A network of leaders committed to bridging across difference to build belonging, strengthen democracy, and counter authoritarian populism in Europe and North America.
FEATURED CONTENT
Network Catalyzer Program 2026
The Democracy & Belonging Forum is excited to share the 2026 Network Catalyzers cohort, an inspiring group of members launching and growing communities that advance belonging, bridging, and democracy across Europe and North America.
Building on last year’s inaugural program, this year’s cohort focuses on locally rooted efforts that deepen connection and activate Forum members where they live and work. From the U.S. Midwest to France, Germany, and Central and Eastern Europe, these initiatives are tackling urgent challenges like civic trust, depolarization, and intercultural participation.
(En)Gendering Authoritarianism
A Six-Strategy Framework Examining How Political and Cultural Leaders Weaponize Gender in Ways that Advance Authoritarianism.
This project explores how authoritarian movements leverage and weaponize gender to divide society and opposition movements, launder and normalize social hierarchies, reshape cultural norms, and lay the groundwork for authoritarian power consolidation and violence.
Visit our dedicated microsite, where you can access:
The full (En)Gendering Authoritarianism report
An overview of the six strategies
Snapshots that illustrate the six strategies in practice
Resource Library
Essays
What we do
We aspire to build a world where everyone belongs. And we believe that the best way to make that aspiration a reality is through strong democratic systems that foster visibility, inclusion, agency, and connection. But democracies in Europe and North America today are straining under the weight of toxic fragmentation, high mistrust towards faltering public institutions, and the scapegoating of marginalized communities—divisions that are all-too-often cultivated and exploited by authoritarian populist leaders and movements to degrade democratic norms to consolidate power.
The Democracy & Belonging Forum is a network and research hub that connects and resources civic actors in Europe and North America to counter authoritarian populism and advance democracy rooted in belonging through bridging approaches. We recognize both that othering can’t be countered through more othering and that democracy rooted in belonging means engaging with those different from ourselves—and are committed to grappling with the tensions inherent in both seeking to counter injustice while building bridges towards a larger “Us”.
Insights from Forum leaders
