A growing consensus is emerging across the democracy, governance, and civic-space field: sustaining democratic practice depends less on technocratic solutions and more on the relational and connective work that holds societies together. Practitioners, funders, and researchers increasingly point to the importance of translation, trust-building, and the “soft infrastructure” that enables collective action under pressure. This shift does not reject formal institutions or coalitions, but it recognizes their limits. Much of what keeps civic space open happens through informal cooperation and everyday stewardship, carried by actors who move across organizations, sectors, and communities. Program officers, intermediaries, and field staff routinely make small judgment calls, preserve institutional memory, and adapt relationships to political realities. Read more here.
Source: Accountabilitylab
