Resilience of Democracies
platform regulation as well as citizen empower- ment regarding their human and civil rights.
Reflecting on disinformation, digital disruption and accessibility barriers, policy recommenda- tions of Track 3 | Resilience of Democracies empha- sised education as a top priority for G7 Leaders: By fostering critical thinking, digital skills and media literacy, independent decision-making and assessing competence, citizens must be equipped by the ability to actively get involved in building resilient democracies. Reshaping educational systems, sufficient resources for educators and teachers as well as investment in digital infrastruc- ture and connectivity were identified as key levers to education in the digital age. It came naturally to Youth7 Delegates, to under- score the importance of youth participation and the empowerment of young people through proj- ect-based and collaborative learning and interna- tional exchange. Concerning emerging and persistent threats to democratic institutions, the G7 was called upon to develop and establish coherent and common defi- nitions and independent monitoring mechanisms to strengthen the understanding and safeguarding of open societies . With the latter relying on trans- parent and accessible advocacy processes and good governance practices, Track 3 advocated for complementary legislation to foster transparency and accountability in all decision-making, effective
Finally, the recommendations outlined nothing less than a shared vision on reshaping democracy for 21st century citizenship – inclusive, engaging, responsive and accessible for all. The introduction of a duty-to-respond-mechanism by 2050, was brought forward as an important building block alongside continuing evaluation and review of the inclusivity of the policy-making process. As their key demand and initiative, Delegates recommended the creation of arms-length civil society task forces by the G7 members and partners to further increase community participation in policy-making. Governments across the G7 should finance the accessibility of digital and physical environments and economically enable participation to ensure deliberation processes are inclusive.
On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, as celebrated by the United Nations on September 15, Track Sherpa Lisa Mastiaux and Ruszlan Biwoino released a short state- ment, reiterating the message to G7 Leaders calling for renewed efforts to strengthen civil societies as a critical component of a resilient and healthy democracy. “Our Track embraced a broad understanding of democracy which does not only focus on casting your vote in a free and fair election. We call upon G7 Leaders to strengthen each individual citizen’s opportunity and capacity to participate in political deliberations as well as society at large!” Lisa Mastiaux, Track Sherpa “Youth7 showcases the importance of youth participation, active youth spaces, transformative education, and the accessibility of advocacy processes. Commitment to democratic action flourishes if conditions like these are provided equally.” Ruszlan Biwoino, Track Sherpa
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