Rabat Declaration

Rabat Declaration
September 17, 2023

We believe that the challenges of this century demand new, dynamic and fair models of governance.

We believe that the complexity of these problems require our Àjọṣepọ̀ (collective intelligence): the participation of many and diverse citizens, not just a privileged few.

We believe that there is no “one best model“ of شورى (citizen participation) and that useful Nunya (knowledge) can come from all places and cultures.

We believe that the vocabulary and language used in governance have an essential, and often hidden, impact on processes and institutions.

We believe that the languages of the Global South have too often been suppressed or ignored in the discourse of governance, both in these countries and globally.

We believe that better models of governance will use language and concepts that resonate with local realities.

We believe that we can support one another across borders of all kinds in reinventing the language of governance around the globe. 

We believe that words create worlds of possibility.