The international event Democracy4All (D4A), brought together this week more than 500 people of some thirty nationalities at the Llotja de Mar in Barcelona, to debate the models of governance and society that new technologies are making possible.

The event, which was inaugurated on Thursday by the Director General for Innovation, Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Lluís Juncà, and on Friday by the President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Mònica Roca i Aparici, is inspired by the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance established by the Council of Europe. 

“Democracy4All is an event to debate the future —and the present— of our democracy, which is now, like everything around us, digital”, Quirze Salomó, executive director of the CBCat (Blockchain Centre of Catalonia), the entity organizing the conference

“It is a meeting point between government and new technologies, and the fact that this confluence is taking place in Barcelona offers Catalonia the opportunity to be a pioneer and leader of this international colloquium”.

Around eighty speakers took to the stage at Democracy4All over the two days, including Craig Wright, self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin; David Chaum, one of the pioneers of cryptography with the invention of DigiCash; Grace Rachmany, founder of the Voice of Humanity initiative; and Vít Jedlicka, president of the Liberland micronation.

“In this event we bring together representatives of public administration, politicians, top technologists, and entrepreneurs of different nationalities,” Vasilisa Marinchuk, director of the event, and director of international relations of the CBCat.

“This generates an extremely powerful confluence of ideas, and that is why from the CBCat we work to offer, year after year, an inspiring and absolutely unique agenda, which attracts the international professional community seeking to make a positive impact on the society with the help of technology.”

Art galleries, virtual reality experiences and blockchain use case debates

The AMPANS Foundation, which works to promote education, quality of life and labour insertion of people with intellectual disabilities, was present at Democracy4All with an exhibition of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), created by its members.

This exhibition was coordinated by Sabrina Bonini, founder of Cripto Es Cultura, a platform that aims to encourage local artists and creators, especially women and minority groups, in their first steps towards financial and creative self-sovereignty, educating them to enter the NFTs and Web3 space.

By the end of day one, Democracy4All was also the scenario of the ceremony for the Wholistic World Innovation Trophy (WWIT), an award given by the Diplomatic World Institute, to recognize technological and social innovation used to sustainably improve the world. The Australian educational technology company, Indigital, and London-based location-technology company, what3words were the winners of the 2021 and 2022 edition respectively.

During the second day, the Digital Catalonia Alliance (DCA) of blockchain was also presented, an initiative that brings together the main emerging technology sectors of the Catalan territory in an alliance of innovative, visionary, disruptive and collaborative technology communities. This presentation was accompanied by a round table discussion on how blockchain technology can impact different business sectors.

In addition, those attending Democracy4All were also able to get to know and enjoy the Festa Major del CatVers, the initiative presented during the month of November for the CBCat, where various Catalan organizations and associations have created an immersive room in the CatVers, the Catalan metaverse.

Although anyone can visit these rooms from their computer, through the official CatVers website, the CBCat wanted to offer the opportunity to enter them with virtual reality devices, “which is when users really become aware of the potential offered by metaverses”, Quirze Salomó. 

The international event Democracy4All (D4A), which has been held annually since 2019, returns on the 10th and 11th of November to La Llotja de Mar in Barcelona for its fourth edition, in a hybrid format, offering both online and in-person experiences, following the success of this model in 2021.

During the event, there will be more than thirty conferences, inspired by the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance, established by the Council of Europe, as well as the opportunity to meet around twenty exhibiting companies.

Attendees will also be able to enjoy other experiences such as a gallery of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), or participate in virtual reality activities. Metaverses and their governance will also be a key topic, addressed in many of the conferences that will be held over the two days.

The President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Mònica Roca i Aparici, is delighted that Barcelona is hosting this event, which attracts leading figures in politics, technology, and regulation from all over the world: “the organization of Democracy4All puts us in a leading position, and allows us to bring together the latest trends in a sector that is bursting onto the scene and which will play a key role in the technological sphere in the coming years”.

This is the second edition of Democracy4All organized by the CBCat (Centre Blockchain de Catalunya), an entity of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and the Catalan Government, which aims to promote the adoption of digital assets and decentralized technologies in Catalonia through digital dissemination and literacy.

The executive director of the CBCat, Quirze Salomó, also stresses the importance of this event for the city: “Democracy4All offers Catalonia in general, and Barcelona in particular, the opportunity to host the most important international meeting point for political actors and global institutions. The CBCat is thus contributing to the promotion of dialogue between government entities and new technologies, in order to promote their adoption”.

The AMPANS Foundation, which works to promote education, quality of life and employment for people with intellectual disabilities, will exhibit works created by its members during the international conference Democracy4All, on the 10th and 11th of November at the Llotja de Mar.

Democracy4All, also known as D4A, is an event of international reference in the techno-political sector, organized by CBCat (Blockchain Centre of Catalonia), of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and in collaboration with the Department of the Vice-Presidency and Digital Policies and Territory.

Democracy4All is an event focused on the application of blockchain in democracy, which will take place the 10th and 11th of November at the Llotja de Mar in Barcelona

The focus of Democracy4All makes it a unique event in the world, as it revolves around the use of the blockchain as an instrument for democratic improvement in terms of social, business and individual governance.

The event positions Catalonia as the most important international meeting point for political actors and institutions from around the world, and helps to accelerate the dialogue between governmental bodies and new technologies.

The exhibition, with the title “L’Art de viure: celebrating diversity and inclusion”, will be organized in collaboration with Cripto Es Cultura, a platform that aims to promote local artists and creators, especially women and minority collectives, in their first steps towards financial and creative self-sufficiency, educating them to enter the NFTs and Web3 space, making their art and projects visible, and creating synergies between artists, creators, collectors, brands and enthusiasts of this technology. The founder of this initiative, Sabrina Bonini, is also the curator of this particular collection.

The artists of the AMPANS Foundation are part of the L’Art de Viure (Art of living) workshop, one of the activities of the Foundation’s Occupational Centre. The main purpose of this centre is to provide people with the necessary means to discover and develop their artistic talent, to strengthen it and make it valuable in society. L’Art de Viure was created as an opportunity to showcase the skills of some very special artists, where diversity is an inspiring and creative value to be promoted.

The artists of the AMPANS foundation, which promotes the quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities, will exhibit their work in NFT format to those attending the conference.

The collaboration between AMPANS, Cripto Es Cultura and the CBCat will allow attendees of the L’Art de Viure workshop to learn about the benefits of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), a digital format that uses blockchain technology to protect the intellectual property of creators and prevent plagiarism and unauthorized appropriation.

They will also have the opportunity to present, in front of the conference attendees, their works created inspired by the Twelve Principles of Good Governance established by the Council of Europe, which are also at the heart of the conferences that will take place at Democracy4All. 

More information and tickets: www.d4a.io