Introducing “Cultivating Democracy: Recipes for Resilience”: reflection, action, and dialogue for a stronger democracy
FIBGAR is launching the project “Cultivating Democracy: Recipes for Resilience”, an initiative designed to strengthen democratic values and foster collective spaces for reflection capable of generating innovative responses to the challenges currently confronting our societies. This project responds to an urgent reality: contemporary democracies face an increasingly complex set of interconnected threats that compromise both their stability and their legitimacy.
Among the most concerning factors are the intensification of political polarization, the proliferation of hate speech that erodes social coexistence, and the expansion of disinformation and narrative manipulation through digital platforms with growing influence on public opinion. Added to this is a phenomenon that is silently spreading: the growing disaffection of citizens—particularly among younger generations—who perceive democracy as a distant system, unable to provide effective responses to their needs and aspirations. These dynamics have directly impacted social cohesion and weakened trust in institutions, calling into question essential principles of the rule of law such as equality, participation, and the effective protection of fundamental rights.
In this context, strengthening democratic resilience becomes an urgent task. This cannot be the responsibility of public authorities alone, but must actively involve civil society, the education sector, the media, the cultural sphere, and the technology industry. Enhancing democratic resilience means rebuilding trust between citizens and institutions, promoting critical thinking in the face of increasing informational noise, and activating more inclusive, deliberative, and transformative participation spaces. It is about cultivating an active civic culture capable of sustaining democracy even in times of uncertainty.
This priority has also been recognised at the European level. In 2020, the European Commission adopted the European Democracy Action Plan, highlighting the need to protect the integrity of electoral processes, ensure media pluralism, and counter disinformation, involving actors beyond public institutions. Along the same lines, the 2023 Democracy Report in Spain, developed by Fundación Alternativas together with the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, stresses that strengthening citizen participation and the role of civil society is essential to address growing democratic disaffection.
Spanish institutions have also mobilised in response to this urgency. In 2024, the Government presented the Action Plan for Democracy, aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the executive and legislative powers and in the media, with the goal of enabling citizens to evaluate public authorities and, in doing so, reinforce democratic trust. Likewise, the Spanish Foreign Action Strategy 2025–2028 expressly recognises the state’s commitment to defending an international order grounded in norms, human rights, multilateralism, gender equality, and citizen participation, while promoting initiatives that foster democratic culture, particularly among young people.
Aligned with this broader strategic framework, “Cultivating Democracy: Recipes for Resilience” is conceived as a collective effort that goes beyond diagnosing the causes of democratic erosion. It seeks to develop innovative and actionable responses adapted to diverse local realities. Through a participatory, critical, and interdisciplinary methodology, the project will combine qualitative research—including interviews, case studies, and documentary analysis—with the identification of transformative experiences that can inspire future initiatives. One of the project’s core elements will be two collective thinking forums, bringing together voices from academia, public institutions, the media, culture, and civil society, fostering a plural and intersectoral dialogue to collaboratively envision new strategies and pathways for a more open and robust democracy.
The process will culminate in a proposals document that will synthesise lessons learned, analytical frameworks, and practical tools developed throughout the project. This document will be shared with public institutions, civil society organisations, and civic networks with the aim of inspiring and catalysing initiatives that revitalize democratic life, strengthen social cohesion, promote active citizenship, and ensure the effective enjoyment of fundamental rights. Ultimately, the project seeks to inspire broader transformative processes that lead to a more inclusive, sustainable, and intergenerational democratic model.
Through this initiative, FIBGAR reaffirms its commitment to building fairer, more open, and more democratic societies, recognising that democratic resilience is cultivated daily: in the defence of human rights, in meaningful participation, and in the creation of spaces where diverse voices can meet, engage, and shape collective futures. “Cultivating Democracy: Recipes for Resilience” represents a firm commitment to imagining and advancing a stronger democracy—one capable of confronting global challenges without leaving anyone behind.
This project is co-funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, through the Secretariat of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, as part of Spain’s institutional commitment to defending and strengthening democracy both domestically and internationally.
Learn more about the project: https://fibgar.es/en/portfolio-item-en/cultivating-democracy-recipes-for-resilience/
