Hillary Clinton Instagram – It was a pleasure to be in Berlin earlier this week for the World Forum on the Future of Democracy, AI/Tech, and Humankind. Just a few of the leaders present included Yemeni journalist and politician @tawakkolkarman, the first Arab woman to be named a Nobel laureate; South African lawyer and former Justice of the Constitutional Court Albie Sachs; WHO Director-General @drtedros; activist Masha Alyokhina of @pussyriot; and former President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė.
As we consider the future of democracy, there’s a simple metaphor that helps explain what it takes to support thriving, free societies. I often say it’s like a three-legged stool. An open and dynamic market economy is one leg. An effective and accountable democratic government is a second leg. And the third is a vibrant civil society.
Today, in a lot of places, one leg of the stool is virtually gone, and another is awfully wobbly. Many governments are no longer effective or accountable for the public good, and the global economy is riddled with corruption and inequality. That puts a lot of weight on civil society. It means our foundations, religious organizations, community groups, and grassroots networks have to be twice as strong.
Every day, I look for flashes of courage that remind me that progress is possible. I see people rising to meet the moment at home and around the world. And that is necessary: I’ve lived long enough to know that no knight in shining armor is coming to save democracy. We have to do it ourselves. | Posted on 20/Feb/2026 21:17:25
