Thank You Democracy Podcast

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!

We're thrilled to kick off the "Thank You Democracy Podcast" with special guest, Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs. From his early days in medicine to his pivotal role at the UN, Paullier embodies the spirit of active, impactful youth engagement in democracy. In this episode, Felipe dives into the transformative role of young leaders in today's political arena and shares inspiring insights on how the youth can and are reshaping democracy. Join us for a journey through the challenges and triumphs of advocating for youth participation at a global scale.

The final episode of this season of the Thank You Democracy Podcast comes to you from the key implementers of the #ThankYouDemocracy campaign: Elisenda Balleste, the Coordinator of the GDC, Laura Flores, the Outreach and Governance Officer at Club De Madrid, Nestor Baez, the Communications Officer at Club De Madrid, and Nicki Kalfas, Research Assistant at the GDC. They convened to share inside stories and comments about the process and development of this campaign. This episode covers why Club De Madrid wanted to join the campaign, how our expectations evolved along the way, why collaboration has been so vital, advice for new democracy advocates, ideas for new ways the campaign could evolve, and each of our favourite moments or aspects of the campaign.  To learn more about the behind-the-scenes of this campaign, share a laugh with us, and be inspired by the events of the past several months, tune in now!

In this episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, the Global Democracy Coalition sat down with Ambassador H.E. Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations under the democratically elected government, to discuss what it has been like to serve as an ambassador during such a turbulent period in Myanmar’s history, his commitment to democracy and human rights at the UN, his decision to speak out against the military coup at the UN General Assembly in February 2021, the challenges he has faced in ensuring the voices of Myanmar’s people are heard on the global stage, and more.  Ambassador H.E. Kyaw Moe Tun has previously served as Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, as well as the Conference on Disarmament, from July 2018 to October 2020.  He concurrently served as Ambassador to Switzerland, as well as Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). To learn more about the Ambassador’s journey, and to hear his motivating perspective, listen to this episode. 

In this episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, the Global Democracy Coalition sat down with Silvia Alvarenga, a student of International Relations, General Coordinator at the Feliciano Martínez Foundation, National Coordinator at Cultura Democrática and Representative of Juventud LAC. During this episode, she discusses the biggest challenges young people face when trying to engage in political processes and democratic movements, both in Paraguay and across Latin America, some of the most rewarding initiatives or projects she has been involved in that have advanced the cause of youth participation in democracy, the challenges with the recent passage of the #LeyGarrote, and more.  To learn more about Silvia’s journey into international relations and democracy, the obstacles she has faced, and to hear her inspiring perspective, listen to this episode. 

In this episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, the Global Democracy Coalition sat down with Jorge Jraissati, President of our Coalition Partner Economic Inclusion Group, to discuss his professional journey, his decision to focus on the intersection of economic opportunity, financial inclusion, and democracy, the impact anti-money laundering laws and counterterrorism financing regulations have on people’s lives, why it is essential to include young voices in economic policymaking, and more.  Jorge, while only 28, brings an experienced background as a researcher at IESE Business School, an economic and policy consultant, and is known for his work advocating in G7 countries for financial reforms to guarantee a “Right to Banking” for immigrants and human rights defenders. Jorge is also an influential voice in his home country, Venezuela, pushing for greater political and economic freedoms.  To learn more about Jorge, his journey, and to hear his incredibly unique perspective, listen to this episode. 

In this episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with two members of Club De Madrid’s #WYDE Global Network of Young Decision Makers network, Jokate Mwegelo, the Secretary General of CCM’s Youth Wing in Tanzania, and Elena Motta, a member of congress in Guatemala. During this episode, they discuss their decisions to run for political positions, how political violence impacts the participation of women in politics, institutional and societal steps needed to protect women in politics, their advice, and more.  Jokate Mwegelo previously served as the District Commissioner for Kisarawe, where she led initiatives to enhance education and infrastructure, is the founder of Kidoti Company and was recognized on Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30” list for her contributions to youth and women’s empowerment. Elena Motta is known for her work in legislative reforms and social initiatives. Prior to her role in Congress, she was an advocate for community development and played a key part in promoting educational and economic programs to support marginalized communities. Learn more about their incredible perspectives and inspiring journey’s in this episode. 

In this episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, the Global Democracy Coalition sat down with Susana Malcorra, the President and cofounders of GWL Voices for Change and Inclusion, to discuss the different paths her career has taken, her candidacy for UN Secretary General, how her organization champions female candidates for global roles, democratic backsliding, and more. Susana brings vast experience and insight as a seasoned diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, and a former United Nations Chief of Staff to Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. For more on Susana’s unique perspective and inspiring journey, listen in to this episode!