Last Saturday we had the pleasure of attending Democracy 21, an event hosted by Our Democracy who are a coalition organisation formed by members such as Common Weal, the Electoral Reform Society and GalGael.

The conference featured a plethora of speakers who were well-versed in Scottish politics and the democratic process. From sessions on technology and democracy after the Cambridge Analytica scandal with Adam Ramsay from openDemocracy and Kyle Taylor from Fair Vote, to what makes good governance with Robin McAlpine from Common Weal and Doreen Grove from the Open Government Partnership, all attendees participated in engaging and challenging discussions about how we can build a democracy that is fit for the 21st Century.

The event opened with its first plenary on how the UK’s democracy crisis first came about and what challenges it has presented for all those involved in the political process. Willie Sullivan from the Electoral Reform Society highlighted the imperative of face to face interaction for democratic exchange, lamenting that while technology holds great potential for democracy in increasing information sources and awareness, the use of algorithms and fake news threatens both its democratic nature and its potential.

Katherine Trebeck, from the Well-Being Economy Alliance, made a compelling speech on how democracy has been conceptualised as a platform for maximising economic growth. Instead, she said, we should visualise democracy in the 21st Century as a means to promote the well-being of humans and the environment. As our attention is continually drawn to the separation of families at the US border and the harmful effects of plastic in our oceans, now seems a more apt time than ever to redesign the concept of democracy in this way.

The first set of break-out sessions focused on envisioning our new democratic life. We attended the session on the roots and discontents surrounding the current crisis of representation in today’s politics. Darren McGarvey, rapper and author of Poverty Safari, spoke of the need to listen to those who are at the bottom of the political hierarchy in order to engage them in the political process and create a legitimate democracy that works for us all. Meanwhile, Sofi Taylor from STUC Black Workers’ Committee, described her experiences as an ethnic minority who still feels unrepresented despite having lived in the UK since the 1970s. She also discussed the dichotomy of the fact that 2015 saw the election of the first Sikh MP to the House of Commons. The Sikh community have existed in the UK for decades, she pointed out, so why has it taken so long for them to be represented in our democracy? She answered this by highlighting the fact that the Black and Ethnic Minority community (BME) frequently do not vote on account of racism, discrimination and invisibility. “You can’t be what you can’t see” – a cliché, she admits, yet it still rings true for the BME society even today. The session concluded with an animated Q&A discussion where the effects of austerity and the blame placed on those born into poverty were debated.

The middle plenary saw journalist Paul Mason and Elena Tarifa Herrero from community organisation International Commission of Barcelona en Comú discuss the anatomy of the democratic crisis. Herrero told the story of how a citizen’s platform has been able to govern Barcelona, taking change from the streets to the institutions in order to enact meaningful change that is powered by the people.

The final set of break-out sessions focused on understanding how the democracy crisis came to be in order to provide a ‘road map’ of the issues we are currently experiencing. We attended the session on politics in the era of fake news with journalist Michael Gray and Layla-Roxanne Hill from The Ferret. Both speakers highlighted the importance of supporting an alternative media in Scotland which has no corporate agenda to promote. Gray spoke of the current lack of trust surrounding traditional media when they have been known to be complicit in covering up scandals such as Hillsborough, the Dodgy Dossier and more, recently, Grenfell.  Hill discussed the importance of fact-checking to ensure that the information we receive and believe is trustworthy.

Finally, the closing plenary looked at the idea of a ‘Democratic spring’ and how we can have a more inclusive political process going forward. Led by Lesley Riddoch with co-founder of Women 50/50, Talat Yaqoob, who works to have 50% female representation in Parliament, councils and public boards. Yaqoob reminded us that we must be aware of our own privilege and how that may exclude the involvement of some individuals and communities. In order to have truly inclusive politics, she said, we must look around the room and actively seek to involve those who are not present.

In the words of Paul Mason, unless we get this right, there will be no Democracy22. Join us this year at Beyond Borders International Festival to further explore how to achieve a more inclusive politics in Scotland, where we will be joined by Democracy21 speaker Talat Yaqoob as part of our session discussing the on-going fight for women’s voices to be heard 100 years after they were first able to vote. From sessions on the effects of populism in contemporary politics to a discussion on the New York Times’ Hard Truths photography exhibition with their Associate Managing Editor, Jodi Rudoren, there is something for everyone in this year’s programme. You can also join us for our Walled Garden Arts and Music Programme to enjoy a range of workshops, exhibitions and visual performances. Check out the full programme and buy tickets here.