Program Areas

Program Areas

Global Citizenship

 The principle of basing all government on the consent of the governed is undenied and undeniable. Is democracy a failure? Train up citizens that will make it succeed. — W.E.B. DuBois

We advocate equal global citizenship

All human beings, irrespective of place of birth or any other differences, need to enjoy equal rights as global citizens of a democratic global community.

We support a planetary world view that allows individuals to understand their close connection to the planet and all of humanity and to develop a sense of global identity and solidarity. 

We support global citizenship education as an essential part of education worldwide. 

We are playing a leading role in the campaign for a UN World Citizens’ Initiative. This new tool will enable all world citizens to put forward proposals on important global issues.

We endorse the use of deliberative global citizens’ assemblies to seek citizens’ input for the agenda-setting and policy-making of the UN and other intergovernmental bodies.

A World Citizens' Initiative

DWB together with CIVICUS and Democracy International is running the Campaign for a UN World Citizens’ Initiative.

Global citizens' assemblies

DWB supports the use of global citizens’ assemblies for deliberation of global issues as outlined in its policy on the subject and endorses the Coalition for a Global Citizens’ Assembly.

Global voting platform

DWB supports the World Parliament Experiment in developing a scalable online platform that allows for debates, voting, and elections.

Partners

DWB and its chapters are seeking donors and partners to develop projects in the field of global citizenship education and citizens’ empowerment at all levels.

News and developments in this program area

UN needs to “open its doors to the world’s people”, civil society demands
Ahead of the UN’s Summit of the Future next week in New York, a diverse group of 160 civil society organizations from across the world calls on UN member states
DWB | 13.09.2024
Proposals for inclusive global governance put forward at UN conference
Proposals for inclusive global governance were discussed in two sessions at the UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi and then presented to the conference plenary. The event, held at UN
DWB | 22.05.2024
Global citizens’ assemblies: expanding the global democracy agenda
In recent years, democracies around the world have experimented with citizens’ assemblies. The main idea behind such assemblies is that randomly selected citizens, who form a statistically representative sample of
Farsan Ghassim and Andreas Bummel | 21.02.2024
Why Davos attendees should be backing a Global Citizens’ Assembly
A Global Citizens’ Assembly would, for the first time, give ordinary people from across the planet a seat at the global governance table. Decision-makers in Davos should support this, the authors argue.
Hélène Landemore and Rich Wilson | 19.01.2024