Скачать или смотреть “Holding the Line for Democracy” Spotlight Session at Paris Peace Forum 2025

Gabriela Hearst, member of the Steering Committee of Paris Peace Forum, participated in a spotlight session titled “Holding the Line for Democracy,” during the 8th edition of the Paris Peace Forum, New Coalitions for Peace, People and the Planet, bringing together leading voices from politics, culture, youth advocacy, and global governance to explore how collective action across sectors can safeguard democratic values in an era of global disruption.

Moderated by Trisha Shetty, Founder and President of SheSays and President of the Paris Peace Forum Steering Committee, the 20-minute session featured Michael Galeano (Ambassador for Education, UNICEF International), Kiara Nirghin (Co-Founder, Chima), and Dr. Mayada Adil (Former UN Youth Office Young Leader for the SDGs) alongside Hearst.

The session opened with a video address by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Founder of Onward Together and Former U.S. Secretary of State, underscoring the global importance of democratic resilience and civic leadership.

Throughout the conversation, panelists tackled urgent questions around youth participation, disinformation, climate activism, and the intersection of politics, fashion, and digital advocacy. The exchange explored how new generations and creative industries are challenging power structures, leveraging digital tools, and building alliances to “hold the line” for democracy amid growing polarization, misinformation, and climate denial.

The Paris Peace Forum is a platform to originate, shape, and share multi-actor responses towards global peace and sustainable prosperity. It brings together key decision-makers and fosters collaboration between governments, international organizations, businesses, and civil society to reinvent diplomacy in a changing world. This year’s edition aims to build alliances for action and international cooperation, which the Forum has been promoting since 2018, under the theme “New Coalitions for Peace, People, and the Planet,” with a strong focus on the climate crisis. This edition also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the universal framework that commits the international community to taking action to limit global warming to well below 2°C, and if possible, 1.5°C.