SUMMITUP VIDEO SERIES

This short video series on the Biden administration’s Summit for Democracy 2021 (9-10 December) was produced as part of the multimedia project ‘The Democracy Fix’ under the Renewing Democracy theme at Melbourne School of Government. DEM-DEC Director Tom Daly sums up the aims, key issues, and players:

  • The Biden administration's international Summit for Democracy took place on 9 and 10 December, seeking to bring government, civil society, and the private sector together to set an agenda for renewing democracy in states worldwide as well as collective international action, on:

    1.    Defending against authoritarianism

    2.    Addressing and fighting corruption

    3.    Promoting respect for human rights

  • A Newsletter containing key additional analysis of the summit was issued on 8 Decennber as.part of the COVID-DEM project.

    Access - Summit Newsletter.

  • Read DEM-DEC Director Tom Daly’s op-ed reviewing the Summit below:

    Access - Biden’s Bid to Strengthen Global Democracy (22 December 2021)

 

VIDEOS

 
 

INTRODUCTION

This video introduces the miniseries aiming to make sense of the Biden administration’s international Summit for Democracy taking place on the 9th and 10th December 2021.

 

VIDEO 2 ‘WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?’

This video looks at the stated aims and main focus areas of the Summit for Democracy, how they link to President Biden's campaign pledges, and the overarching global context of democratic recession.

VIDEO 3: ‘'WHO’S INVITED?’

This video looks at the guest list at the Summit, analysing geographic spread, inconsistencies, omissions, and why it's called a 'Summit for Democracy', not a 'Summit of Democracies'.

VIDEO 4: ‘HOW HAS THE WORLD RESPONDED?’

This video looks at skepticism about the Summit, the Summit agenda just released, the very unhappy reaction of the Russian and Chinese governments, and whether this is a geopolitical club rather than a democracy club.

VIDEO 5: ‘CAN THE USA LEAD ON DEMOCRACY TODAY?’

This video looks at how the USA's own domestic challenges, as well as its recent and historical foreign policy, have affected its capacity and credibility to lead on global democratic challenges

VIDEO 6: 'The View from Australia and Asia-Pacific'

This video looks at why the Summit has barely registered in the Australian media, who's attending from across Asia and the Pacific, and how the region can use the Summit as an opportunity to focus on renewing democracy