Kourtney Pompi is Counterpart’s senior director of governance, as well as the co-coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition. She has spent more than 25 years advancing democracy around the world. For International Democracy Day, she underscores the vital role of civil society in making communities more prosperous, healthy, and just.
Every year on September 15, the global community celebrates International Democracy Day. It is a day to champion the principles of democracy and shine a light on the work still left to be done. At Counterpart, our governance team works to support democratic values and strengthen the ability of civil society to raise citizen voices and ensure that local priorities are heard and addressed by policy makers.
Our work in countries around the world is helping to move the needle in tangible ways. Adherence to democratic practices and principles yields better outcomes and communities. It levels the playing field and provides more opportunities for everyone to have a seat at the table. Democracies deliver stronger, more resilient economies—ones where women, youth, and people with disabilities can prosper. And the success of democracy relies on healthy, engaged communities—often through a vibrant and active civil society.
In the face of political instability and military coups, civil society organizations in Armenia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Niger are stepping up to advocate for their needs, engage their governments, and represent their communities’ interests. And Counterpart is helping to make that happen.
In Niger, civil society was able to withstand the 2023 coup that led to a change in power. While the new ruling government has dismissed elected officials at the local levels, newly appointed officials understand the importance of the work of local partners. We are supporting citizen monitoring committees to work with local communities and policy makers to enact change and improve education, ensure improved road safety, and advocate for the rights of women and girls.
Women in the Dalit community, a marginalized population in Bangladesh, advocate for their priority issues on International Women’s Day in March 2024.
In Bangladesh, just last month nation-wide student-led protests culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the appointment of a new interim prime minister. In the face of ongoing upheaval and uncertainty, the work of our local partners at the municipal level has continued, ensuring rights for vulnerable populations are protected and citizens are receiving the services they need to thrive. Together with civil society, we are supporting the rights of women and girls, ensuring improved health services, and working with policy makers to ensure citizen voices are heard and prioritized. Never before has the voice and action of civil society been more important.
And in Iraq, civil society continues to define its role with decision makers so that it has the space to operate on behalf of its constituencies. Civil society organizations are making solid gains at the local level where they are working to identify locally driven solutions to locally identified problems. Youth leaders are coming together to engage the government and private sector alike on the way forward for the next generation. Democracy is local and to see this kind of progress in a place such as Iraq is promising.
Amid these global challenges, civil society is proving time and time again that democracy is the system of governance that produces the best outcomes for both citizens and the global world order. In the absence of democracy, human rights will continue to be infringed upon, repressive regimes will continue to gain momentum, and corruption will increase. Civil society remains our best hope to drive the change we want to see in the world. It is our job to help raise citizen voices and to help affect policy change in partnership with stakeholders and decision makers at all levels.
