Nearly half the world’s population will choose their leaders in elections this year. But, as a new report highlights, the traditional bedrocks of democracy — including free and fair elections, the commitment to universal human rights, and formal checks and balances on power — are weakening across the globe. 

The TED Democracy Initiative began this important conversation last November. Now, TED is supporting seven TEDx events around the world — including right here in Jacksonville — to inspire locally-adapted conversations and advance civic solutions within our own communities. 

We don’t need to tell you that Florida is a battleground state. Competing interests and agendas are engaged in near-constant legislative and cultural combat. It feels like we’re at an inflection point. Indeed, a majority of Americans across political parties share a common fear: that our liberal democracy is being undermined, institutional guardrails are eroding, and authoritarianism is on the rise.

It’s not enough just to see the problem. We have to do something about it — and that starts with rejecting feelings of hopelessness about our divisions. TEDxJacksonville believes that dialogue about democracy is a positive, patriotic, and cross-party endeavor.

Our goal is to create forward-looking programming that catalyzes important conversations in our community around civic education and engagement. We believe the way to safeguard our rights and ensure our systems are more representative is to listen to a diversity of voices, and build unlikely allies in the fight against illiberalism. We know that working together is the best way to build a better future for everyone. 

Our 2024 TEDx Democracy programming will be multi-pronged. It includes a special Salon, collaboration with local artists, the creation of a democracy ‘Zine and digital toolkit, and a dedicated session of democracy-centered talks at our annual conference this Fall.