Understanding the forms of local democracy in low-income and low-middle income countries

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: EU institutions and national decision-makers are equipped with science-based tools, toolkits, training models, monitoring frameworks, and recommendations to proactively promote inequality reduction, human rights and democracy, in order to lead to more resilient and inclusive democratic societies in low-income and low-middle income countries [1] EU institutions and national decision-makers are better able to proactively promote democratic values, principles and practices in low- and low-middle income countries grounded in a better understanding of the actors at local level including their capacity and needs when engaging in democratic practices. EU institutions, national decision-makers, and civil society organisations can access and use (evidence-based) good practices for working in fragile contexts [2] EU institutions and national decision-makers understand the role of decentralization processes in low-income and low-middle income countries, and its impact on the quality of public services and on acceptance of democratic processes among citizens. In addition, projects should contribute to at least one of the following expected outcomes: Policymakers, public authorities, and service delivery providers have a better understanding of the link between efficient delivery of public services and pro-democratic sentiment in low-income and low-middle income countries. Civil society organisations, and other relevant actors, working in the fields of development cooperation and promotion of human rights have better tools to promote democratic practices at local level in low-income and low-middle income countries. Scope: Democratic backsliding and human rights rollbacks are increasing globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, driven by internal instability and external interference promoting non-democratic models. These trends also represent a risk to the security of European citizens and businesses, and a destabilisation factor in the countries and regions with which the EU maintains diplomatic and economic relations. To tackle this, the EU has developed and started to implement several strategies to promote and defend democracy and human rights in third countries [3] . Developing countries with strong local democratic practices, such as elections and representative democracy at levels below the national government, tend to be more resilient against democratic backsliding. Proposals should therefore gather evidence on how actors in economic, political, and social…