SALAR’s Democracy Forum took place at Lidingö near Stockholm in June 2014. It brought together nine ‘experts’ in democracy and democratic engagement with eight of SALAR’s staff working in areas of democratic support. The experts came from the UK, Germany, Italy, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. The format for the three days, facilitated by myself and Martin Sande, was one of intensive conversation; less about presenting and more about sharing, talking and listening. The aim was to hear international perspectives, talk about the challenges and opportunities facing Swedish local government and then, together, develop high-level themes. Going forward, these themes will hopefully inform SALAR’s strategic direction as they embark on developing this for the years ahead. This is an account of what emerged from that conversation.
