Breaking out of the echo chamber

Coming from 11 countries, our group of students from the Global Liberal Arts Alliance brought a diverse set of educational experiences and prior knowledge about democratic systems to the Athens Democracy Forum from October 9-11.

At the end of the week, we all agreed that our best learning experiences at the Forum came from the moments in which panelists and speakers from perspectives outside of Europe and the USA were able to share with delegates their unique experiences in developing democracies. If we are looking for novel solutions to democratic challenges, rather than an echo chamber, it is essential to draw lessons from democracies outside of Europe and the US, many of which are younger (both in terms of population and their duration as democracies) and bring distinct ideas and perspectives to the table. For us youth, the Athens Democracy Forum was most enlightening...