The annual 'Democracy Forward – Inspiration Festival,' dedicated to the future of democracy, will take place in Brussels on Tuesday with discussions on citizen participation, trust in information and the role of facts in democratic life.
Organised by the Democracy Fund and managed by the King Baudouin Foundation to mark the United Nations International Day of Democracy, the event will unfold in two parts.
From 12.30 p.m, BELvue Museum will host a series of round-table discussions on citizen participation, confidence in information and ways to better amplify voices that are often left unheard.
Presentation of 'La Parole aux Belges'
During this first part of the day, National Lottery chief executive Jannie Haek will present 'La Parole aux Belges,' a project developed with the Ipsos global market research company.
Under the initiative, five questions on a specific theme will be put each month to the 2.8 million people who hold a National Lottery account.
The first consultation, open from 15 to 29 September, will focus on the state of democracy in Belgium and on threats identified by citizens, including disinformation and polarisation.
According to the organisers, participants will be asked whether they feel their voice matters, what sometimes stops them from expressing an opinion, and what individual citizens can do to help democracy function well.
Evening discussion at the Bozar
The findings are intended to feed public debate and help guide projects supported by the public institution.
From 7.30 p.m., the programme will move to the Bozar for the evening event, 'Democracy Talk: Without facts, no democracy.'
At the conference, writer, historian and G1000 founder David Van Reybrouck will share his reflections on democratic renewal.
He will be followed by representatives of the Guardian Foundation, VRT, Mediahuis and DPG Media, who will discuss the future of independent media, artificial intelligence and whether democracy can function without a shared basis of facts.
