Name: Democracy is being tested. Citizen assemblies can help
Uploaded: 2024-11-05T15:49:03Z
Duration: 14 min 23 s
Description: How can everyday people help foster and protect democracy? Detailing her work fighting for people power as an activist in Madagascar, Ketakandriana Rafitoson discusses how citizen assemblies — meetings where ordinary citizens get educated about democracy — empower communities to protect their rights, debate important civic questions and take action to create a brighter future.

Ketakandriana Rafitoson: Democracy is being tested. Citizen assemblies can help

Democracy is being tested. Citizen assemblies can help

How can everyday people help foster and protect democracy? Detailing her work fighting for people power as an activist in Madagascar, Ketakandriana Rafitoson discusses how citizen assemblies — meetings where ordinary citizens get educated about democracy — empower communities to protect their rights, debate important civic questions and take action to create a brighter future.

In Madagascar, where nearly 80 percent of people live in extreme poverty, citizen assemblies give ordinary people a way to reclaim their voice. These small gatherings focus on learning about democracy, debating public issues, and taking collective action—sometimes even bringing corrupt officials to justice. With no outside funding, participants rely on creativity and solidarity, showing that grassroots movements can chip away at injustice even in the face of threats and setbacks. Citizen assemblies offer a model for rebuilding democracy wherever it is under threat.