Washington, D.C., May 16, 2024 - The Truman Center announced today the launch of its new Cities’ Democracy Project. On April 25, 2024, Truman’s Visiting Senior Fellow Cecily McLeod hosted the inaugural virtual convening featuring senior city leaders from the 10 participating cities from around the world.

Amid growing antidemocratic and authoritarian sentiments, this project addresses increasing internal and transnational threats from autocrats at the city level. Because cities are increasingly targeted by antidemocratic leaders and policies, the Cities’ Democracy Project will leverage city diplomacy and city-to-city cooperation to craft solutions and tools to increase local democratic resilience.

Over the next year, the Truman Center will collaborate with a community of cities from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America at the forefront of advancing democracy innovation. Together with experts and practitioners in democratic resilience, they will identify and share best practices and innovations to counter rising authoritarianism.  

This initiative is part of the Truman Center’s growing portfolio of City and State Diplomacy programs, which aim to increase U.S. city and state governments’ engagement with global counterparts in joint advocacy and action.

The cities participating in the project include:

North America
‍Atlanta, GA
Dearborn, MI
Madison, WI
San Antonio, TX

‍South America
‍Cuenca, Ecuador

Africa
‍uMngeni, South Africa

Europe
‍Manchester, United Kingdom
Mannheim, Germany
Milan, Italy

Asia
‍Kaohsiung, Taiwan

For press inquiries, contact Truman Vice President of Communications Suzy Wagner at swagner@trumancnp.org.

Feedback from participating cities:

Manchester
‍“Manchester is incredibly excited to be joining this programme to share our experiences of strengthening our local democratic fabric, as well as learning from counterparts in the US and the rest of the world. Building trust and engagement in democracy is fundamental to continuing to actively involve our citizens in Manchester's continuing economic development.
—Councillor Bev Craig, Manchester, United Kingdom

Dearborn
‍“I am grateful to the Truman Center for this opportunity, to delve into important topics connecting communities across the country. I am particularly excited to share lessons, trends, and challenges from Dearborn, Michigan; and hear from others that invested in bolstering democratic resilience on an important local level.”
—Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud, Dearborn (Mich.) USA

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About the Truman Center:

The Truman Center is a nonpartisan organization committed to advancing principled solutions to complex national security challenges. Leveraging a diverse network of experts, policymakers, and stakeholders, we strive to redefine national security by promoting inclusive dialogue, innovative solutions, and principled leadership. Through our programs, advocacy, and engagement nationwide, we ensure that a broad spectrum of voices inform national security policies.