After the Global Innovations in Democracy: Parliamentary Exchange (GID) was delayed in fall 2023 by a potential government shutdown, IDEA and the Center for Democracy Innovation at the National Civic League hosted the second GID in Washington, D.C., from April 15 to 17, 2024. The exchange included delegations from nearly a dozen countries, representing Armenia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

Opening reception with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi

On April 15, U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi spoke at the opening reception, hosted by Walter Goetz, head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, D.C. She described how democracy innovations can help empower women in politics and stressed the importance of women's leadership at the global level.

“We need to make democracy more democratic,” Speaker Emerita Pelosi told the crowd.

Workshops at American University

On April 16, American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies hosted a day of panel discussions where members of Parliament, civil servants, academics, and thought leaders highlighted democratic innovations from around the world. They ranged from Kenya's Senate Mashinani, in which the Senate holds its sittings in different parts of the country and focuses on issues relevant to each area, to deliberative committees that bring citizens and legislators together in the parliaments of the Brussels region.

A panel on artificial intelligence (AI) examined how large, powerful countries have far more leverage over the AI industry than others, and how their decisions, or lack of them, will shape the industry's effects on smaller and developing countries. Across all the discussions, participants stressed the value of treating the public as an asset and the need for deeper constituent engagement. In a worldwide atmosphere of pessimism, concern, and confusion about democracy, the presentations showed how democracy innovation offers an undercurrent of proven practices, current and potential systemic reforms, and hope.

Parliamentary exchange at the U.S. Capitol

On April 17, GID concluded with a parliamentary exchange at the U.S. Capitol. Representative Nick Langworthy of New York opened the conversation by emphasizing the need for international dialogue among leaders. Art O’Leary, chief executive of Ireland's Electoral Commission, shared the origin story of Ireland's Citizens’ Assemblies, how they have succeeded, and how they have become recognized as the way to solve hard public problems in Ireland.

Participants also heard about the experiences of Belgium, France, and Germany with Citizens’ Assemblies at the local and national levels, especially France's Citizens’ Convention on the End of Life and the German Bundestag's citizens' assembly. Throughout the exchange, participants explored new ways to modernize how legislators engage with their citizens and the challenge of meeting constituents' needs with limited resources.

Reports and further reading

• GID 2024 Background Materials and Agenda | Download PDF

• Global Innovations in Democracy: Parliamentary Exchange, IDEA’s main GID page.

• GID 2022, IDEA’s page on the first exchange.

• IDEA Hosts Second Annual Global Innovations in Democracy Exchange, IDEA’s news story on GID 2024.

• Global Innovations in Democracy, the official GID website.