My Democracy and its many shades

In Myanmar today, the word democracy can lead to retribution. The people featured in this campaign were brave enough to stand up and share what democracy actually means to them. Their answers, and those of people across the world, remind us that democracy looks different depending on where you stand. At the same time, we see a number of universal democratic values that were shared across all the countries where the campaign took place.

Democracy is not only a system of institutions. It is also a set of everyday actions, carried out by citizens and institutions alike. That’s why it matters to understand what democracy means to different people, so we can stand up for democracy in all its diversity.

We are often presented with a one-size-fits-all version of democracy, but the key is looking at what democracy means to different people and operating from there, from the ground up. It starts with what people want, translated into a democracy that works for them.

This campaign is part of NIMD’s ongoing work on democracy narratives, through our involvement in the Democracy Narratives Alliance, to understand what makes democracy meaningful to people everywhere. Find out more about the Alliance’s work here. That understanding starts with listening. That is why, for the 2026 International Day of Democracy, NIMD asked people around the world: what is democracy for you? Here is our lookback.