NEWS

ICU student participated in the Athens Democracy Forum 2025

Update: December 15, 2025

From October 1 to 3, 2025, the Athens Democracy Forum (ADF) 2025 was held in Athens, Greece, and Ayano Toi, (4th year student, College of Liberal Arts,Major:Peace studies,Minor:Madia,Communication and Culture) participated in the Forum. This prestigious event, which is sponsored by the non-profit Democracy and Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times, aims to explore strategies to safeguard and sustain the principles of democracy and fundamental freedoms, while addressing the growing divisions and challenges facing the world today.

This year's theme was "New Visions for Hard Realities." Following the "year of elections" across the globe, two dominant trends emerged: widespread disaffection and a strong desire for change. The Forum examined pressing realities, such as social upheaval, economic insecurity, ongoing wars, rapid technological advancements, and the chaos of the climate crisis, while discussing political responses and possibilities for democratic renewal.

ICU is a member of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA), which has been inviting students from its 30 partner universities worldwide to participate in ADF. This year, 22 university students spent about a week in Athens, engaging in pre- and post-conference sessions and deepening discussions with leading experts from various fields, bringing fresh perspectives as youth delegates.

【Comments from Ayano Toi】

Participating in this forum was an inspirational experience that encouraged me to reflect on the role of democracy in today's society.

One of the reasons that motivated me to participate in the Athens Democracy Forum 2025 is how often the concept of democracy came up in my studies, making me realize its role in peacebuilding and development. I wanted to deepen my understanding of democracy and engage with diverse perspectives, recognizing that it takes different forms depending on the context.

This year's forum addressed a wide range of urgent global issues, including the rapid rise of Artificial intelligence(AI) and debates on regulation, authoritarianism, populism, and climate change. The Israel-Palestine conflict was discussed in many of the sessions as well, as one of the ongoing challenges facing the international community. Throughout the forum, one of the things I thought about and discussed was the responsibilities of the state and the responsibilities of the people.Mr.Majed All Ansari from Quater,which adopts constitutional monarchy,mentioned that the state has the responsibility to deliver for its people, while the citizens, in turn, must ensure that the system is working for themselves and for others. The panel session of Rethinking Populism described how the system does not function when the state does not deliver for its people despite them being hungry for change, leading political opportunists to take advantage of this situation. While many issues were raised, I also felt a strong sense of hope for democracy, seeing how many people were gathered there in Athens. I had the opportunity to talk with those working at NGOs to build more inclusive and democratic societies, and individuals who were participating simply out of interest and obligations as a citizen. Through these encounters, I felt as though I was witnessing democracy in action, and I was. The experience compelled me to become more aware of my own responsibilities as a citizen and to keep questioning what we can, and must, do to sustain democratic societies.

Another invaluable part of the program was interacting with my peers from other liberal arts universities around the world. Not only were we able to share our experiences in our own respective countries, but we were also able to share the visions we have for the future, regarding the global issues we face together. While we did not always agree, I learned the importance of communicating my own views while respecting differing perspectives. At times, I also found myself wondering where Japan stands in these global discussions. Therefore, I believe it to be crucial that ICU students continue bringing in their own perspectives from Japan, and from Asia, and I highly encourage their participation in the future.

Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to ICU and my professors for making this opportunity possible, as well as the professors and my fellow peers at GLAA, who made this experience truly inspirational.