Democracy Local, a planetary publication 地方民主
@democracylocal.bsky.social
Stories, data, analysis, events and other content of, by, and for everyday people governing themselves. Publisher is Joe Mathews, journalist, Berggruen Institute fellow and co-founder of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy
NEW at Democracy Local. NEWSLETTER: The Planetocracy Cometh, So Wear Your White Hats. Also: Is Impact Investing Anti-Democratic? A Sub-Saharan Cities Compact; and Wisdom from a Cat-Mayor-Martyr
www.democracy.community/stories/news...
www.democracy.community/stories/news...
December 2, 2025 at 8:01 PM
NEW at Democracy Local. NEWSLETTER: The Planetocracy Cometh, So Wear Your White Hats. Also: Is Impact Investing Anti-Democratic? A Sub-Saharan Cities Compact; and Wisdom from a Cat-Mayor-Martyr
www.democracy.community/stories/news...
www.democracy.community/stories/news...
NEW: A Local Snapshot with Orzhytsia (Ukraine) Mayor Olena Sydorenko. 'Openness Is Even More Essential in War' www.democracy.community/stories/loca...
November 11, 2025 at 5:17 AM
NEW: A Local Snapshot with Orzhytsia (Ukraine) Mayor Olena Sydorenko. 'Openness Is Even More Essential in War' www.democracy.community/stories/loca...
NEW at Democracy Local: Our Local Snapshot feature chats with Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani about his city's water struggles—and how participatory governance and neighborhood democracy may help solve them. www.democracy.community/stories/loca...
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 AM
NEW at Democracy Local: Our Local Snapshot feature chats with Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani about his city's water struggles—and how participatory governance and neighborhood democracy may help solve them. www.democracy.community/stories/loca...
Wide-ranging discussion at the UN Forummof Mayors in Geneva
October 12, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Wide-ranging discussion at the UN Forummof Mayors in Geneva
The municipality of Gaborone, Botswana takes transparency seriously. It posts its response times and service delivery promises on a big tablet right outside the Civic Center.
October 12, 2025 at 10:15 PM
The municipality of Gaborone, Botswana takes transparency seriously. It posts its response times and service delivery promises on a big tablet right outside the Civic Center.
Great local panel at Open Government Partnership.
October 11, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Great local panel at Open Government Partnership.
Big news in LA
October 8, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Big news in LA
Big mistake! The UN just let Democracy Local in. Looking forward to an interesting day of discussion at the Forum of Mayors in Geneva
October 6, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Big mistake! The UN just let Democracy Local in. Looking forward to an interesting day of discussion at the Forum of Mayors in Geneva
About to board for the new destination
September 20, 2025 at 6:31 PM
About to board for the new destination
TODAY AT #DEMOCRACYLOCAL: Our new feature, by popular demand: "Where In the World Is Bruno Kaufmann?" This debut finds the intrepid democracy reporter-and-supporter in Kirkenes, on the Norway-Russia border. www.democracy.community/stories/new-...
September 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
TODAY AT #DEMOCRACYLOCAL: Our new feature, by popular demand: "Where In the World Is Bruno Kaufmann?" This debut finds the intrepid democracy reporter-and-supporter in Kirkenes, on the Norway-Russia border. www.democracy.community/stories/new-...
Labor Day march for immigrants and workers, San Diego
September 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Labor Day march for immigrants and workers, San Diego
Does Democracy Make the World More Peaceful? Not necessarily, writes SwissInfo. #DemocracyLocal www.democracy.community/stories/swi-...
August 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Does Democracy Make the World More Peaceful? Not necessarily, writes SwissInfo. #DemocracyLocal www.democracy.community/stories/swi-...
"I can resist everything except temptation" -Oscar Wilde, now the namesake of this donut shop in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo
August 2, 2025 at 11:45 AM
"I can resist everything except temptation" -Oscar Wilde, now the namesake of this donut shop in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo
Historic Broadway Station, downtown LA
June 13, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Historic Broadway Station, downtown LA
Our latest "Local Snapshots" features Setagaya District (Tokyo) Mayor, former legislator, and prolific author Nobuto Hosaka. www.democracy.community/stories/loca...
May 26, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Our latest "Local Snapshots" features Setagaya District (Tokyo) Mayor, former legislator, and prolific author Nobuto Hosaka. www.democracy.community/stories/loca...
New at Democracy Local: In this week's Eurovision Song Contest, you're going to hear a song in Swedish, from Finland, about taking a sauna. Behind it is a story of a small town, Vora. Bruno Kaufmann reports from there. www.democracy.community/stories/lett...
May 12, 2025 at 11:06 PM
New at Democracy Local: In this week's Eurovision Song Contest, you're going to hear a song in Swedish, from Finland, about taking a sauna. Behind it is a story of a small town, Vora. Bruno Kaufmann reports from there. www.democracy.community/stories/lett...
Berkeley under federal siege
April 16, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Berkeley under federal siege
Khalistan Referendum today, downtown Los Angeles
March 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Khalistan Referendum today, downtown Los Angeles
Today’s office, the public market in Itoman, Okinawa
February 25, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Today’s office, the public market in Itoman, Okinawa
Our community’s self-built float is ready. Feliz Ano Nuevo!
December 31, 2024 at 9:11 PM
Our community’s self-built float is ready. Feliz Ano Nuevo!
This is Democracy Local's top 10 of 2024. With thanks to colleagues, contributors and friends, from Kashmir to Cologne. Happy New Year! www.democracy.community/stories/demo...
December 18, 2024 at 10:01 PM
This is Democracy Local's top 10 of 2024. With thanks to colleagues, contributors and friends, from Kashmir to Cologne. Happy New Year! www.democracy.community/stories/demo...
Third and final part of the series: Greta Rios, in work drawn from her terrific "Stockholm Series" talk at International IDEA introduces us to the global practice of Legislative Theatre, as performed in Masajja, Uganda www.democracy.community/stories/thir...
December 12, 2024 at 7:13 PM
Third and final part of the series: Greta Rios, in work drawn from her terrific "Stockholm Series" talk at International IDEA introduces us to the global practice of Legislative Theatre, as performed in Masajja, Uganda www.democracy.community/stories/thir...
The second piece of this three-part series from Greta Rios (purposes from her "Stockholm Series" speech @internationalidea.bsky.social ) features participatory democracy in rural Chipinge, Zimbabwe. www.democracy.community/stories/seco...
December 11, 2024 at 6:26 PM
The second piece of this three-part series from Greta Rios (purposes from her "Stockholm Series" speech @internationalidea.bsky.social ) features participatory democracy in rural Chipinge, Zimbabwe. www.democracy.community/stories/seco...
To fight the fascists and populists, from Trump to Putin, we need a planetary coalition of local governments and institutions. My column at Democracy Local and Zócalo. www.democracy.community/stories/colu...
November 18, 2024 at 7:33 PM
To fight the fascists and populists, from Trump to Putin, we need a planetary coalition of local governments and institutions. My column at Democracy Local and Zócalo. www.democracy.community/stories/colu...