And how should civil society organisations adapt their roles as conveners, watchdogs, mobilisers, and advocates to defend human rights and shape democratic policies and practices?
These questions were at the heart of ECNL's recent foresight workshop on the future of democratic participation. At ECNL, we believe that preparing for the future requires looking beyond the civil society sector alone. Democracy is being shaped by a wide range of interconnected forces, from technological innovation and geopolitical shifts to demographic and behavioural change. To explore these dynamics, we brought together experts from different disciplines. Political scientist Professor Sofia Vasilopoulou and strategic foresight and behavioural expert Thimon de Jong shared perspectives from their respective fields, helping us understand the drivers of change and their potential implications for democratic participation and civic engagement. Participants then took part in an interactive scenario immersion exercise, exploring how civil society could respond under different future conditions and identifying the capabilities and strategies needed to remain effective across a range of plausible futures.
In this blog, we share the key insights and takeaways from the workshop.
Adopt a comprehensive approach to strengthening democratic resilience
As Professor Sofia Vasilopoulou highlighted, democracy is more than elections or participation; it is an interconnected ecosystem in which engaged people, accountable institutions and a healthy information environment reinforce one another. This ecosystem is held together by democratic values, such as the rule of law, pluralism, equality and inclusion, and by shared democratic norms that act as guardrails.
Democratic backsliding rarely happens overnight. It is a gradual erosion fuelled by weakening democratic norms and growing tolerance for anti-democratic behaviour. Strengthening democratic participation therefore requires more than creating opportunities for people to engage: civil society must also defend democratic values and norms, advocate for strengthening institutions, address fragmented perceptions of reality, and protect the conditions that allow citizens to make informed choices.
Build meaning bridges and offer hope
One of the most powerful insights from behavioural scientist Thimon de Jong was that if we want to shape the future, we must first acknowledge the past. In times of uncertainty, people naturally become nostalgic. Rather than dismissing this, we should ask: what is worth carrying forward, and what should we leave behind? By building these "meaning bridges" between the old and the new, we can help people embrace change without feeling they are losing what matters most.
At the same time, we need to offer hope. Living through a polycrisis has left many people, especially young people, anxious about the future. If democracy is framed only through decline and crisis, people are more likely to disengage. Civil society should therefore pair honest conversations about today's challenges with compelling visions of what is possible and build bridges among generations. By highlighting practical solutions, celebrating small wins and showing that collective action leads to real progress, we can help people move from uncertainty and fear towards optimism and agency.
Shape AI before it shapes democracy
The use of AI tools can make participation more inclusive (for example by removing language barriers or simplifying information), but there are many risks associated with their use. AI tools can quietly shape what people see, think and prioritise and how their submissions are valued. Civil society should therefore actively shape how AI is developed, governed, and deployed. That means asking difficult questions. First of all, is it necessary to use AI in a democratic process? Who owns the tool, how is bias prevented and how are transparency and accountability ensured? Safeguards must be embedded to prevent negative implications for human rights and ensure the tools reflect democratic values rather than commercial or political interests.
At the same time, digital participation should never replace the human interactions that build trust, empathy and democratic culture: “the most powerful innovation isn't technology, it's community”. This brings us to the last insight.
Rebuild trust to rebuild democracy
Perhaps the strongest thread running through the workshop was that democratic decline is increasingly a trust deficit. Trust in institutions, in information, and in one another is eroding. As trust declines, people may disengage or retreat into smaller communities where they feel safe and understood. Civil society cannot focus only on influencing policy; it must also invest in rebuilding the social fabric that makes democracy possible. Civil society can act as a bridge-builder. Investing in spaces where people from different backgrounds can meet is not about forcing consensus, but about demonstrating that diversity can be a source of democratic strength rather than division.
Look ahead and shape the future we want
Throughout the discussions, it became clear that strengthening democratic participation requires a broad approach and many different capabilities. Defending civic space and influencing policy will remain essential, but these efforts need to be complemented by rebuilding trust, addressing democratic values and norms, connecting people across divides, communicating hopeful and inclusive visions of the future, and ensuring that emerging technologies are designed and governed in ways that strengthen rather than undermine democracy.
This calls for diverse skills and expertise. Technical expertise will be critical as technology becomes more deeply embedded in democratic processes. At the same time, participants repeatedly emphasised the growing importance of human skills. Creating spaces where people can listen to one another, build relationships and act together are essential strategies to strengthen democratic resilience. Civil society organisations will therefore increasingly benefit from complementing their policy and legal expertise with insights from behavioural science, strategic communications and foresight.
Foresight reminds us that the future is not something that simply happens to us. It is shaped by the decisions we make today. By anticipating change and experimenting with new approaches, civil society can help ensure that democratic participation remains meaningful, inclusive and resilient in the years ahead.