Saturday, November 09, 2024

From 6-8 November 2024 took place the 12th session of the World Forum for Democracy, the event that brought together in Strasbourg over 1200 participants from 70 countries of the world to answer the question "Democracy and Diversity - Can we transcend the divides?".

This edition focused on how misinformation and political narratives in electoral processes can inadvertently crystallize social divisions and provide fertile ground for populism to flourish. Through the presentation of 40 initiatives and discussions of 150 different speakers, it was aimed to explore ways to increase understanding among citizens to oppose the dangers that populism poses to their fundamental rights and freedoms.

Voting by participants announced the winner of the Democracy Innovation Award, an award this year awarded to the Aurora Institute for Human Rights, Brazil for the "My vote, your vote, our vote" initiative.

The forum also served as the finalization of the one-year cycle of training on good governance and democracy for the 22 participants of the Albanian School of Political Studies program. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Alain Berset, transmitted at the graduation ceremony his support for the Political Schools in over 20 member countries of the organization, as centers for the promotion of democracy and the best European values.

During the three days of the Forum, the participants of the School visited the European Court of Human Rights and met the Albanian judge Mr. Darian Pavli. The school of Tirana and that of Pristina were together in this conversation on the role of the court and its challenges for the protection of human rights.

The visit to the Albanian diplomatic mission in the Council of Europe was also an opportunity to discuss with the ambassador Mr. Dastid Koreshi on the Albania's role in the organization, the lobbying for Kosovo's membership as well as the efforts to be removed from the gray list of MONEYVAL instrument.