Amb. Mari Carmen Aponte Study Group: Democracy & Rule of Law in the Global South

GUEST: Justice Rosalie Abella, Retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice

Democracy in the Global South has often been framed as a contradiction: many countries embody the aspirations of majority rule and inclusive governance, while facing persistent challenges of weak institutions and fragile rule of law. This session will explore how legal systems, constitutional frameworks, and judicial institutions are tested, reinvented and adapted in different parts of the Global South.

We will examine cases where courts and civic movements have pushed back against authoritarian drift, as well as contexts where political elites have hollowed out institutions to establish power. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between the rule of law and public trust: how do citizens perceive the legitimacy of democratic systems when corruption and repression and sometimes even foreign interference undermine their integrity?

By examining these questions, we will consider the broader stakes: What models of democracy are emerging in the Global South? Are they reinforcing or reshaping global debates about rights, accountability and sovereignty? In the final analysis, this session will examine whether the preservation of democracy in the Global South depends on importing Western frameworks, or on generating new and different approaches rooted in local realities.

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.