“The city that builds democracy”

On Tuesday 10 November, the Institute of Political and Social Sciences (ICPS) of the UAB and the Barcelona Provincial Council are launching a lecture series with an opening talk by Oriol Nel·lo, PhD in Geography and president of the Advisory Council for Barcelona's Neighbourhood Plan; and Oriol Bartomeus, PhD in Political Science and director of the ICPS, under the title "The City that Builds Democracy". 

The ICPS aims to address current challenges, born of a decade in which we have witnessed the emergence and rise of political proposals that challenge the foundations of democratic systems, by organising a series of debates on the core aspects of our system with the participation of experts in each field.

Ten years after the emergence of a reactionary wave—which has called into question fundamental elements of our political systems—the ICPS believes it is necessary to both reaffirm and rethink our democracies. This response should serve not merely as a counter to the reactionary wave, but as a way to re-examine aspects of our democracies that may be failing—shortcomings brought to light by the rise of reactionary forces. The goal is to rethink our democracy in order to strengthen it and present it as an alternative to this reactionary wave. Through a series of debates titled "The Democratic Reaction," the ICPS aims to contribute to this essential response; the series begins next Tuesday with a discussion on how cities can help build democracy.

Sign up to attend here:

https://www.icps.cat/fd-inscripcio/reaccio-democratica-novembre-2025