Bridging the Gap between Politicians and Voters: Time for a Real Dialogue

 

Session Overview 

In this session from the 2020 GovComms Festival, our panel discusses the relationship between politicians and voters, and how politicians can use communication to improve democratic norms.

On this panel are four directors of leading think tanks that study democracy in different parts of the world. This panel features the following speakers:

  • Gil Mulhovo, the Executive Director of the Institute for Multiparty Democracy Mozambique
  • Thijs Berman, the Director of the Netherlands Institute for Multi-Party Democracy
  • Ken Godfrey, the Executive Director of the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD)
  • Sammy Obeng, the Director of the Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica)

The four panelists first explain the work that each of their organisations do to strengthen democracy in their respective location. They then explain why and how communication and dialogue is key to the democratic functions of government.

They describe democracy as a two-way communication between politicians and voters. They also describe the various means of communication that politicians can use to connect with citizens.

After watching this video, you will be able to:

  • Understand the work of four organisations that study democracy around the world.
  • Identify ways that politicians can better connect with citizens and voters.
  • Understand and recognize the modern-day threats to democratic institutions.

Please note that this is a recording of a live presentation.

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