07/11/2025 News
As part of the World Forum for Democracy 2025 in Strasbourg, leading figures in democracy and human rights gathered to reflect on the future of citizen participation in modern societies.
Opening the third plenary session via video, Venezuelan political figure and human rights defender María Corina Machado, winner of the 2024 Václav Havel Prize and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, underlined that “the Council of Europe has been a moral compass for free nations. You are the friends of human rights, pluralism, and the rule of law, inspiring those of us who continue to fight under the darkest circumstances.”
She added: “Thank you for keeping faith in humanity’s most powerful idea: that freedom, when united with courage, can overcome even the darkest tyranny.”
The discussion, moderated by Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC), Chairperson of the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights, explored how democratic engagement can be revitalised through stronger civic involvement and innovative participation tools.
Other speakers included Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary General of International IDEA; Edmundo González Urrutia, 2024 Sakharov Prize laureate (Venezuela); Salina Grenet-Catalano, Director of Global Affairs at France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs; Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe; and Julian Sastoque, 2025 Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Award winner (Colombia).
Speakers underlined the vital role of civil society and young people in defending and renewing democratic life. Drawing on their diverse experiences and expertise, they highlighted that citizen participation - whether through activism, community engagement, or political involvement - is the foundation of resilient democracies.