Because democracy needs people to be strong
COPENHAGEN – Today marks the official launch of Democracy Fitness Global (DFG), a community of founders, partners, and trainers dedicated to make democracy training accessible to everyone, everywhere.
While the methodology has been refined through years of practice since its 2017 debut at Denmark’s Folkemødet (Democracy Festival), the establishment of the global NGO marks a new era: scaling the transformation of democracy from a rigid, abstract concept into a tangible, everyday practice.
Use It or Lose It
The core philosophy of Democracy Fitness is simple: Democracy is not just a political system; it is a set of skills and values we carry as human beings. But like any muscle, these skills require awareness and regular exercise to stay strong. If we don’t know how or feel confident enough to use it – we are in the danger of losing it.
“We created Democracy Fitness as a counterstrike,” says co-founder and Executive Director Kathrine Krone. “We saw democracy becoming distant and abstract. We craved a way to practice without preaching, a training room where people with different perspectives could meet to have concrete, active, and fun experiences – together.”
The Workout: 10 Muscles, 30 Minutes
Democracy Fitness Global identifies 10 core democracy muscles, including Empathy, Disagreement, Active Listening, Verbal Confidence, and the Ability to Compromise. The methodology offers a designed 30-minute workout for each, led by certified trainers.
These sessions are built on a unique and effective learning design:
- A Playful Approach to a Serious Matter: High energy and low-barrier entry points.
- Walking the Talk: Shifting tempos and activities that move participants from thinking to acting.
- Democracy Praxis: It is learning by doing, exploring oneself and the group simultaneously.
A Global Backbone for Local Action
Since its inception, the methodology has gained momentum with support from Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Tuborg Foundation, and the Nordea Foundation. Moving into this new era with massive momentum, we are grateful for the ongoing support of Robert Bosch Stiftung (Germany). We are also pleased to bring on board six partner organisations – becoming the first members of the formal global association Democracy Fitness Global, which will serve as the “shared backbone” for many more partners worldwide in the future. Partner organisations enable local action by training trainers who will lead Democracy Fitness trainings, strengthening one democracy muscle at a time.
A new point of entry if you want to join
Today is also the launch of a new digital hub, democracyfitness.org, that allows individuals and organisations to:
- Explore Democracy Fitness as a concept and learn about the 10 democracy muscles – in both videos and text
- Connect with the active partners or even become one
- Find out how to try your first training or start the journey to become a certified trainer.
Democracy Fitness is built on the belief that everyone must be able to take an active part in democracy. Democracy should be easy to enter and hard to fall out of. Whether in schools, workplaces, or local communities, Democracy Fitness Global invites the world to start training.
As the Democracy Fitness manifesto states:
“Democracy is all of us, all the time. You are enough, and there is as much room for you as for anyone else. Let’s train.”
The first six partners
Bureau Burgerberaad – The Netherlands
Heinrich Böll Stiftung NRW – Germany
Mehr Demokratie e.V. – Germany
Toronto Public Library – Canada
About Democracy Fitness Global
Democracy Fitness Global is a non-profit association based in Copenhagen, supporting a global network of partners to anchor Democracy Fitness trainings locally. Our mission is to strengthen democratic participation and offer a sense of democratic community in everyday life. Together we make democracy fit – one muscle at a time.
Media Contact:
Kathrine Krone Laurent, Executive Director, Democracy Fitness Global
kathrine@democracyifitness.org
+45 23904567
