Images from Islam debatepublished at 14:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Summary
20 January 2015 marks the 750th anniversary of the first parliament of elected representatives at Westminster, the de Montfort Parliament
50 years earlier Magna Carta - or the Great Charter - was sealed by King John in 1215 and established for the first time that everyone, including him, was subject to law
The BBC is broadcasting a day of live events, discussion and debate broadcast from inside Westminster and the BBC Radio Theatre
Highlights include an interview with the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners Lee; live streaming of BBC News meetings; and panel debates from inside the Radio Theatre
Democracy Day is produced in collaboration with the House of Commons and the House of Lords
Images from Islam debatepublished at 14:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Get involvedpublished at 14:36 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Edwina Currie tweets, external: Happy 750th birthday, Parliament! Something to be very proud of in our great country #DemocracyDay
Dramatising Democracypublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking programme hosts a debate now in the Radio Theatre, looking at how modern drama on stage and TV reinforces or undermines ideas on democracy.
Postpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Good - because there's plenty to come, including a discussion with for Wu'er Kaixi - one of the leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. That will be live streamed here at 1630 GMT, or if you're out of range it will be shown on BBC World.
Postpublished at 14:32 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
So who's up for more?
Dramatising Democracypublished at 14:27 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
The BBC's Radio Theatre is hosting a Dramatising Democracy live event from 14:30 GMT. Those taking part include:
Lords Dobbs - politician and author of House of Cards
James Graham - playwright who penned This House for The National Theatre among other things
Paula Milne - screenwriter whose works include The Politician's Wife
Trudi-Ann Tierney - TV producer who now writes scripts for Afghan TV
Postpublished at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
An appeal for pictures...
Get involvedpublished at 14:16 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Struan RT Robertson tweets:, external Debate is tainted by facile historical comparisons. Religious and political instances of violence don't have same motives. #BBCDemocracyDay
'Don't teach Islam in schools'published at 14:14 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Kuwaiti artist Shurooq Amin: Islam shouldn't be part of the school syllabus - it's a religion.
The Islam debate has finished.
Get involvedpublished at 14:14 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Murtala Wazeer from Lagos, Nigeria emails: The talk about governance may not really be about the compatibility of democracy and Islam. Islam is democratic; the Khilafat and Shura have democratic elements because they involve the people or masses. The problem we have today is, trying to define democracy in tune with Western capitalist democracy.
Postpublished at 14:13 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
If you missed our first panel of the day from the BBC's Radio Theatre, you can now catch it on iplayer. BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson was in charge and he and the panel discussed Can Democracy Work?
Wales & devolutionpublished at 14:10 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Wales has had its own elected Assembly since 1999, and has had the power to make its own laws since 2006. BBC Wales political editor Nick Servini explains how the Assembly works.
Get involvedpublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Luciano Balloi from Cheshire, UK, emails: Democracy is far from perfect, but it's the best we've got. We should remember that this is our own version of democracy, one of the many possible. It is peculiar to the Western world, as it is the outcome of centuries of cultural, social, economic, and political evolution that led us through wars (political and religious), revolutions, and many strongly unpleasant historical happenings. One of the main factors allowing the development of our democracy has been the secularisation of our society.
Postpublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Marta Lagos, who is also the author of Barometro CERC, which monitored Chilean transition to democracy from 1987 to the present, will answer your questions on the topic "Who needs democracy anyway?" from her base in Chile. So please, let us have your thoughts, contributions and questions.
Postpublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
We have a Twitter question and answer session with Marta Lago, founding director of opinion poll organisation Latinobarometro corporation.
Northern Ireland & devolutionpublished at 13:59 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Devolution has had a big effect on British politics over the past 20 years. The BBC's Andy Martin explains why the Stormont government in Northern Ireland is so unique.
Call to protestpublished at 13:59 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Prof Tariq Ramadan: We have to stop being obsessed with just Israel and the Palestinians. What about Boko Haram in Nigeria? He urges Douglas Murray to join him in protesting against Boko Haram violence. "Absolutely", Murray replies.
Get involvedpublished at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Bryan Blears tweets, external: #BBCDemocracyDay Democracy is about giving the non-political class a platform to take part in decision-making
Scottish referendumpublished at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
The BBC's Glenn Campbell is at Holyrood to discuss how levels of political participation have changed following the Scottish referendum in September. Labour MSP Jenny Marra says the vote saw a surge in people engaging with politics up and down the country - no matter which party they were from.
Too many excusespublished at 13:56 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2015
Journalist Douglas Murray on Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris: A lot of excuses are being given to people. People ask: Why did they do it? Is it the banlieues (Paris suburbs)? The world is filled with inconsistencies - society's like that... But they are being taught to feel these grievances.