International Coalition for Democratic Renewal

International Coalition for Democratic Renewal

The International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR) is a global initiative of a group of intellectuals, activists, and politicians, concerned with the expansion of power and influence of authoritarian regimes and the simultaneous weakening of democratic systems from within. The ICDR aims to reaffirm the fundamental principles of democracy, to go on the offensive against the authoritarian opponents of democracy, and to demonstrate solidarity with the brave people who are fighting for freedoms in undemocratic systems around the world.

The founding document of ICDR is the Prague Appeal,  issued in Prague on May 26, 2017. The ICDR members include Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, writer, political scientist and philosopher Francis Fukuyama, Russian chess grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov, French philosopher Bernard-Hénri Levy, Hong Kong student leader and legislator Nathan Law, journalist and author Anne Applebaum, political scientist Ivan Krastev and youth activist Rosa María Payá.
 

The Coalition was officially launched in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 10, 2017, within the framework of the annual Forum 2000 Conference.

The specific objectives of the project:

  • To develop and strengthen the ICDR platform which will serve as a moral and intellectual catalyst for the revitalization of the democratic idea.
  • To serve as interactive forum for the exchange of ideas about the best ways to address complex new challenges facing democracy such as static or declining living standards for many citizens, the backlash against increased immigration, the rise of “post-truth politics” in an age of social media, and the erosion of support for liberal democracy.
  • To enhance public awareness and carry out educational activities for the public, students and civil society.

2023 Meeting

In the framework of the 27th Forum 2000 Conference, around 70 members of the ICDR met at the annual gathering as well as during working group meetings.

The general discussion focused on the support for political prisoners part of the coalition, on the state of democracy in African countries as well as the role of the United Nations in the state of human rights. This was complemented by presentations by each working group on their planned activities and proposed topics and other housekeeping issues.


Photogallery

International Coalition for Democratic Renewal meeting at the Forum 2000 Conference