Groups like the young German nonprofit JoinPolitics and Nigeria’s #FixPolitics, founded in 2020 by Oby Ezekwesili, cofounder of Transparency International, exemplify a worldwide trend to revive democratic principles through citizen-led innovation, analysts Johanna Mair, Josefa Kindt & Sébastien Mena write for the Stanford Social Innovation Review:
Similar initiatives have emerged in the past decade, including: the National Democratic Institute, which incubates leaders in public service in the United States; the Innovation in Politics Institute, which facilitates exchanges of best innovation practices across borders and party lines in Europe; the nonprofit Keseb, which seeks to build a global ecosystem of pro-democracy entrepreneurs in Brazil, India, South Africa, and the United States; and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, which established a network of democracy schools across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. RTWT
How does the rise of populism globally challenge democratic principles and institutions? How can the emerging practice of political innovation drive positive change? How can foundations work more democratically with the grantees that they serve? Stanford Social Innovation Review 
asks.
SSIR —the leading global publication on social change theory and practice—hosts Frontiers of Social Innovation 2023 convening, “The Role of Social Innovation in Democracy.” Over the course of three, half-day sessions, international leaders from nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, academia, research, business, and government will question, debate, and discuss the relationship between social innovation and democracy and the role that social innovation plays in creating a more just and democratic society.
Frontiers of Social Innovation 2023 will remain a virtual convening for the third consecutive year, making it easier for a wider array of people to participate. March 14-16, 2023. RSVP
