Across Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, democracy is facing growing pressures. Democratic backsliding, shrinking civic space, information manipulation, rapid technological change and shifting geopolitical dynamics are testing institutions and public trust alike. Yet these challenges present an opportunity to rethink what democratic resilience requires in an increasingly fragmented world.

In this mini-series, the Foreign Policy Centre has partnered with the John Smith Trust (JST) to bring together contributors from Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Moldova and the United Kingdom, alongside an introductory piece by JST Trustee, Lord John Alderdice. Drawing on their professional experience and lived realities, they explore democracy through the interconnected lenses of culture, trust and agency.

The articles emerged from discussions at the 2026 JST ‘Ideas Exchange Forum’ – organised in partnership with Cumberland Lodge – where Fellows reflected on the conditions that enable societies to remain resilient in times of uncertainty. Together, they examine topics including culture and storytelling, psychological safety, youth participation, education, civil society, democratic leadership and institutional accountability.

Collectively, the contributors argue that democracy is about more than elections or formal institutions. It is built through the everyday relationships between citizens, communities and the state, and depends on whether people experience dignity, trust, belonging and the confidence to shape the societies in which they live.