A better world requires new engaging agoras

I was lucky enough to be able to attend this year’s Athens Democracy Forum held in association with The New York Times in the shadow of the Acropolis, in the “cradle of democracy.” For three days I got to hear from politicians, entrepreneurs, and civil society leaders that democracy as we have come to know it is under stress. The strongman tendencies of Trump, Salvini, Erdogan and many others bear scary resemblances to tactics and practices of centuries past, the ones in which conflict and anger became the basis of human interactions. As we discussed changing models of democracy, there was a sense of urgency and longing for cross-cultural conversations that can fundamentally challenge our physical and ideological borders.

Sitting through symposia, debates, and presentations of all sorts meant receiving a constant reminder of the dangers of the road ahead, a road filled with uncertainty and a sense of dismay. But I am happy to say that I did not get on a plane back to the United States with sadness or despair in my heart. I left the streets of Athens with a reinvigorated love and appreciation for democracy, together with a renewed sense of belonging and hope. On my first day, I got to hear the passionate charges of Kassem Eid, a Syrian activist with an affinity for Batman, and Nathan Law, a Hong Kong advocate and politician, reminding us that we have to fight for democracy to truly appreciate it. What we have taken for granted is now at risk, and we must consciously and intentionally take action to save it. Kassem and Nathan have been on the frontlines of the defense of democracy, risking their bodies in the name of an ideal that autocrats everywhere are trying to challenge at every turn. If we only listen to the usual voices in the crowd, to those enriched politicians whose goal is to maintain their profitable lobbying connections, we cannot expect change. As our politics become increasingly polarized and trust in media falls to historical lows, we need to discover our new agora where we can create relations with other global citizens without the mediation of algorithms.

And algorithms were certainly at the center of many of the discussions that were had the Forum. When we started inhabiting the online spaces of mass social media a decade ago, these digital agoras seemed like a perfect companion to revitalize democracy across the globe. We did see glimpses of that ideal world: the Arab Spring movements were set ablaze by online connections, and activists in Hong Kong today are utilizing social media to organize and further their cause for freedom. Those same tools, however, have been masterfully used across the rest of the world to sow discord and push extremist political agendas counter to democratic values. Crystal Patterson, Global Civic Partnership manager for Facebook, spoke at length at the Forum, defending the Zuckerbergian giant from the recent attacks that it has received in terms of lack of transparency and the treatment of users’ data. Her participation in the symposium on electoral integrity, together with her role as panelist on echo chambers and digital agoras, shows an apparent commitment of Facebook to right the wrongs of the 2016 election. At the end of the day, however, Facebook is still simply a massive advertising company, whose practices are bound to change and adapt to their environment. Regardless of the practices of Facebook, Twitter, or any other tech giants, we cannot expect for-profit enterprises to be a tool for democracy. When politics is already shaped by monetary interests, we must reject any type of profit-oriented “solution” that promises to fix the world around us. Democracy, in its true form, is not for sale nor should it depend upon the logic of a capitalist market.

As younger generations abandon Facebook, we need to make sure that their newly gained free time is filled with radically excellent human interactions away from screens. I am not alone in feeling a mobilizing anger when confronted with the hate being spread by agents of illiberalism like Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin. I am not alone in believing that a better world for all is possible. I am not alone in feeling like a global citizen, a sense of belonging that crashes and destroys every border (physical or not) that stands between the people of this planet. I am not alone. And because we are not alone, it is high time for an inclusive and diverse youth movement that takes on the street, regardless of likes and retweets.

When the example of Greta Thunberg and her Fridays for Future sets in motion over 4 million protesters around the world, it shows the strength and potential that we as young global citizens have. And if politicians forget about us and do not gear any of their policies to support us, we simply take matters into our own hands. We voice our grievances, we leave our phones at home and step out on the streets of our communities to tell everyone that we will not accept “small steps” when what we truly need is a massive leap forward. We are a generation that has had to learn to live with climate catastrophe as a scary companion to our everyday lives. When you have to live with impending doom on your mind, the future might seem bleak. But the young people in Athens, gathered there from all walks of life, have taught me that a different future – a better one – is possible when we take charge and we lead the fight for our lives. * Marco Roccato is a student at The College of Wooster, Ohio.