Resilience and Reconciliation: Democracy in Crisis and Repair across History
International roundtable co-organized by the Netherlands Institute at Athens, the Danish Institute at Athens, the Finnish Institute at Athens, the Swedish Institute at Athens, and the Norwegian Institute at Athens.
The workshop is a joint initiative of the Netherlands Institute at Athens, the Danish Institute at Athens, the Finnish Institute at Athens, the Swedish Institute at Athens, and the Norwegian Institute at Athens, reflecting a collaborative effort among the foreign research institutes in Athens to promote interdisciplinary scholarly exchange and dialogue.
The Roundtable, consisting of three session4 s, will take place in Athens on 28–29 April 2026 in a hybrid format, with live participation at the Finnish Institute at Athens and the Swedish Institute at Athens, and online via Zoom.
28 April, 15:00 at the Finnish Institute at Athens
29 April, 9:30 at the Swedish Institute at Athens
Democracies fracture. They collapse under pressure, betray their ideals, or spiral into civil strife. Yet time and again, they return — sometimes stronger, often transformed. But do they truly endure, or are they reimagined beyond recognition? This roundtable event explores how resilience, reconstitution, and reconciliation intersect in the reinvention of democracy. Three panel sessions discuss how communities and institutions, ancient or modern, navigate crisis, uphold democratic forms, or abandon them altogether. The first session addresses conceptual dimensions, the second focuses on the themes in an ancient context, and the third presents historical and contemporary case studies.