People Powered 2026: A Global Convening on Participatory Democracy Comes to Nairobi

​The People Powered 2026 Convening, taking place March 2–5 in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring together democracy practitioners from around the world to advance people-powered democracy under the theme Global Challenges, Participatory Solutions. Designed as a collaborative, co-created gathering, the convening combines hands-on learning, site visits to local participatory initiatives, and strategic conversations about power, inclusion, and systemic change. Sessions will address both practical implementation—such as evaluating participatory programs and designing inclusive digital engagement—and urgent global challenges including climate democracy, decolonizing practice, equitable participation, and narrative change. For practitioners in dialogue and deliberation, the convening offers a rare opportunity to connect with global peers, learn from innovations across contexts, and help shape shared strategies and resources for strengthening participatory democracy worldwide.

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How do we scale democratic innovations that work? What does genuine inclusion look like when power dynamics, colonial legacies, and resource inequities shape who participates and whose voices matter? How can participatory approaches address urgent challenges like climate change while centering communities most affected? These questions will drive the People Powered 2026 Convening in Nairobi, Kenya—a gathering designed to strengthen the global movement for people-powered democracy through collaborative learning, strategic planning, and relationship-building.
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Taking place March 2-5, 2026, the convening brings together democracy practitioners from around the world under the theme Global Challenges, Participatory Solutions. The program balances practical skill-building with deeper questions about power, narrative, and systemic change. Participants will visit local participatory programs in Nairobi, engage in collaborative workshops addressing shared challenges, and develop resources and partnerships that extend beyond the event itself.

Co-Designed Programming for Movement Building

The convening reflects People Powered's commitment to practicing the participatory values it promotes. Rather than designing the program in isolation, the organization co-created it with dozens of democracy advocates worldwide, ensuring the agenda responds to practitioners' actual needs and priorities. Workshop topics range from technical implementation questions—evaluating participatory democracy programs, designing inclusive digital participation, mixing different participatory methods—to deeper strategic challenges around funding, scaling, narrative change, and decolonizing democratic practice.

Several sessions address particularly urgent themes. Climate Democracy Accelerator participants will explore mainstreaming participatory democracy within climate action across the Global South, recognizing that communities facing the worst climate impacts often have the least say in climate policy. Inclusive Democracy Accelerator sessions will tackle implementation strategies for reaching marginalized populations and celebrate journeys toward more equitable participation. Democracy Narratives Alliance members will work on translating research into practice and making new audiences care about democracy—critical work as civic engagement practitioners navigate hostile political environments and widespread democratic fatigue. The convening also includes strategic planning sessions where People Powered members shape the organization's shared priorities for its next phase of work. For NCDD practitioners and the broader dialogue field, this gathering offers opportunities to connect with international colleagues, learn from participatory democracy innovations worldwide, and contribute to global resource development that strengthens the entire ecosystem of civic engagement and democratic renewal.
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Ready to join global practitioners advancing participatory democracy? Early-bird tickets are available through January 15 for the People Powered 2026 Convening at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/people-powered-2026-convening-nairobi-tickets-1730784806949