insights. To get involved, contact network lead hannah.perry@demos.co.uk.

Democratising the Media

Survey of UK independent news providers finds significant audience growth

The Public Interest News Foundation has crunched the numbers from their fifth annual survey of independent UK news providers. They find that indy news providers experienced a significant increase in news traffic and email subscriptions with the average outlet attracting over 489,000 unique visitors in 2024, and nearly 4,000 email subscribers. This suggests that most people in the UK now get at least some news from independent providers — you can see this news picture via their local news map.

Voice of the Listener and Viewer takes aim at politicians presenting news shows

Pip Eldridge of Voice of the Listener and Viewer is submitting a response to Ofcom’s consultation on politicians presenting news and current affair programmes. They welcome other organisations to join them, copy and paste the submission and submit their own.

Traditional media continues to lose ground to social media, says new report

The Reuters Institute has published their 2025 Digital News Report which shows traditional media platforms are struggling to maintain readership levels in the face of increasingly popular online platforms — specifically video channels such as The Joe Rogan Experience, as well as other YouTubers and Tik Tok channels.

UK journalists face growing personal threats and say media freedom is at risk

The Reuters Institute has published a new report exploring UK journalism in the 2020s. The report is built on a survey of 1,130 journalists and finds that 48% of those surveyed think truth is shaped by power, whilst 43% said the UK news ecosystem has ‘some’, ‘little’ or ‘no media freedom at all’. Meanwhile just 18% of journalists said they have never experienced safety threats through their work. Check out all the findings from this extensive report.

Media Reform Coalition report highlights significant corporate ownership of UK media

The Media Reform Coalition has released their latest annual report — Who Owns The UK Media — which looks at the concentration of news ownership in the UK. They find that just three companies — DMG Media, News UK and Reach — control 90% of UK national newspaper circulation, a 20% increase in market concentration since 2014. A similar story plays at a local level where two companies own 51% of the UK’s 882 local titles. They also find significant market control of the online platforms used to access news, as 7 of the top 15 platforms are owned by Meta, Google and X Corp.

Public Interest News Foundation petition urges Government to support regeneration of local journalism

PINF has launched a new petition calling on the government to support local journalism by backing six key measures. These include a £15m Local News Stimulation Fund, incentives for philanthropists to support local news, a new deal for local news providers to level the playing field with big tech, and more. Sign the petition to build awareness behind this key issue!

Index on Censorship launch ‘Am I facing a SLAPP’ tool to help journalists

Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) continue to plague public interest journalism, shutting down investigations and intimidating journalists. Index on Censorship has campaigned for government legislation to prevent this abuse and has recently created a tool to allow journalists to better understand whether they might be facing a SLAPP by answering their questionnaire.

Society of Editors urge government not to de-fund media and journalism courses

The Society of Editors has written to the Education Secretary to oppose new guidance instructing the Office for Students to shift funding away from media and journalism courses toward STEM subjects, warning it will disproportionately harm disadvantaged students. They argue the move threatens diversity in journalism and contradicts the government’s stated support for the industry.

Integrity & Transparency

Liberty defeats Government over ‘serious disruption’ legislation

Another major victory for campaigners as the government has dropped its defence of parts of the 2023 Public Order Act, potentially allowing activists convicted under the anti-protest legislation to have their convictions overturned. Human rights group Liberty had challenged the law, which allowed for police to arrest protesters causing ‘more than minor’ disruption, and hailed this latest development as ‘a victory for protest rights’.

Palestine Action to be listed as proscribed organisation after vandalism of RAF jets

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has lain a statement Parliament beginning the process of banning Palestine Action, in a move the group’s solicitors say is ‘unlawful, dangerous and ill thought out’, given the considerable levels of public support for the pro-palestinian group. Hundreds joined protests in London against the ruling. The High Court has granted an urgent hearing to Palestine Action to stop the ban taking effect, the ‘first attempt in British history to criminalise direct action, political protest, as terrorism, mimicking many authoritarian regimes around the world who have used counter-terrorism to crush dissent’, said Huda Ammori, Co-founder of Palestine Action.

Former justice secretary Charlie Falconer said last Sunday that the ‘sort of demonstration’ at Brize Norton would not justify proscription. Palestine Action claimed their action worked to intervene in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian territories, read their statement here. The Network for Police Monitoring have prepared a primer on the PA ban, what this means for activists and supporters of the campaign.

European Legal Support Centre requests support for legal against again PA proscription

The European Legal Support Centre are supporting a legal action against the proscription of Palestine Action and are gathering evidence from grassroots organisations regarding concerns groups may have with the proscription of Palestine Action. If your organisation is able to support with this, contact the ELSC with the following information, which will be submitted to court:

They are asking for answers to 3 questions:

(1) Who are you? What is your organisation and your mandate? How many members do you have?

(2) What do you do? What kind of events/actions do you do in support of Palestine?

(3) What are your concerns with the proscription of Palestine Action? How might this affect your group and the events/actions you usually hold? How might this affect wider repression against your group?

Please send answers to ELSC via email — tasnima@elsc.support

ELSC say to keep in mind that the email may be submitted as evidence to court.

Netpol oppose the ‘Statutory Right to Protest’ under scrutiny in Crime and Policing Bill
Although a number of high profile organisations and MPs have come out in support of the amendment to Labour’s Crime and Policing Bill to introduce a ‘Statutory Right to Protest’, Netpol has urged caution. They warn that a host of anti-protest measures will remain untouched by the bill and more broadly, they reject the idea that the state should not be allowed to determine the kinds of protest it sees as deserving of protection. Explore their full reaction as this important bill makes its way through parliament.

Fossil fuel giants exploit loopholes to force previous government to weaken climate policies

An investigation by InfluenceMap has found that the fossil fuel industry successfully lobbied to delay UK government action on the roll-out of heat pumps, the development of ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel and the granting of new oil and gas licences. The climate-focused think tank is calling for action to address the ‘major transparency gap’ which allows government lobbying to occur with minimal public scrutiny.

Roots offers Countering Disinformation Fellowship

Roots are offering an intensive one-week training, aimed at empowering organisers with the tools they need to stop disinformation at the root. Find out more.

The Guardian launches Secure Messaging tool to promote confidential story-sharing

Described as ‘a new whistleblowing innovation’, the Guardian’s new ‘Secure Messaging’ tool allows for anyone to share information and stories with their journalists via the Guardian app. According to the newspaper, the tech behind the platform conceals the fact that any messaging is taking place as the communication is indistinguishable from data sent to and from the app by regular users of the Guardian app.

Drop Homeland: Red Flare Launches Campaign Urging Stripe to Cut Ties with Fascist Party

Anti-fascist investigative journalist outfit Red Flare are running a campaign to get Stripe to stop hosting the British fascist party Homeland on their payments platform. Homeland is the largest fascist organisation in the UK, after splitting from the neo-nazi group Patriotic Alternative in 2023.

National Union of Students convene roundtable on dangers of disinformation for young people

The National Union of Students (UK) recently hosted a roundtable conversation alongside Lord John Mann to discuss the danger of disinformation and the growing risks of political disengagement. They explored the role of online conspiracies in shaping belief systems — particularly among young people — and discussed how this leads to growing mistrust in democratic systems.

Investigation finds Instagram intentionally demoted pro-Palestine posts

An investigation by nonprofit newsroom ‘The Markup’, has analysed hundreds of screenshots, videos, accounts and posts on Instagram in response to accustations that the platform censors pro-Palestinian support. Their analysis proved as much. They’ve shown that Instagram has routinely demoted non-graphic images of war, deleted captions and hid comments without notification, as well as suppressing hashtags and limiting the ability of account holders to appeal moderating decisions.

Headline figures in Spending Review don’t tell the full story, says Full Fact

The Chancellor’s Spending Review promised departmental budgets will grow by 2.3% a year in real terms. However, Full Fact says this figure is misleading. The increase Reeves’ is referring to accounts for changes that began in 2023/24, and Full Fact says the increase between this financial year and 2028/29 is more like 1.5%.

Incelosphere has doubled in size since 2022, says Centre for Countering Digital Hate

Research by CCDH in the wake of Stephen Graham’s hugely acclaimed new drama — Adolescence — shows that the world’s largest incel forum has nearly doubled in size to 30,000 members since their ‘Incelosphere’ report in 2022. The research also found that the forum reacted to the programme with a surge of violent rhetoric with more than 2.7m visits in the first quarter of the year.

Transparency International celebrate ‘World Whistleblower Day’ with twelve inspiring stories

The 16th of June marked World Whistleblower Day. To celebrate the occasion, Transparency International outlined twelve brave cases of global whistleblowing — from exposing healthcare corruption in Hungary to leaking information about river pollution in Lebanon — which led to awareness and action. Check out these inspiring stories.

Pro-democracy tech

Open Rights Group hosting round table on political parties use of data

With the integrity of elections in question over a lack of transparency around how people’s data is used during canvassing operations, Open Rights Group are co-hosting a roundtable discussion on party use of data, together with the Good Law Project. If you or your organisation has a particular interest in party use of data, get in touch to join the event: james.baker@openrightsgroup.org

Global Game Jam run a game jam to level up democracy

Over the course of the next month, Global Game Jam and One World or None are running a game jam to produce new games that embody the spirit of citizens assemblies, and can inspire people about the power of working together and finding common ground. Check it out and get your game on!

Games Transformed to run anti-fascist game festival this month

Games Transformed run an annual festival celebrating games and radical politics, this year’s festival on Saturday 12th July explores how communities can undertake anti-fascist organising through games. Find out more.

AI offering promising avenues to enhance citizen engagement in African democracies

The African Elections Project details 5 key ways AI is boosting citizen engagement through AI, from AI powered democratic education chatbots, to empowering electoral transparency to scan and address electoral irregularities in real time — including valuable lessons for UK democracy organisations assessing the potential of AI in their work.

DemocracyNext explore AI & Governance in latest paper

DemocracyNext’s new paper, Five Dimension of Scaling Democratic Deliberation, explores what scaling deliberation might mean, why it’s valuable and what’s the role of AI in delivering and enabling scaled democratic engagement. Read now.

And now for something completely different …

Poland’s presidential election campaigns faced unprecedented Russian interference, officials say

Lidia Kurasinska writing for Forbes, reports unprecedented large-scale Russian interference during its recent presidential election, with coordinated efforts by Russia and Belarus to spread disinformation, undermine public trust, and influence political outcomes in a democratic state, according to Polish Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski. He also noted that Russian military intelligence activity in Poland had doubled compared to the previous year. Poland’s Research and Academic Computer Network identified over 10,000 social media accounts disseminating disinformation aimed at swaying the election.

Did you know there is a Democracy Network Boardgames Club?

Run by Patti Garcia and Jon Pritchard, the group meets regularly in London and the South East of England. Join the WhatsApp Group today and get playing democracy-inspired boardgames!

See you next time,

James, Max and the Democracy Network team