event

Digital Democracy in a Divided Global Landscape

Thu. May 29th, 20259:00 AM - 10:00 AM (EDT)
Live Online

A global shift is underway where technological advancement has emerged as a key source of power and nations are increasingly abandoning shared approaches in favor of sovereign priorities. In the newest publication from the Carnegie Endowment's Digital Democracy Network (DDN), Digital Democracy in a Divided Global Landscape, authors explore these shifts through four themes: how local actors are navigating new tech challenges; evolving digital repression tactics; national strategies and digital sovereignty debates; and pressing tech policy and regulatory questions. The Network's diverse group of scholars and activists illuminate emerging issues, new debates, and unresolved dilemmas in the tech domain. They highlight the challenges posed by new technologies to democracy, politics, and society.

Join Steve Feldstein, a senior fellow with Carnegie's Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, in conversation with DDN authors Lillian Nalwoga, a program manager at the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa; Janjira Sombatpoonsiri, a research fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies; and Akin Unver, an associate professor of international relations at Özyeğin University.

DemocracyTechnologyGlobal GovernanceCivil Society
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Steven Feldstein

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Steven Feldstein is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. His research focuses on technology and geopolitics, U.S. foreign policy, and the global context for democracy.

Lillian Nalwoga

Programmes Manager, Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa

Lillian Nalwoga is a technology researcher and advocate interested in promoting and advancing the appropriate use of ICT for empowerment and development. She works as a Programmes Manager at the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and is co-founder and past president of the Internet Society Uganda Chapter.

Janjira Sombatpoonsiri

Research Fellow, German Institute for Global and Area Studies

Janjira Sombatpoonsiri is a research fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies and an assistant professor at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University. Her current research focuses on autocratic weaponization of disinformation laws, digital propaganda and conflict narratives in Southeast Asia, and digital repression of protest movements. Her academic articles appear in, for instance, International Journal of Communication, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Voluntas, and Journal of Peace Research. She is a regional manager for the Digital Society Project.

Akin Unver

Associate Professor, Özyeğin University

Akin Unver is an associate professor of international relations at Özyeğin University in Istanbul. His research interests sit at the intersection of emerging technologies, diplomacy, and international security, with a particular focus on how social media affects subnational conflict and civil war dynamics. Dr. Unver serves as an associate editor of the Global Studies Quarterly, and a member of the International Studies Association's (ISA) Governing Council. He has a PhD in Government from the University of Essex.