Paul Hilder is an independent adviser and writer working on democratic renewal, Europe, and the middle east. A co-founder of openDemocracy, he is a fellow of The Young Foundation [www.icstudies.ac.uk], senior policy consultant to the Middle East Policy Initiative Forum, editor of The Democratic Papers (2004) and co-editor of Peace Fire: Fragments from the Israel-Palestine Story (2002). He blogs at http://gathering.typepad.com.

Recent articles

In the week of the Madrid summit on democracy and terrorism, two global citizens say that talking is not enough.

The traditional political party is dying. Can it reinvent itself in a way that matches transformations of society, technology, and personal identity? Paul Hilder draws on global democratic experimentation to present a vision of the political party for an age of “open politics”.

Jordan’s capital was the venue of an international civil society conference that sought guidelines for a path to Middle East security in the recent experience of Europe. Paul Hilder, awed and excited by the challenge, was there.

As Hungarians vote on whether to join the EU, we dive into their imaginations. What does enlargement mean at ground level? From a German factory in the north-east to the bustle of Budapest’s entrepreneurs, from hopes and fears to past terrors, Hungarian voices and stories jostle. In the corners of Europe, its futures can be glimpsed.

As the first war of the new era begins, the die is cast and War Fever peaks. Through the sandstorm and the summits, can we see our way toward responsibility and the Futures of Europe? From Cyprus to Malta and Belgrade to Finland, the wind is rising...