#athensdemocracyforum
"For us freedom of speech is one of the very fundamental values of the European Union." - Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President, Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, European Commission

#athensdemocracyforum
October 3, 2025 at 8:35 PM
"[all over asia] Young are there to stand up against corrupt power." - Seoul Sohee Yang, Co-Founder and C.E.O., VALID and Founder, YOUNAN Movement

#athensdemocracyforum
October 3, 2025 at 8:33 PM
"Ukraine really is Europe’s shield, Europe needs Ukraine" - Chrystia Freeland, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Former Minister of Finance, Canada

#athensdemocracyforum
October 3, 2025 at 8:32 PM
"For so long we have treated nature as something we are not part of."
Stewart Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director, Global Order and Institutions Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

#athensdemocracyforum
October 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
"Can deliberation cure the ills of democracy?" - James S. Fishkin, Professor and Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication, Stanford University

#athensdemocracyforum
October 3, 2025 at 8:21 PM
"Civic education is the key to confront the challenges that we have today." Julián Sastoque, Economist and Councilor, Bogotá City Council, Winner of The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize 2025.

@kofiannanfdn.bsky.social
#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 9:49 PM
"The older you get the narrower the choices become until you have one." - Maria Ressa, Co-Founder and C.E.O., Rappler

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 9:47 PM
"The immediate effect of the tariffs has been great uncertainty." - Mary Beth Goodman, Deputy Secretary General, O.E.C.D.

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:50 PM
"If you look at the last ten or even 15 years, [...] what they [the US] are trying to do is bring the manufacturing back to their own country." - Jaeyoung Lee, Former Member, South Korean National Assembly and Adjunct Professor, Kookmin University, Seoul
#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:48 PM
"Every day we wake up waiting for a declaration that could change everything all over again." - Brando Benifei, Member of European Parliament
#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:47 PM
"There's plenty of money in the world, it's just in the wrong hands." - Bill de Blasio, Former Mayor of New York City

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:43 PM
"The most difficult job of mayors is to target actions towards social cohesion." - Haris Doukas, Mayor of Athens

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:21 PM
"Cybercrime is about the same size as the global construction industry." - Evan Kotsovinos, Vice President for Privacy, Safety and Security, Google

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
"Ethics and security go hand in hand, together. I believe this is not something we can rely only on companies [to take care of] alone" - Martin Hojsík, Vice President, European Parliament

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:15 PM
"Democracy dies when people lose faith" - Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, Scholar and Policy Adviser

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I was truly privileged to moderate the AI, Ethics & Democracy sessions at this year’s Athens Democracy Forum, where we explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping societies, institutions, and democratic life. 🇬🇷🇪🇺 #AthensDemocracyForum
October 2, 2025 at 8:21 AM
“[There is] a double discrimination LGBTQ people [of Namibia] are facing: Traditional and Cultural values and religious and political phobia.” - Omar Van Reenen, Co Founder and Campaign Manager Equal Namibia

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 6:55 AM
“The most stable systems that had delivered to the citizens… were Democracies.” - Rashid Al Mohanadi, Middle East Council on Global Affairs

#athensdemocracyforum
October 2, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Colmena Fund's ED Suyen Barahona co-facilitated with Bru Pereira @votelgbt.org the roundtable “Resist, Persist and Reimagine: Accelerating Diverse Women & Young People’s Political Power” focused on effective strategies to build inclusive political pipelines in decision-making.

#AthensDemocracyForum
October 1, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Honored to work with Hussam Erhayel and Rebekah Ison (Better Politics Foundation), Pavel Kounchev (Fine Acts), Andrés Sáenz (L-Hub), James Weinberg (University of Sheffield) and Nada Zohdy (@obamafoundation.bsky.social) in “Re-Imagining Democracy & Public Sector Leadership” at #AthensDemocracyForum.
October 1, 2025 at 9:22 PM
“This award… I’d like to dedicate to those who really deserve it. It’s not me. It’s the journalists of the Gaza.” - Gideon Levy, Journalist and Author - Winner of the City of Athens Democracy Award

#athensdemocracyforum
October 1, 2025 at 5:28 PM
“We hope because peace in the region would mean food for the children.” - Harris Doukas, Mayor of Athens

#athensdemocracyforum
October 1, 2025 at 5:25 PM
“We forgot to focus on people, so we need to invest in people.” - Mandeep Tiwan, Secretary General CIVICUS

#athensdemocracyforum
October 1, 2025 at 5:21 PM
October 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
“I think threat detection using Ai can become a point of collaboration across the world.” - Despina Spanou, Principal Adviser for Cybersecurity Coordination, European Commission

#athensdemocracyforum
October 1, 2025 at 1:24 PM