On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Mr. Abdelwahad Radi released an interview in Arabic that has been published on the UN website.

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Zambian students, schoolchildren and civil society groups will talk to senior MPs on radio shows aired across the country. The discussions will be broadcast on parliamentary radio and 18 community radio stations over three days. A mobile roadshow will also give members of the public a chance to interact with MPs, helping them to understand the role of parliament and how they can engage with it.

The Zambian parliament has been one of the most consistent supporters of the International Day of Democracy since it began in 2008. It uses the Day to provide a forum for citizens’ ideas on how they can be heard more effectively.

Primary school children in Montenegro learnt about the principles of democracy in workshops organized by the Parliament. The children had the chance to ask questions about democracy and talk about the role of MPs with the Deputy Speaker, who encouraged them to get involved in democratic processes and make their views known and voices heard.

As part of the workshops, children produced online newspapers which have been posted on the children’s parliamentary website.

The British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU) will be holding the following events and activities:

BGIPU Reception to mark the International Day of Democracy | 10 September: a reception with MPs and the diplomatic community taking the theme of this year’s IDD with a focus on strengthening youth voices for democracy.

Information Stand in Parliament | Wednesday 11 September: BGIPU staff will be manning a stand in Parliament to give MPs a chance to learn more about the BGIPU, IPU and the International Day of Democracy.

Charity pub quiz: BGIPU will be hosting a charity pub quiz in Parliament with members and staff to raise funds for a street children project in Senegal.

The Parliament of India will mark Democracy Day by hosting a live televised debate on the ‘Challenges to Indian Democracy’ with Members of Parliament, civil society groups, university students and journalists. The event will take place against a backdrop of pictures and digital prints showing aspects of democracy.

In Uruguay, all school children visiting parliament during September 2013 will be given a copy of IPU’s Universal Declaration of Democracy, while a parliamentary meeting on “Democracy and Participation” will focus on the political participation of women and young people. There will also be speeches about democracy in both Chambers of parliament prior to IDD.

The Speaker of the Yemeni Parliament marked the International Day of Democracy with a speech in the parliamentary ceremonial hall. He cited parliament as the central institution of democracy, which embodies the will of the people and expresses the aspirations of all sections of society.