Global Issues

Democracy

How can we strengthen democracy in Germany and Europe?

The Situation

Democracy in Germany, Europe, and all across the globe is facing major challenges. Trust in institutions and processes is dwindling, and many citizens find their expectations of participation and justice are not being met. This feeling of being underrepresented in political discourse and processes can undermine the legitimacy of democracy, as well as intensify a tendency toward division and populism, challenging the very foundations of our coexistence.

The Goal

We advocate for viable democracy and rule of law in Germany and Europe, which enjoy legitimacy and the critical trust of their citizens. The cornerstone to achieve this is a firmly embedded, lived experience of a culture of democracy – both online and in real life – and politically educated citizens who are capable of discerning thought and taking action, citizens who put democracy into practice as they actively participate and demand inclusion.

Our Strategy

We encourage people to acquire the skills needed to maintain a healthy democracy, a constructive culture of debate, as well as political and societal inclusion. We also strengthen innovative civic participation formats in order to complement representative democracy, meaning more people regard themselves as shapers of political processes. In doing so, we focus on the working age population and center our involvement on Germany’s shared border regions with its neighbors.

News

Common Ground – Shaping Regions Across Borders

“It’s up to us to give people a voice”

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Expert interview

Resilience of democracy: “If you want to prevent a worst-case scenario, you have to know what it is”

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Publication

Common Ground – Executive Summary

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Publication

Why inequalities affect everyone – even those who may not think they are impacted

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Focus topic 2025

Strengthening Democracy: 10 Things You Can Do Right Now

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Publication

Moving Forward Together

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New study

How Citizen Participation Can Strengthen Climate Policy

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Dossier

Why Climate Policy Must Become a Priority

Read the dossier
German School Award 2025

New ideas for learning

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Citizen participation

Do citizens' assemblies really strengthen the resilience of democracy?

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Social commitment

‘If we don't get up now, it could be dangerous’

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Democracy

The future of social cohesion

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Politics at the grassroots level

Between violence and civil dialogue – two Bundestag members report

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A culture of dialog

Enduring controversial opinions – the demoSlam shows how it’s done

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Dossier

Justice concerns all of us

Read the dossier
Publication

Common Ground: Country Report Germany

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Opinion

Democracy — A Muscle That Needs to be Exercised

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Publication

The Protection and Promotion of Civic Space

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Discussion

Citizen participation: "We need real participation"

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Report

For the Bundestag, dialogue between its members and their citizens is vital

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Dossier

How citizen participation strengthens a vibrant democracy

Read the dossier
Report

Citizen participation: The journey is also the reward

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News

More Democratic Awareness at Schools in Brandenburg

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Publication

Assessing Civic Tech That Works to Build #TheAfricaWeWant*

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Robert Bosch Stiftung - Privacy Statement

Common Ground: Claudia Chwalisz, Innovative Citizen Participation Lead at OECD in Paris

Interview

"To figure out how to improve democracy accessible knowledge is key"

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Publication

Relationship crisis? Citizens and their democracy in Germany, France, Great Britain, Poland and the …

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Interview

What Is the Future of Democracy?

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Discover our projects

Democracy

Common Ground: Shaping Regions Across Borders

With Common Ground, we promote the cross-border participation of the population in shaping and developing their border region. In the long-term,...

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Democracy

Everyday Spaces. Making a bigger impact, together

Together with the Federal Association for Socioculture, we support ten tridems in developing and testing ideas for low-threshold democracy work.

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Democracy

United locally - for strong cooperation

The ‘United locally - for a strong togetherness’ programme promotes cohesion in smaller towns and villages in Germany. Committed individuals,...

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Democracy, Climate Change

Future is Served! Shaping Food Systems Together.

The program supports local authorities to work together with citizens, the (agricultural) economy, and civil society to design more sustainable...

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Democracy

Factor D – Hub for Democracy

Factor D is a broad network of actors and organisations in German-speaking countries. It brings together democratic forces in Germany, Austria and...

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Democracy

Hello Bundestag – Constituency Councils for Democracy

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Democracy

Business Council for Democracy #BC4D

We promote new alliances to protect democracy in the digital age. BC4D provides services that teach people in a professional context to recognize...

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Democracy

Strategic partnership with More in Common

Strengthening democracy and social cohesion together – that is the goal of the strategic partnership between the Democracy team of the Robert...

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Democracy

demoSlam

DemoSlam relies on dialogue to foster understanding. It draws together people with contrasting opinions, equipping them with the space and tools to tolerate difference and relearn the ability to handle conflict.

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Democracy

The Consul Project

The award-winning open-source platform for citizen participation “Consul” ensures open, transparent, and democratic governance.

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Democracy

Developing and Mobilizing Platforms for Democracy

We support International IDEA in creating platforms to mobilize, connect and update global democracy supporters.  

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Democracy

Strong Teachers – Strong Students

We support vocational teachers in dealing with right wing extremism among their pupils. Through the teachers, the pupils are emboldened to reflect...

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Democracy

It’s Complicated.

People and their democracy in Germany, France, Britain, Poland, and the United States. This representative study puts attitudes toward democracy in the five countries under the microscope.

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Democracy

Center for Democracy in Vocational Education

Vocational education is more than just professional training — it’s a space where social life unfolds and democratic values are negotiated. It...

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Democracy, Climate Change

Forward Together? - Feasibility study on deliberative participation in climate governance

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Democracy

Climate meets local government – model project on citizens' councils and direct democracy

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Democracy, Inequality

Citizens' council ZUKUNFT:STEUERN

A feasibility study is examining whether the topic of "justice and taxes" is suitable for a nationwide citizens' council.

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Our focus

Competencies for democratic culture

In complex and pluralistic societies, knowing how a political system and its institutions work is not sufficient. If citizens want to participate both politically and socially, they need the right competencies to engage with a constructive culture of debate, both on and offline, as well as the ability to tolerate differences, change their perspectives, compromise, and think critically. We advocate for low-threshold and real-life teaching of the skills necessary to maintain a healthy democracy and focus on finding innovative formats and unusual places to this end.  

Citizen Participation

Involving citizens in political decision-making processes can increase their trust in politics and institutions as well as their sense of satisfaction with democracy. Strong participation formats achieve notably better qualitative results, raise acceptance among the population, and, alongside representative democracy, bring about broader legitimacy. We strengthen innovative and inclusive formats for civic participation that can be linked into the political sphere. We aim to target those people who have so far felt ignored by traditional approaches. Of particular importance are transnational participation processes in Germany’s border regions with its neighbors.

Do you have a project idea you would like to submit to us?

We are pleased about your interest in working with us. As a nonprofit foundation, we have limited funds at our disposal, which is why we cannot support every project idea submitted to us. 

Please note: We are currently not accepting any project ideas. Please kindly refrain from sending us any. Thank you for your understanding. 

    • We are focusing our funding on projects that aim to reach out to people in their working age. For this reason we cannot fund projects that target mainly children and youngsters.
    • We can only support individuals within the context of project-specific calls for submissions. This also applies to individual PhD projects or other scholarships. Please check our current open calls to see whether there is anything suitable for you. 
    • Humanitarian aid is an important approach to relieving distress in acute emergency situations and requires special expertise. However, our strategic focus is on the overall configuration of the immigration society. Therefore, we ask you not to submit requests related to acute emergency aid.
    • Unfortunately, we are not able to assume the costs for purchase of materials or infrastructure projects.

    Contact person

    Jacqueline Sachse
    Assistant to Team Democracy
    Phone+49 711 46084-490
    e-mail to Jacqueline Sachse

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