NED makes more than 1000 grants each year to nongovernmental groups in more than 90 countries. Behind each grant is a story about people who share a common desire to live in a world that is free and democratic, and who are willing to dedicate and often risk their lives to achieve that goal.

Read and listen to the compelling stories of a few outstanding NED grantees as they talk about their daily struggles to advance freedom and democracy in their countries. 

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Czechoslovakia: “If the Culture Survives….”

“If the culture survives, then so too does the nation,” is the motto of Prague’s Kampa Museum, where the exhibition “Archive of Freedom,” opened on September 20, 2011. The exhibit, which runs through Nov. 6, 2011, celebrates the 25th anniversary of legendary NED grantee Czechoslovak Documentation Center, “one of the most important exile institutions of the second half of the 20th century.” :: MORE

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Russia: Polling for Democracy, The Yuri Levada Analytical Center

The Yuri Levada Analytical Center, a NED partner since 2009, documents trends in public opinion in Russia. Named for its founder, a well-known Russian sociologist who was stripped of his professorship in 1969 for “ideological mistakes,” provides timely insight on pressing sociopolitical issues. :: MORE

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Sudan: Finding Democratic Solutions

The Al-Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE), a NED partner in Sudan since 2007, was founded in memory Al-Khatim Adlan, one of Sudan’s great progressive political thinkers. KACE is committed to finding democratic answers to Sudan’s long-entrenched conflicts and testing the limits of the greater political openness envisioned by Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement. :: MORE

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Engaging Youth to Bridge Ethnic Divisions

Olang Sana of Citizens Against Violence describes how his organization was formed to stop political and electoral violence in Kenya. :: MORE

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Working to End Torture in Liberia

NED grantee Rescue Alternatives Liberia (RAL) is partnering with Liberian legislators to bring anti-torture legislation into law as Liberia moves beyond war atrocities and blood diamonds.
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Forward or Backward in the Balkans?

Fifteen years after the genocide at Srebrenica, NED grantees Nataša Kandić of the Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade and Anisa Sućeska-Vekić of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Sarajevo speak to Democracy Digest about growing tensions in Bosnia, and the importance of truth and transitional justice in the Balkans. :: MORE

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Azerbaijan: Being More Than a Number

Adnan Hajizade is in jail for a YouTube satire, but his work continues to inspire young Azerbaijanis who long for democracy. :: MORE

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Iran: Two Sisters, One Cause

Roya and Ladan Boroumand describe how they honor their family's legacy and continue their father's fight for Iranian democracy from outside the country. :: MORE

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Haiti 2010: Rebuilding Haiti and its Democracy

Democracy Stories producer Joe Rubin follows up with Fondation Espoir director Hans Tippenhauer to talk about the impact of the January earthquake. Tippenhauer shares on both a personal and professional level the challenges posed by the devastation, and how he and his colleagues are coping and starting to rebuild. :: MORE

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Haiti 2009: Building a Community of Young Leaders

Prior to the January earthquake, NED spoke with Hans Tippenhauer, Director of Fondation Espoir in Port-au-Prince about his group’s long-term work to develop a community of young leaders with a vision of democracy for Haiti. We are planning another conversation with Hans Tippenhauer in the near future to hear from him about the enormous challenges that lie ahead. :: MORE