BIT-ACT at the Erasmus+ DEMOS Academic Programme: Strengthening Democracy in Latin America

In 2024, the academic programme 'Ataques a la democracia y populismos - Nuevo programa académico para el fortalecimiento de las instituciones en América Latina', developed under the Erasmus+ DEMOS initiative co-funded by the European Union, brought together academics and practitioners to exchange ideas on recent attacks on democracy and the rising trends of populism, with the aim of strengthening institutional frameworks in Latin America.

One of the pillars of the DEMOS project focuses on capacity building, to which the BIT-ACT researcher Fernanda Odilla contributed by engaging with professors from Latin America and Europe. On 4 July, she presented her work on the transformative potential and risks of AI in promoting transparency and accountability. Her insights reinforced the project's mission to support democracy through innovation and technology.

Odilla's presentation took place during the second phase of the project, hosted by the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Bologna on 3-4 July 2024. Participants also attended a course in the town of Siena (see the full programme below).

The first training phase of the programme was conducted by the University of Bologna online, paving the way for the second phase of the initiative, which took place in the cities of Bologna and Siena.

By equipping academics with innovative research approaches, such as the use of artificial intelligence to monitor politicians and political spending, and by promoting cross-border knowledge exchange, the Erasmus+ DEMOS initiative empowers stakeholders at a time when democracy seems to be under threat. Focusing on the role of the judiciary and legal frameworks, this initiative not only strengthens democratic values in Latin America, but also contributes to global efforts to safeguard democratic integrity in an increasingly complex political landscape.

More info about the DEMOS project can be found here.