Can we learn animal democracy from bonobos, ants and slime mould to better our society?

Humans have turned to spider silk to make stronger materials, termite mounds to design cooler housing and bumblebees to refine drone technology.

So, if it’s so helpful to look outside our own species for answers to problems, why not look to non-humans to help us develop our society and democracy?

Dr Jean-Paul Gagnon, a philosopher in democracy at the University of Canberra, says innovative solutions are needed to address problems in modern democracies and societies, and non-humans could hold the answers.

He’s spent nearly 10 years drawing inspiration, lessons and analogies for democracy from animal interactions.

“If you want to see more democracy in the world, if you want to determine your own destiny and for all of us to do this…