#Democracy Drinks: Charting a Course for Stronger Democracies

Democracy is not something we can take for granted. In today’s political climate, It's time to move beyond observation and towards proactive engagement, discovering innovative approaches and collaborative efforts. Not just for defending, but actively reinventing and strengthening the vital frameworks of democracy and justice.

But how to do this?

Join us at the September edition of the Democracy Drinks (23rd September 17h-19h) where we will be joined by three panel guests who will each approach this question from a different angle.

• Tijmen Rooseboom, director of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, will dive into the global trend of democratic decline and what this means for democracy support.
• Bas Bijlsma, director of Democratie Monitor, monitors the state of democracy in the Netherlands and will share his insights on what needs to be done to strengthen democracy and justice over here.
• Hugo Knoppert, Co-Founder Kukura Organics. Hugo is a Dutch entrepreneur. How does democracy and rule of law impact trade and businesses? His story is one of inspiration, but it also reveals why these aren’t just abstract concepts but have a real impact on people and societies.

Join us on the journey. At the event, we’ll also be sharing an exciting new initiative, The Democracy and Rule of Law Collective, that will carry the conversation forward and champion democracy and rule of law as cornerstones of a fairer, safer, and more prosperous world.

What are the Democracy Drinks?

#DemocracyDrinksTheHague brings together democracy advocates, thinkers and enthusiasts at our monthly informal networking events. It is a great way of making new contacts and catching up with people you know; for testing ideas and planning actions; for moral support and inspiration. Feel free to invite friends and colleagues that work on or are interested in defending values like democracy, rule of law, human rights… Come along and you will be made welcome!

This event series is a collaboration between the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC) and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) and The Hague Humanity Hub.

#DemocracyDrinks were launched in 2018 by Defend Democracy Executive Director Alice Stollmeyer. Over time, #DemocracyDrinks have expanded their reach and have been organized in Aarhus, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Kathmandu, Montreal, The Hague and Washington DC, and soon also in other cities. The events attract a lively mixture of people from NGOs, international institutions, think tanks, national governments and representations, academia, public affairs consultancies, social businesses and other active citizens.

Photos - yes or no?

Please note that during Democracy Drinks a photographer and/or videographer will be present in order to take pictures, for use by the #DemocracyDrinks the Hague partners in future marketing efforts. These can include social media usage, blog posts, as general marketing material, and to market future events and initiatives.

By attending Democracy Drinks you give permission for your image to be used to promote The Hague Humanity Hub, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy in the future. You can withdraw your consent by emailing democracydrinksthehague@gmail.com and specifying the event in question (as well as by providing details to help us identify you). Once consent has been withdrawn, The Hague Humanity Hub, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy will delete any photo of you as soon as is possible. If you’d like to not be featured in any image and/or video capture in an upcoming event, please notify democracydrinksthehague@gmail.com and we will take step to ensure you are not included in any photos or videos. Thank you for your cooperation!

#DemocracyDrinksTheHague #DefendDemocracy #DemocracyDrinks

@TheHagueHumanityHub @NHC @NIMD