In the twelfth and final episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Margaret Satterthwaite to discuss the personal journey, professional milestones, and global challenges that shape her work as UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. We also explore why judicial independence is essential for democracy, how global democracy backsliding is reshaping the mandate, and where meaningful resilience and hope continue to emerge.

Margaret (Meg) Satterthwaite is a distinguished human rights lawyer, scholar, and advocate whose career has been dedicated to advancing justice, accountability, and the rule of law. Appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022, she leads the global mandate to safeguard the independence of judges and lawyers, a cornerstone of democratic governance and human rights protection. With a career spanning over two decades, she has worked at the intersection of international law, access to justice, and human rights, combining academic leadership with hands-on engagement in the field. She serves as a Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at New York University School of Law, where she has mentored generations of lawyers and advocates committed to justice and equality.

Through her UN mandate, Meg has shed light on the contemporary threats facing judicial independence worldwide, from political interference and corruption to digital harassment and economic pressure, while emphasizing the role of courts and legal professionals in upholding democracy and protecting civic space.

In the eleventh episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Gavin Charles to discuss how language, storytelling, and strategic communication can shape the way we understand, trust, and sustain democracy. We also examine the power of words to bridge divides, humanize policy, and remind us that democracy is, at its core, a shared conversation.

Gavin Charles is the speechwriter and Governance Officer in the Office of the Secretary General at International IDEA. He is a strategist, communicator, and policy thinker whose career has bridged politics, civil society, and international governance. Based in Stockholm, he leads the drafting of speeches and strategic communications for International IDEA’s Secretary General, helping shape the Institute’s global narrative on democracy, governance, and inclusion. Before joining International IDEA in 2022, Gavin worked at the heart of Canada’s foreign policy and development ecosystem, advising the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs in Parliament, leading the policy team at Cooperation Canada, and serving as a Senior Policy Analyst at Public Safety Canada. Across these roles, he has been guided by a common thread: advancing positive and sustainable change through the power of words and ideas. With over a decade of experience translating complex policy into compelling, human-centered language, Gavin brings a rare perspective on how communication can bridge divides, inspire trust, and make democracy tangible.

In the tenth episode of Season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, the Coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition and moderator of this podcast, Elisenda Balleste Buxo, reflects on the journey we have shared throughout this season.

With no guests, no interview questions, and no agenda, this special episode offers a quiet pause – a moment to make sense of the stories, ideas, and emotions that have emerged across the past nine episodes. Elisenda shares how each guest this season didn’t just describe democracy as a structure, they felt it.

They spoke of democracy as care, as courage, as trust, and sometimes even as grief. Listening back to these voices, from youth leaders and reformers to human rights defenders and former UN officials, she finds that each conversation forms part of a much larger story: one about courage, hope, and what it truly means to keep democracy alive.

This reflective episode ties together the heartbeat that has run through every discussion this season, a quiet faith shared across continents, and a reminder of why we continue to believe.