Democracy is fragile today. Yet it is not confined to a single place, a specific country, or a particular political system. The democratic promise remains far from fully realized. Still, we can find hope in the idea that when democracy retreats in one part of the world, it may grow stronger in another.

This is “Thinking in Dark Times”, a podcast series by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet focused on Ukraine.

• Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.
• Guest: Aman Sethi, an Indian journalist and the editor-in-chief of openDemocracy—an independent international media platform based in London.

A Brief Summary

The concept of the Global South

“I think that with all concepts, it's one of those which is hard to define,” — Aman Sethi discusses how the term "Global South" oversimplifies countries with very different political and historical contexts.

Soviet Union’s legacy in the Global South

Many in the Global South still hold positive views of the USSR due to its support for anti-colonial movements, complicating Ukraine’s message.

Aman Sethi:

There is a fresh memory of the fact that when India detonated its nuclear weapon, it kind of started its nuclear programme, they were sanctioned by the United States

Democracy is not just a Western concept

Aman insists democracy is not owned by the West. Movements like India’s farmer protests and Ukraine’s Maidan revolution show democratic energy elsewhere.

The Decline of Democracy

Aman Sethi claims that while governments in the Global South may fail to uphold democratic norms, the people remain deeply invested in democracy.

“People are hugely invested in the idea of democracy, and people understand instinctively that it is perhaps the only way to keep a multi-ethnic and most nation states are increasingly multiethnic, a diverse country together,” — Aman Sethi.

We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum in May 2025, in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.

You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

This episode was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution, and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation.