Pockets of Democracy: Ideas for democracy support in restrained contexts By Thilo Schöne and Ntandoyenkosi Dumani 1 Every piece of clothing has pockets. They can be opened and closed as needed. Pockets are stretchable depending on how much one needs to fit in. Pockets are hidden from the observer at first glance. This is the idea behind Pockets of Democracy. They are part of a larger project that supports democracy, looking inward and outward at the same time. They are flexible and can be hidden if necessary. The demotivation of shrinking spaces Humanity is currently experiencing the third wave of autocratisation. This conclusion was reached by democracy supporters on the ground and is supported by academia. 2 Today, 72 per cent of the world’s population lives in autocracies, setting us back to 1986. 3 In 2022, three times as many countries became autocracies as democracies. 4 The idea that economic development can only be sustained in democracies has been called into question, as 46 per cent of the world’s GDP is currently produced in autocracies. For hundreds of years, and institutionalised for around 70 to 80 years, democracies have been supported in their creation, stability, and restoration by people worldwide, traditionally from the Global North. By 2025, democracy supporters 5 can be found in local communities, NGOs, faith-based organisations, trade unions, human rights organisations, international organisations, and state­owned development agencies worldwide. However, new concepts are needed due to the reduced space for democratic movements. These concepts are often termed ‘shrinking’,‘closing’, or‘closed’ spaces.‘Shrinking spaces’, for example, refers to limiting the spaces of civic participation‘to reduce contestation and to neutralise rival centres of power of influence’. 6 In their review of the existing literature, Hossain et al. (2018) 7 concluded that the consequences of closing democratic spaces for development remain unclear. Responses are lacking. However, thanks to their compilation of different studies, we now know that closing spaces are usually associated with the following patterns: (a) civic space has changed more than shrunk, although new restrictions affect aid-supported groups disproportionately; (b) new regulations are not all unwelcome, but nonetheless shift power from civic to political actors; (c) how that power shift shapes development outcomes depends on how political elites deploy that power, and in whose interests; (d) while there are instances where civil society has been curtailed to advance“developmentalist” agendas, it more often enables land and natural resource grabbing, or the abuse of labour or other rights of marginalised and disempowered groups; (e) while short-term economic growth is unlikely to be adversely affected, economic crises are more likely in settings where civic space is closed, and it is highly improbable that development has any chance of producing equitable, sustainable, or inclusive outcomes under conditions where civic space is restricted or closing.’ 8 Yet, while the mechanisms and effects of shrinking or closing spaces are well understsood, the focus of answers has been on analysing how spaces are closing and at most proposing ways to adapt or mitigate them at the 1 This position paper was inspired by the outcomes of focus group discussions, interviews, and plenary discussions with over 30 young activists from 20 different African countries. Some took part in the‘Young African Democrats Incoming to Berlin’ in March 2023, while others participated in workshops supported by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and convened by the Young African Activists Network in Madagascar in May 2023 and in Mozambique in November 2023. The paper is also based on secondary research based on various academic articles, civil society reports and academic research on the subject matter. Furthermore, it draws on the practical experience of the FES in supporting democracy in Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire, and Botswana, as well as on insightful discussions with knowledgeable partners and friends in these countries and beyond. It has also been informed by the outcomes and lessons drawn from 18 months of implementing the concept thereby enabling praxis to inform theory. 2 Anna Lührmann and Staffan I. Lindberg(2019) A third wave of autocratization is here: what is new about it?, Democratization, 26:7, 1095-1113, DOI: 10.1080/13510347.2019.1582029 3 Felix Wiebrecht, Yuko Sato, Marina Nord, Martin Lundstedt, Fabio Angiolillo and Staffan I. Lindberg(2023) State of the world 2022: defiance in the face of autocratization, Democratization, 30:5, 769-793, DOI: 10.1080/13510347.2023.2199452 4 Ibid. 5 The term refers to any individual, network or organisation that promotes democratic values, in either an abstract or concrete sense, regardless of origin. It explicitly does not limit itself to organisations from the Global North, but rather includes actors and non-governmental organisations from all over the world. 6 European Partnership for Democracy(2020) Thinking democratically: recommendations for responding to the phenomenon of‘shrinking spaces’, https://nimd.org/wp-con ­tent/uploads/2020/02/Closing-democratic-space-exec-summary.pdf 7 Hossain, Naomi et al.(2018) What Does Closing Civic Space Mean for Development? A Literature Review and Proposed Conceptual Framework, IDS Working Papers. 8 Id., p. 1.