In partnership with the National Civic League, IDEA convened the second annual Global Innovations in Democracy: Parliamentary Exchange in Washington, D.C. this past week. The exchange was significantly larger than in its first year, including 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.    

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi offered remarks at the opening reception, where she stressed the importance of making democracy more democratic and the immense value of having women at the forefront of decision making in politics. American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies generously hosted a day of workshops and panels that covered topics including “What Does Democracy Innovation Look Like in 2023?,” “How AI is Changing the Picture?” “Meeting Challenges and Seizing Opportunities,” and “Using these Practices Together for Best Impact.” 

The final day culminated in a parliamentary exchange in the U.S. Capitol. The delegations were welcomed by Representative Nick Langworthy (R, NY-29), where he highlighted the need for dialogue and knowledge sharing amongst international leaders. The conversation then explored the need for innovation in how elected officials approach constituent engagement and what is working for those who are experimenting. 

We would like to express our immense gratitude to every one of our participants, many of whom traveled great distances to attend. IDEA looks forward to continuing to share more of our takeaways and findings from GID this year in the coming weeks!