Did we only dream democracy?

BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions.

So where are we? Since its conception some 2,500 years ago, democracy has existed under persistent pressure. Indeed, one might ask whether any society has ever truly practiced “real” democracy?  While there have been moments when groups of people have come close, the gap between democratic ideals and lived political reality has usually been vast. In many cases, the illusion of a functioning democracy has reassured majorities even as power and wealth has became increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small minority. This concentration has not only weakened democratic practice but begun to erode confidence in democracy as an idea.

So, if democracy has never been fully viable in practice, how should humankind make collective decisions, especially now, as we confront the consequences of a profound and catastrophic separation from the natural world?

Peter MacFadyen, Author of Flatpack Democracy

A discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series, excluding the conference on the 4th of July.

To learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/