Thank You Democracy Podcast

In the twelfth and final episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Margaret Satterthwaite to discuss the personal journey, professional milestones, and global challenges that shape her work as UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. We also explore why judicial independence is essential for democracy, how global democracy backsliding is reshaping the mandate, and where meaningful resilience and hope continue to emerge.Margaret (Meg) Satterthwaite is a distinguished human rights lawyer, scholar, and advocate whose career has been dedicated to advancing justice, accountability, and the rule of law. Appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022, she leads the global mandate to safeguard the independence of judges and lawyers, a cornerstone of democratic governance and human rights protection. With a career spanning over two decades, she has worked at the intersection of international law, access to justice, and human rights, combining academic leadership with hands-on engagement in the field. She serves as a Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at New York University School of Law, where she has mentored generations of lawyers and advocates committed to justice and equality.Through her UN mandate, Meg has shed light on the contemporary threats facing judicial independence worldwide, from political interference and corruption to digital harassment and economic pressure, while emphasizing the role of courts and legal professionals in upholding democracy and protecting civic space.

In the eleventh episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Gavin Charles to discuss how language, storytelling, and strategic communication can shape the way we understand, trust, and sustain democracy. We also examine the power of words to bridge divides, humanize policy, and remind us that democracy is, at its core, a shared conversation.Gavin Charles is the speechwriter and Governance Officer in the Office of the Secretary General at International IDEA. He is a strategist, communicator, and policy thinker whose career has bridged politics, civil society, and international governance. Based in Stockholm, he leads the drafting of speeches and strategic communications for International IDEA’s Secretary General, helping shape the Institute’s global narrative on democracy, governance, and inclusion. Before joining International IDEA in 2022, Gavin worked at the heart of Canada’s foreign policy and development ecosystem, advising the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs in Parliament, leading the policy team at Cooperation Canada, and serving as a Senior Policy Analyst at Public Safety Canada. Across these roles, he has been guided by a common thread: advancing positive and sustainable change through the power of words and ideas. With over a decade of experience translating complex policy into compelling, human-centered language, Gavin brings a rare perspective on how communication can bridge divides, inspire trust, and make democracy tangible.

In the tenth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, the Coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition and moderator of this podcast, Elisenda Balleste Buxo, reflects on the journey we have shared throughout this season.With no guests, no interview questions, and no agenda, this special episode offers a quiet pause – a moment to make sense of the stories, ideas, and emotions that have emerged across the past nine episodes. Elisenda shares how each guest this season didn’t just describe democracy as a structure, they felt it.They spoke of democracy as care, as courage, as trust, and sometimes even as grief. Listening back to these voices, from youth leaders and reformers to human rights defenders and former UN officials, she finds that each conversation forms part of a much larger story: one about courage, hope, and what it truly means to keep democracy alive.This reflective episode ties together the heartbeat that has run through every discussion this season, a quiet faith shared across continents, and a reminder of why we continue to believe.

In the ninth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Kuda Chitsike to discuss her career in advancing women’s rights and gender equality, the biggest barriers women face in meaningful democratic participation, what gives her hope in the global fight for gender equality, and her advice to young women aspiring to be leaders in democracy and human rights.Kuda is a seasoned gender and human rights expert with extensive experience advancing women’s rights, democratic participation, and social justice in Southern Africa. She has worked with civil society organizations, international partners, and grassroots movements to promote gender equality, strengthen democratic governance, and defend civic space, and she is a former fellow at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Throughout her career, Kuda has led initiatives on women’s political participation, gender-sensitive policy reform, and human rights advocacy, contributing to regional and global dialogues on democracy and inclusion. Her work emphasizes the intersection between gender, governance, and human rights, with a focus on ensuring that women’s voices are central to shaping policy and decision-making processes. She is also a respected trainer and advisor, known for empowering young women leaders and building capacity among civil society organizations.

In the eighth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Flávia Pellegrino to discuss her journey in democracy and civic engagement, her work with Pacto pela Democracia and civic movements in Brazil, and how intergenerational dialogue, youth activism, coalition-building, and renewed narratives of hope can sustain democracy amid polarization and disillusionment.Flávia Pellegrino is a Brazilian democracy advocate and the Co-Executive Director of Pacto pela Democracia, a national platform that brings together diverse actors to defend and strengthen democratic values in Brazil. Recognized globally for her leadership, Flávia was recently awarded the Skoll Award for Social Innovation in recognition of her efforts to foster civic dialogue and mobilize citizens across divides. Flávia is a Kettering Foundation Global Fellow and she represents a new generation of democratic leaders, grounded in local realities, but deeply attuned to the global democratic moment. Through her work, she challenges traditional notions of political engagement, showing how youth-led, networked activism can drive both resistance and renewal.

In the seventh episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Mary Marjorie Martin-Chan to discuss her journey through public service, women’s leadership and representation in politics, youth empowerment and mental health, inclusive governance and representation of marginalized groups, and balancing motherhood with public service.Mary Marjorie Martin-Chan was the City Councillor of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan and a member of is a member of Club de Madrid´s Network of Young Decision Makers. She is a lawyer and a public servant working to maximise her potential and passion for leadership by serving the community, and was elected as City Councillor in 2016. She has sponsored and authored various ordinances and resolutions on Gender-Related Ordinances, Women Empowerment, Solo Parents Empowerment, and Youth and Family Relations. She is a fellow of the Angat Bayi Women Empowerment Program and the JRMF Young Leaders for Good Governance. She was also chosen by different institutions to be a representative of the Philippines in various international Fellowships, Conferences and scholarships abroad.To learn more about Mary Marjorie’s journey and insights, listen to the podcast episode.

In the sixth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Flavia Pansieri to discuss her journey throughout the UN system, her vision of leadership, female representation in politics, the bridge between global multilateralism with local realities, and more.Flavia Pansieri is the former United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and member of GWL Voices. Her career with the UN spanned more than three decades and took her across the globe, from early posts in China, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, to senior leadership in Yemen, Vienna, New York, and Geneva. Along the way, she led the UN Volunteers programme, served as Deputy Executive Director of UNIFEM, and worked tirelessly to advance human rights, gender equality, and women’s political participation.Learn more about Flavia’s public service journey and insights in this week’s episode. 

In the fifth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast alongside our Coalition Partner Asia Centre, we sat down with Pita Limjaroenrat, to discuss what it means to define democracy after being blocked from power, the emotional cost of public life amid structural resistance, and why hope, purposeful action, and civic courage remain central to democratic renewal, even when institutions close their doors.Pita Limjaroenrat is a Harvard and MIT educated former businessman turned parliamentarian whose path has come to symbolize the promise and pitfalls of democratic change in Thailand. Pita’s political journey began with election to Thailand’s House of Representatives in 2019, as a candidate for the reform‑oriented Future Forward Party. After its dissolution, he became leader of Move Forward in 2020, guiding it to become the largest party in the 2023 general election, with 151 seats. Yet despite his electoral success, institutional barriers prevented him from assuming the premiership, and later legal rulings dissolved the party and banned its leader, including Pita, from politics for a decade, raising important questions about democratic representation and institutional power. Now, a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Pita continues to speak about democracy and reform from both a personal and political perspective.Learn more about Pita’s public service journey and insights in this week’s episode. 

In the fourth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Koketso Moeti to discuss the role of race and belonging in shaping participation, how migration and exclusion test the boundaries of democratic practice, and why centering marginalized voices is essential to the renewal of democracy everywhere.Koketso Moeti is a South African activist and the founder of amandla.mobi, a civic engagement platform that harnesses mobile technology to organize collective action among marginalized communities. Often described as one of the most innovative voices in African civic tech, Koketso has spent over a decade building tools that allow low-income women, migrants, and other excluded groups to make their voices heard in policymaking. From advising the World Economic Forum to serving as an inaugural Obama Foundation Fellow and a Kettering Foundation Global Fellow, Koketso’s journey bridges grassroots activism and global thought leadership. Through amandla.mobi, she has mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to challenge unjust evictions, demand accountability from telecommunications companies, and push back against systemic inequality in South Africa.To learn more about Koketso’s journey and perspective, listen to this episode. 

In the third episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Jorim Theuns to discuss transparency, inclusion, and accountability of digital tools, the feeling of true inclusion, and his journey in leading a civic tech initiative. Jorim Theuns is the CEO and co-founder of Dembrane, a civic tech initiative dedicated to transforming how democratic participation works in everyday life. At the heart of Dembrane’s work is the belief that democracy should be more than a political event every few years, it should be part of how we govern our cities, design public services, and make collective decisions. To learn more about Jorim’s journey and perspective, listen to this episode.

In the second episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Lyudmyla Kozlovska to discuss the personal cost of activism, the shifting landscape of democratic values, and why solidarity, courage, and clear voices matter more than ever.Lyudmyla Kozlovska is the President of Open Dialogue Foundation, an organization at the forefront of defending democracy, human rights, and the rule of law across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and beyond. Lyudmyla has spent years confronting authoritarian regimes and advocating for political prisoners, victims of transnational repression, and those silenced by state-sponsored disinformation. Her own story of exile, surveillance, and resilience is a powerful reminder of what it takes to stand up for truth in an age of authoritarian pushback.To learn more about Lyudmyla’s journey and perspective, listen to this episode.

In the first episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Josh Lerner and Diana Dajer to discuss the Democracy Narratives Campaign, how narrative work shifts public understanding beyond the political sphere, and how to create personal and relevant narratives for young people or marginalized communities.Diana Dajer is a Colombian lawyer, researcher, and the Manager of Democracy at Fundación Corona, with a strong background in legal innovation, civic technology, and public participation. Josh Lerner is the Co – Executive Director of People Powered, a global hub for participatory democracy, and a longtime champion of community-driven policymaking.To learn more about Josh and Diana’s journeys and perspectives, listen to this episode.

In the final episode of Season 2 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sit down with Danish activist and educator Karim Pedersen, a rare and powerful voice of cross-border solidarity in support of Belarus’s pro-democracy movement.Karim is the only foreigner working in the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, where he serves as Head of International Communications. Though he has no Belarusian roots, he’s spent the past four years working alongside Belarusians in exile in Vilnius, supporting democratic resistance through civic education, communications, and grassroots organizing.This episode comes at a particularly timely moment: just days ago, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Sviatlana’s husband and a prominent political prisoner, was released after four years of detention by the Lukashenka regime. A well-known opposition figure, Siarhei helped galvanize Belarus’s democratic movement in 2020 before his arrest and imprisonment, which prompted Sviatlana to run in his place and become the face of Belarus’s democratic resistance.A former IT journalist and long-time democracy educator in Denmark, Karim has worked with the Danish-Belarusian association Talaka, developed civic education programs for Belarusians, and remains committed to the vision of opening a folk school in a free and democratic Belarus. In 2023, he was named an Obama Leader for his work.In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Karim shares what drew him into this struggle, the turning points that led him from teaching to direct action, and what it means to act in solidarity beyond borders. We explore the lessons Denmark’s democratic past offers to today’s movements, the sacrifices involved in standing up for democracy, and the role education must play in rebuilding civic life after authoritarianism.To hear Karim’s inspiring story and reflections on where hope lies in dark times, tune in to Episode 8 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast.

In the seventh episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, Asia Centre sat down with Saritha Irugalbandara, to discuss youth voter turnout and participation in South Asia and more specifically Sri Lanka, the outcome and implications of youth-led protests and the recent election, and the role of education and social media on political awareness.Saritha Irugalbandara is a queer feminist researcher and consultant from Sri Lanka, specialising in mapping and documenting gendered subjectivities and expressions online. Her work, learning, and teaching lie at the intersection of race, gender, and economic justice, as well as youth engagement, particularly in relation to anti-colonial movements and solution-building in the Global South. She is motivated by a commitment to empowering young people with the tools and skills needed to make informed decisions about their lives, bodies, and communities.To learn more about Saritha Irugalbandara’s journey and perspective, listen to this episode.

In the sixth episode of Season 2 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Vlad Adamescu and Răzvan Petri from Politica la minut. This episode explores how they’ve built a powerful youth-oriented political platform in Romania, the challenges of political engagement among young people, the risks and rewards of social media, and how to defend democracy in an era of disinformation and polarization.Vlad Adamescu and Răzvan Petri are co-founders of the Centre for Democracy and Good Governance, a Romanian think-tank, and Politică la Minut, a platform that has been making politics more accessible since August 2020. Through their Instagram page, they share timely political news and updates from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and the EU, presented in a way that resonates with younger audiences and sparks informed debate.Their initiative is committed to democratic values: the rule of law, civic engagement, integrity, good governance, and minority rights. They also firmly support Romania’s place in the European Union and other democratic institutions. In this episode, Vlad and Răzvan reflect on what inspired them to launch this platform, how Romania’s education system falls short on civic literacy, and why young people need more than just encouragement to vote, they need meaningful opportunities to shape the political landscape.To hear more about Vlad and Răzvan’s journey, perspective, and advice, tune in to this episode.

In the fifth episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Nicolas Albertoni. This episode covers his personal journey into politics and public service, his gratitude for his mentors, the role economic openness and international cooperation plays in strengthening democracy, the state of democracy in Uruguay, and more.Nicolás Albertoni was Uruguay’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2022 until the end of President Lacalle Pou’s time in office (March 2025) as well as a member of Clud De Madrid’s WYDE Network. He’s also a recognized academic and expert in international politics and regional integration. With a PhD in political science and international relations, a master’s degree in economics, and a strong track record of contributing to public debate on Uruguay’s and Latin America´s global positioning, Nicolás brings a unique perspective to the intersection of diplomacy, economic cooperation, and democratic governance.To hear more about Nicolas’s journey, perspective, and advice, tune in to this episode.

In the fourth episode of Season 2 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Nadia Tjahja and Camilo Toledo. This episode covers their journeys into the the internet governance and democracy space, the rise of disinformation and political polarization, how to protect against digital violence, and why we need to protect the freedoms promised in democracies.Nadia Tjahja is the coordinator of the Youth Dialogue on Internet Governance (YOUthDIG), a yearly pre-event to the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG), a PhD Fellow at United Nations University-CRIS and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and a Steering Group Expert for the research on Artificial Intelligence and young people at the Council of Europe and European Commission.Camilo Toledo is a digital sociologist specializing in global digital inclusion, gender, education, and development studies currently working with InternetBolivia.org Foundation, actively promoting digital rights and diverse solutions to bridge the digital gap in Bolivia and the wider region.To hear more about Nadia and Camilo’s journey, perspective, and advice, tune in to this episode.

In this upcoming episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, Asia Centre sat down with Chaehyun Kim, to discuss representation and barriers to youth in government, recent political events in South Korea, major youth-led democratic movements, and the existence of  and recommendations in overcoming barrier in youth participation on politics.Chaehyun Kim is an undergraduate in Division of Global Korean Studies, Korea University, and double-majoring in Political Science & International Relations. She is now active as a team leader of the Peace and Public Diplomacy Corps, the Korea Democracy Foundation, and serving as a research assistant in Gender Politics and Politics of Migration. She is motivated by a commitment to solve the current conflicts existing in Korea, such as gender conflicts and discrimination against the socially weak, as a researcher.To learn more about Chaehyun Kim’s journey and perspective, listen to this episode. 

In the second episode of Season 2 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we continued our conversation from last week with Mary Yvonne Ododah and Mumbiko King’ori. This episode covers what they think a stronger, more inclusive democracy could look like in Africa, what gives them hope, and what they want the next generation of democracy defenders to know.Mary Yvonne Ododa serves as a Board Member of our Coalition Partner, The Youth Cafe, is the Founder of Jarumi Ventures Africa, the Executive Director at Nuru Trust Network, a fellow from the Institute for Economic and Peace (IEP) and a One Young World Ambassador. Mary is also an published author and an active member of both the UN Women Regional Civil Society Advisory Group (RCSAG) for Eastern and Southern Africa and the UN CSO Coalition on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism.Mumbiko King’ori is a passionate youth serving as the partnerships associate at The Youth Cafe, former youngest Presidential aspirant in Kenya, founding director of the Young Aspirants and Aspiring Leaders Network, a WYDE Youth Advisory board member with our Coalition Partner, European Partnership for Democracy where he initiated the commercialization of politics advocacy. He is also a Fellow with our Coalition Partner Kofi Annan Foundation and a volunteer consultant at the Kenya Inclusive Political Parties Technical Working Group with our Coalition Partner, Westminster Foundation for Democracy.To listen in to the second half of Mary and Mumbiko’s journeys and perspectives, tune in to this episode. 

Welcome back to the Thank You Democracy Podcast! In the first episode of Season 2, we sat down with Mary Yvonne Ododah and Mumbiko King’ori in Nairobi, Kenya just prior to the GDC Africa Forum 2025. This episode covers how they first got involved in democracy work, the personal experiences that shaped them and the real pushback they face in shrinking civic spaces across Africa. Mary Yvonne Ododa serves as a Board Member of our Coalition Partner, The Youth Cafe, is the Founder of Jarumi Ventures Africa, the Executive Director at Nuru Trust Network, a fellow from the Institute for Economic and Peace (IEP) and a One Young World Ambassador. Mary is also an published author and an active member of both the UN Women Regional Civil Society Advisory Group (RCSAG) for Eastern and Southern Africa and the UN CSO Coalition on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism. Mumbiko King’ori is a passionate youth serving as the partnerships associate at The Youth Cafe, former youngest Presidential aspirant in Kenya, founding director of the Young Aspirants and Aspiring Leaders Network, a WYDE Youth Advisory board member with our Coalition Partner, European Partnership for Democracy where he initiated the commercialization of politics advocacy. He is also a Fellow with our Coalition Partner Kofi Annan Foundation and a volunteer consultant at the Kenya Inclusive Political Parties Technical Working Group with our Coalition Partner, Westminster Foundation for Democracy. To learn more about Mary and Mumbiko’s journeys and perspectives, listen in to this episode. Be sure to tune in to the second part of this conversation in Episode 2 next week!