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<h1>Ancient Democratic Practices</h1>
<h2 id="democracy-beyond-athens">Democracy Beyond Athens</h2>
<p>While Athenian democracy is widely studied, many other societies throughout history have developed democratic and participatory governance systems. This research area examines these diverse models of democratic practice.</p>
<p>Our research challenges the narrative that democracy is exclusively a Western invention, exploring participatory governance practices from:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Indian subcontinent, including the Sangha traditions and early republics</li>
<li>Pre-colonial governance in Africa</li>
<li>Mesoamerican and South American participatory systems</li>
<li>Island societies of the Pacific</li>
<li>Medieval European commons and guild structures</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="current-projects">Current Projects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Comparative study of sortition (selection by lot) across cultures</li>
<li>Women’s participation in ancient democratic systems</li>
<li>Documentation of consensus processes in non-state societies</li>
<li>Resource governance in ancient democratic systems</li>
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