The Second Interdisciplinary Workshop on Reimagining Democracy, known as IWORD 2023, recently took place at the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center. This workshop aimed to bring together a diverse group of thinkers and practitioners to discuss how democracy could be reimagined for the modern era. The organizer believes that if democracy were to be invented today, it would look drastically different from its eighteenth-century origins due to advancements in technology. While it is important to focus on reforming existing systems, there is also a need to consider radical changes that can propel democracy forward. The workshop format, inspired by the successful Security and Human Behavior workshop, involves short presentations from all attendees, creating a collaborative environment. Despite being intellectually stimulating, the format can be exhausting due to the constant engagement. However, the organizer believes it is the optimal format for this type of event. The workshop also includes social events to facilitate networking and relationship-building. In the future, the organizer plans to take the workshop to different locations to ensure its longevity.
Key Points:
1. The Second Interdisciplinary Workshop on Reimagining Democracy (IWORD 2023) recently took place at the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center.
2. The workshop aimed to explore how democracy could be reimagined for the twenty-first century.
3. The organizer believes that if democracy were invented today, it would look drastically different due to technological advancements.
4. It is important to consider radical changes in addition to continuous improvements in existing democratic systems.
5. The workshop format involves short presentations from all attendees, creating a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.