The past year, like the entire dispiriting decade that has now ended, was a time of deep concern for the future of democracy. Political rights and civil liberties declined for the 14^th consecutive year, according to latest Freedom House survey, and the negative global trends that have accounted for the current democratic recession showed no signs of abating. These trends have included the increased belligerence and internal repressiveness of authoritarian regimes in China, Russia, and other countries; the illiberal backsliding in formerly democratic countries like the Philippines, Hungary, and Venezuela; and the crisis of democracy in many Western countries that are beset by the rise of populist and nationalist movements, sharp political polarization, and declining trust in the efficacy of democratic government.

Discouraging as these trends have been, they tell only part of the story. Since the spring of 2018, when authoritarian regimes unexpectedly fell in Ethiopia, Armenia, and Malaysia, grassroots movements of protest against corrupt and unaccountable autocratic governments have swept through many countries.  The protests that erupted in Hong Kong and Moscow in the summer of 2019 have received the most attention, but mass protest movements have also broken out in other authoritarian countries such as Iran and Algeria. In Sudan and Bolivia, they have even opened the way to a hopeful, albeit very uncertain, process of democratic transition.

We have therefore entered a period marked by a tension between the global democratic recession and democracy’s surprising resilience. In this new period, we can expect authoritarian regimes to do everything they can to resist pressures for democratic change that they believe threaten their very existence. Since the world’s leading democracies are too preoccupied with their own problems of political division to respond forcefully to the new authoritarian challenge, the NED and its core institutes have an especially vital role to play in defending democratic movements on the frontlines of political change.

In 2019, NED mounted a multi-faceted response to the difficult challenges to democracy in this new period.  It has provided a lifeline of support to civil-society activists and independent journalists who are bravely battling to defend human rights and expose official corruption in authoritarian systems in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Eurasia. NED has also rushed assistance to political and social groups in newly transitioning countries like Sudan and Ethiopia, even as it has also continued its on-going efforts to support the inevitably protracted process of reform and institution building in other emerging democracies that are trying deliver on the promise of democratic government.

The newest and most complex challenge the NED faces is the battle of technology and information that has become a critical arena of contestation between democracy and authoritarianism. From disinformation and fake news to surveillance and the “end of privacy,” the technology era is unleashing new threats to democracy.  Authoritarian regimes understand the power of modern technology, and they are using it to great effect to manipulate and control the information space. Since this same technology also offers a means for underdog civil-society groups to effectively challenge imperious regimes and repressive state institutions, NED’s support for their work will remain a critical priority in the period ahead.

China, Russia, and other authoritarian countries are increasingly collaborating in opposing democracy and constitute what amounts to a de facto authoritarian international. NED and its institutes will need to counter this growing threat by building a stronger international coalition for democracy that is committed to effectively waging the battle of ideas.

This is what President Ronald Reagan called for in his famed Westminster Address, his speech to the British Parliament in 1982 that led to the creation of the NED a year later. One of the most memorable passages in the speech emphasizes the centrality of defending democratic values in promoting democracy. “Our military strength is a prerequisite to peace,” Reagan said, “but let it be clear we maintain this strength in the hope it will never be used, for the ultimate determinant in the struggle that’s now going on in the world will not be bombs and rockets, but a test of wills and ideas, a trial of spiritual resolve, the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish, the ideals to which we are dedicated.”

Many people believe that this competition did not survive the collapse of the Soviet Union, which brought an end to the Cold War – yet the ideological struggle between liberal democracy and authoritarianism did not begin with the Cold War, nor did it end with the collapse of communism. The United States was seen as a champion of liberal values and an opponent of authoritarianism from the moment it rebelled against Great Britain in 1776. It was a beacon of hope for 19th Century European liberals, and it has continued to represent liberal values even after the fall of communism, as people fighting against the world’s many remaining authoritarian regimes have looked to this country for political support and moral solidarity.

The recent global backlash against liberal democracy underlines the continuing importance of NED’s work to the future of freedom in the world. While democracy faces greater dangers than at any time since NED was established more than three decades ago, its continuing resilience shows that these dangers can be addressed and overcome.

The world has reached a fateful juncture. The retreat of democracy could lead to a new era of turmoil and tyranny. Yet democratic renewal is also possible, though it is hard to see how that can happen without the recovery of political will, purpose, and self-confidence in the world’s leading democracies. NED cannot single-handedly determine the outcome of the historic contest that is now underway between democracy and authoritarianism, but it can influence the course of events by empowering frontline democrats and amplifying their voice and impact. This is NED’s mission – supporting the universal aspiration for freedom that both advances America’s national interest and fulfills its highest political ideals. It has never been more important than it is today.

Carl Gershman

President’s Letter Photo: NED President Carl Gershman speaks with audience members during the 2019 Democracy Awards.

Annual Report Cover Photo:  Students participate in an activity at  a Democracy Summer Camp run by Nigerian grantee Yiaga Africa  in April, 2019. Funded by a NED grant, summer camps held in three Nigerian states focused on preventing youth radicalization and conflict resolution.

In 2019, democracy made dramatic progress in Ethiopia and Sudan, but suffered setbacks in the Sahel region, Tanzania, and Burundi. Ethiopia sought to consolidate the democratic reforms initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the face of ethnic conflict. NED partners worked to change repressive laws, rebuild Ethiopia’s independent media and civil society, and increase respect for human rights, peace, and youth inclusion. NED grantee the Peace and Development Committee (PDC) held a 2019 conference in Addis to allow stakeholders to assess the challenges for democratic advancement and human rights in the country.

Sudan’s democratic revolution led to massive peaceful protests starting in December 2018 and continuing for months. Eventually, this movement ended the 30-year dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir and  led to the formation of a transitional government that will remain in place until planned democratic elections in 2022. Building on its longstanding program in Sudan, NED deployed support to 17 new partner organizations working to strengthen reforms, carve out new space for civil society and the independent media, and reassert human rights.

Elsewhere, trends were less encouraging. Across the Sahel region, terrorist violence combined with poor governance led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of refugees. The National Democratic Institute convened civil society, think tanks, and governments to address the underlying causes of violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Nigeria’s February elections were marred by violence and logistical failures, and across the country terrorist violence escalated while corruption, economic stagnation, and human rights abuses persisted. A post-election event at NED, co-sponsored by the Ford Foundation and moderated by NED board member Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned of the increasing power of the military. NED’s 18 Nigerian partners continued the fight for greater inclusion and accountability. The Endowment also supported human rights activists in Guinea and Togo and extended its support in Burundi, where abuses escalated during the run-up to the 2019 elections. NED partners promoted dialogue and human rights in Cameroon, where the gerontocratic autocracy of Cameroon faced challenges from jihadists and Anglophone separatists.

In Tanzania, Zambia, and Malawi, governments once regarded as democratic repressed civil society, the media, and political opposition. NED expanded its programs in these countries to help partners restore democratic norms. In Zimbabwe, NED partners such as the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Magamba Network, and the Information for Development Trust advocated for reform and freedom of expression. In Uganda, the Open Space Center and Human Rights Network for Journalists trained youth for political action and defended press freedom. A new government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo proved weak and ineffectual in stopping the ongoing violence and human rights abuses in the country. NED’s 30 partners in the country continued to press for greater accountability, and groups such as Solidarité sans Frontierès intervened to halt the killing and other abuses in the eastern part of the country.

Photo: Participants of the 2019 Tanzania Bora youth initiative 

To learn more and to see a detailed list of our grantees, please visit the NED website.

Disturbing anti-democratic trends expanded in scope and severity in Asia during 2019, which spurred NED to concentrate over 80 percent of its resources in five key countries. In China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Xi Jinping continued its crackdown on Chinese civil society and assault on Tibetans and Uyghurs while ratcheting up threats to Taiwan. Ethnic conflict, genocidal policy against the Rohingya, and attacks on the media and dissent have darkened the hope and optimism of the mid-2010s in Burma. In Thailand, five years of military rule have severely undermined civil and political rights. In Pakistan, despite a peaceful post-election transfer of power, space for civil society has been shrinking and international donors have been retreating as work becomes more difficult. North Korea remains the most closed country in the world, even as the United States and South Korea reengage with the North.  Although prospects for democratic development seem bleak in all five countries, there opportunities to advance key democratic objectives continue to exist.

In the past few years, the Endowment has engaged in broad efforts to support democratic unity and cooperation throughout the region, working with partners in Asia’s strong democratic countries: India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Stakeholders in Asia, from civil society to think tanks to governments, are increasingly recognizing the need to protect and uphold democratic values, rule of law, and rules-based institutions and push back against the growing illiberal trends. To encourage and support these initiatives, the NED and its core institutes sought to strengthen intellectual and policy frameworks in 2019 and build support among key stakeholders in each country to ensure that grantee efforts are deeply rooted, locally driven and broad in scope.

NED also addressed the alarming rise of attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, including China’s mass warehousing of Uyghurs and repression in Tibet, Burma’s expulsion of the Rohingya and wars against the Kachin and Shan, and attacks on religious minorities in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. These attacks not only threaten the targeted minorities, but also fuel the rise of illiberal and intolerant political movements.   The Endowment supported a wide variety of efforts focused on documenting the ongoing human rights abuses, advocating for an end to the abuses at the domestic and international levels, promoting respect for basic rights and accountability for past atrocities, and encouraging constitutional reform and transitional justice.

The Endowment also emphasized support for countries where historic 2019 elections presented opportunities for democratic gains: Malaysia and the Maldives. In both countries, NED and its core institutes worked to capitalize on these openings and support long-standing partners’ work to solidify and expand the democratic space. These exciting projects included technical assistance for the new parliaments, efforts to expand decentralization, and initiatives to make both government officials and NGO representatives more inclusive and responsive to their constituents.

The Endowment also worked to deepen its engagement in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, countries that were once among the more liberal and democratic in their respective sub-regions. Despite relentless efforts to undermine democratic institutions and norms, the strong and vibrant civil societies working in these countries – including parties, media organizations, business associations, and unions – continue working to reinvigorate and mobilize pro-democracy forces, bolstered by NED resources.

NED’s Asia program also developed a new network of strategic partnerships in regions across the globe to better understand and respond to Chinese efforts to erode democratic norms and values, which have had ripple effects in Latin America, Africa, and East and Central Europe.

Photo: Transitional Justice Working Group Executive Director Hubert Lee gives opening remarks at a launch event of its survey report, “Exploring Grassroots Transitional Justice: North Korean Escapee Views on Accountability for Human Rights Abuses,” on February 26, 2019, in Seoul, South Korea.

To learn more and to see a detailed list of our grantees in Asia, please visit the NED website.

In 2019, Europe marked the 30^th anniversary of the collapse of the communist bloc. It also saw, in the eyes of international observers , a tenth year of rapid democratic decline throughout Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Public dissatisfaction with the fairness, pace, and outcomes of the post-1989 changes has led to the election of populists and strongmen who promised change for the better but have largely failed to deliver. The centralization of power by populists and nationalists has led to growing political, social and ethnic polarization, a rise in autocratic tendencies, pervasive corruption, and weakened rule of law.

Governments and oligarchs have captured most mass media, while pressure on journalists and activists who challenged their illicit activities intensified. Public confidence in democratic institutions and the political establishment declined, weakening traditional political parties. Throughout the region, citizens – especially younger generations – expressed disillusionment with electoral politics and pessimism about their quality of life. As a result, many continued to emigrate to Western Europe while those that remained were more likely to take to the streets to express their frustration. Authoritarian governments continued to employ disinformation and other malign influence to stoke discontent and exacerbate social and political divisions.

With the region’s democratic deficit and public protests growing, NED supported civil society and independent media organizations that hold officials, political parties, and governments accountable for their promises and performance and fight against pervasive corruption. To push for greater accountability and counter a polarized and narrowing media space, NED continued to devote significant assistance to supporting independent media and investigative journalism groups.

NED expanded its support for initiatives that analyze, spotlight and counter foreign malign influence, particularly disinformation and corrosive capital. These factors previously undermined the region’s democratic transitions, European integration, and Trans-Atlantic partnership. NED invested in technology tools that help democrats investigate abuses of power, combat corruption, and counter disinformation. NED and its core institutes also supported political party cooperation and historical reconciliation programs.

Given its size and importance for the Europe region, Ukraine was the top priority for NED in 2019. NED also focused on countries where democratic transitions are uncertain, such as Moldova, and those with new political openings, including North Macedonia and Kosovo. Countries with repressive or dysfunctional governments, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus and Serbia, also remained a priority. NED continued its reengagement in Central Europe, increasing regional programs and trans-regional initiatives.

Photo: Viewers gather for a debate watch party and discussion at the Teple Misto flagship restaurant in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

To learn more and to see a detailed list of our grantees in Central and Eastern Europe, please visit the NED website.

The Latin America and Caribbean region saw a rapidly changing political environment in 2019. While the more stable democracies in the region faced new challenges, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua further entrenched authoritarian rule. Two of the region’s largest countries, Brazil and Mexico, elected new presidents in 2018 who ushered in many policy changes in 2019. The electorates in both countries expressed dissatisfaction with traditional parties and elites and frustration with pervasive and high-level corruption.

Elsewhere in the region, countries continue to face pervasive corruption and impunity. Newly engaged and hyper-connected citizens made their voices heard in physical and digital space, demanding accountability, improved governance, and greater security. In response to new challenges in the hemisphere’s largest democracy, NED opened a portfolio in Brazil focused on promoting political dialogue and tolerance and strengthening civil society’s capacity to counter potential democratic backsliding.

The political and security situation in the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador continued to have an impact far beyond the sub-region. Violence, poverty, and impunity remained major drivers of migration, not only to the US but also to Mexico and other neighboring countries. NED expanded programs in the Northern Triangle to analyze and respond to shared democratic challenges and strengthen political accountability and citizen oversight, especially of public security policies.

NED continued to focus most of its resources on the most difficult cases in the region: Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. In Cuba, President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Castro’s handpicked successor, advanced a constitution that had a veneer of reform but further entrenched one-party control, recognized socialism as the only legitimate form of government, and severely restricted any form of independent organizing. In Venezuela, inflation was over 9500 percent in 2019, and the humanitarian crisis that has already pushed more than 3 million Venezuelans to leave the country continued. In Nicaragua, the government repressed pro-democracy protesters and civil society activists swiftly and severely, resulting in more than 400 people killed and more than 600 jailed as political prisoners. In all three countries, NED supported programs to sustain civil society, monitor and denounce human rights violations, and bring international attention to these repressive regimes. NED prioritized support for organizations working to overcome media censorship, promote collaboration across sectors and actors, and gain access to international human rights mechanisms.

Bolivia held a presidential election in late 2019 in an uncertain, contentious atmosphere. President Evo Morales sought a fourth term despite a constitutional prohibition and losing a popular referendum to enable reelection, and was ultimately pressured to resign. Because of this fraught election and the resulting civil unrest, NED deployed support to promote citizen election monitoring in 2019.

Programming in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay focused on improving accountability and curbing corruption, especially through investigative journalism and increased civic engagement. In Ecuador, NED took advantage of a new political opening to support civil society oversight of institutional reforms. A reduced portfolio in Haiti will focus on promoting human rights and raising awareness about corruption.

Photo: A training on the Organization of American States for members of NED grantee the Network of Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean and Diaspora Women, in Cali, Colombia in 2019.

To learn more and to see a detailed list of our grantees, please visit the NED website.

The political, economic and security situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa region remained dire in 2019, and prospects for democratic progress and reform were challenged by ongoing conflict, violent extremism, and authoritarianism. The need for security and stability overshadowed discussions and efforts for political reform or liberalization in almost every country, while ineffective governance shook public confidence in democratic institutions and policies.

In 2019, NED’s invested significantly in programs in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both countries have made progress in developing democratic political institutions but continue to face myriad challenges, including ethnic and sectarian divisions, weak accountability and governance, and ongoing violence.. Both countries held elections in 2019, however there was widespread mistrust in the electoral process. NED partners worked to strengthen accountability and governance, support independent media, bridge differences between communities, and include marginalized groups decision making.  

Tunisia was the only country that continued to take steps towards democratization eight years after the Arab Spring uprisings across the region. In 2019, NED partners worked to facilitate and promote the development of inclusive policies and participatory governance practices. In addition, because deteriorating economic conditions threaten to undermine support for the transition, NED also explored support for the economic reform agenda.

NED partnered with civil society organizations in key regional powers that often undermine democratic reforms in the region. Egypt and Turkey continued to shift toward authoritarianism, but the civil societies remained resilient, adapting to new restrictions . NED supported efforts to push back against increasing authoritarianism and protect civic space in both countries, including freedom of association and independent media. Iran and the Gulf States also remained highly repressive toward civil society in 2019. Though these countries are inhospitable for direct assistance, NED supported human rights defenders and organizations operating in exile that worked to provide alternatives to official state narratives.

In conflict-torn countries including Syria, Libya, and Yemen, NED directed support to identify and strengthen independent civic groups. This included developing independent media capacity, strengthening local government institutions in the absence of functioning national level government, and promoting pluralism among divided and polarized communities.

Finally, NED supported regional programs to strengthen emerging networks and build local and sectoral capacities in conflict zones, provide technical expertise on democratic reforms, build bridges between divided communities, support human rights defenders, and address weaknesses in governance and public institutions.

Photo: Young women lead local policy debates organized by the General Union of Cultural Centers, a NED grantee, in Gaza City in 2019.

Visit the NED website to read more and see a full list of grantees in the MENA region.

Democratic actors confronted a range of complex challenges in 2019, and these challenges are not always confined to a single country or region. Advocates around the world are grappling with democratic backsliding and tightening authoritarian control. In countries transitioning to democracy,  reform champions in government and civil society struggle to build on the momentum of their democratic transitions and create inclusive, responsive institutions for effective governance and accountability. The global struggle for democracy increasingly needs cross-border movements and international efforts to reaffirm democratic values and norms, build capacity in democratic movements, and explore innovative responses to new challenges.

The Global program at NED supports initiatives that span multiple regions and complement the country-level work of activists. The program leverages the work conducted in multiple regions to address crosscutting challenges and reinforce the work of partners to strengthen human rights, democratic governance, political processes, independent media, freedom of association, and market-oriented reform. The program enables activists to learn from one another, share technical expertise on a larger scale, foster solidarity, and collaborate on key areas of advocacy to strengthen democracy.

Photo: NED’s grantee, the Global Fund for Media Development (GFMD), held its 2019 Global Conference for Media Freedom in London. GFMD Executive Director Mira Milosevic leads a panel discussion with media experts.

To learn more and to see a detailed list of our grantees, please visit the NED website.

2019 was a year of unprecedented challenges for independent news media around the world. Press freedom has fallen to its lowest point in over a decade, and the media system battles declining revenue, waning audience trust, disinformation and distrust, and government crackdowns. The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) at NED works to bolster the essential role that the media plays in sustaining democracy. CIMA works with donors, implementers, and civil society actors to gather knowledge and discuss best practices to better assist media development around the world. Through its research and events, CIMA works to grow media development expertise by highlighting new voices and encouraging strategic collaboration.

In 2019, CIMA participated in several high level international conferences. In January, CIMA partnered with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to convene a two-day meeting on media development with multilateral, bilateral, and private donors. Over fifty donor representatives and media experts analyzed current approaches to the media crisis and identified concrete steps for coordination and shared learning moving forward. The participants agreed to convene again at the Global Conference for Media Freedom in July. In May, CIMA pressed for high level political support for independent media at the 2019 Open Government Partnership Global Summit, together with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

CIMA also worked at the regional and national levels to build opportunities for coordination and exchanges. CIMA held the fourth in a series of regional consultations in Beirut, Lebanon. Working closely with local partners, CIMA gathered 40 media experts and activists from across the MENA region to identify key priorities and opportunities for collaboration. In addition, a CIMA report on regional approaches in West Africa was strongly endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Ethiopia is one of several countries identified for CIMA’s ongoing research on media freedom and reform in countries with political openings. As Ethiopia’s new government took strides toward greater press freedom and media reform, CIMA worked closely with NED staff and local partners to assist with priority setting, coordination and convening experts at UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day conference in Addis Ababa.

CIMA continues to serve as a critical knowledge hub in the field of media development. In 2019 CIMA launched a book called International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers. The collection brings together researchers and practitioners in the field of media development and focuses on how the international community can continue to support independent media as a key element of democracy and development. Additionally, CIMA-led initiatives like the Open Internet for Democracy strive to promote experts from the Global South on an international stage.

Photo: Louisa Chiang speaks at a NED event in 2019 on “China’s New Media Dilemma.” Ms. Chiang also published a 2019 CIMA Digital Report exploring this issue.

To learn more, please visit the CIMA website.

The International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy is a leading center for research, discussion, innovation, and analysis on the theory and practice of democracy around the world. Established in 1994, the Forum strives to bridge the gap between academic research and the practice of democracy through several initiatives:

• Publishing the Journal of Democracy, the leading scholarly journal on democratization.
• Organizing fellowship programs for international democracy activists, journalists, and scholars.
• Hosting the Power 3.0 blog and podcast, which explores how savvy authoritarian governments survive and thrive in a globalized information age, and the ways that democracies are contending with this challenge.
• Engaging in research on authoritarian sharp power and democratic resilience as part of an initiative examining authoritarian influence in crucial arenas for the integrity and vibrancy of democratic systems.
• Producing resources on topics relating to transnational kleptocracy, defending the integrity of the information space, authoritarian influence, and democracy and civil society
• Coordinating the Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI), a global think tank network.

The Forum supports and enhances the work of the Endowment’s grants program and the World Movement for Democracy.

The Forum’s programs benefit from the advice and involvement of a Research Council consisting of scholars and other specialists on democracy from around the world. Marc F. Plattner and Larry Diamond serve as co-chairs of the Research Council.

Photo: A panel discussion during Forum’s 2019 event entitled “The Struggle to Achieve Public Media Reform in Ukraine.”

The World Movement for Democracy is a global network of democrats including activists, practitioners, scholars, policy makers, and funders who collaborate to promote democracy. The World Movement Secretariat at NED facilitates information sharing, networking, and solidarity building to bolster democratic movements and leverage support provided by democracy assistance organizations. The World Movement supports three thematic pillars: Defending democratic space, promoting inclusive governance, and strengthening democratic leadership.

Defending Democratic Space: Civil society activists and everyday citizens increasingly face restrictions on their freedoms to peacefully assemble and associate. Through its defending democratic space initiatives, the World Movement helps civil society understand their rights, facilitates collaboration among civil society activists to reform repressive laws and practices, and highlights stories of activists at risk because of their work.

The World Movement worked closely with activists around the world to strengthen freedom of association and assembly rights at the international and national levels. In March 2019, 25 World Movement participants submitted input to the UN Human Rights Committee to inform a General Comment, an official UN interpretation of international human rights law, on Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to peaceful assembly. World Movement Secretariat staff continues to engage in the Committee’s process of drafting the General Comment, which will be binding on signatories of the ICCPR treaty

In January 2019, the World Movement and its partners coordinated consultations for the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the digital age with civil society, academia, and representatives of the world’s most powerful technology companies in Silicon Valley. The consultation informed a groundbreaking report by the Special Rapporteur that was presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2019.

In October 2019, the World Movement connected local civil society organizations in Malaysia with international legal expertise to help the country’s new parliament reform its complex legal regime governing associations. The World Movement also helped participants in Sierra Leone coordinate advocacy against a proposed law that would give the state significant authority over the operations of civil society organizations and implementation of programs in violation of countries international commitments.

Promoting Inclusive Governance: The World Movement aims to strengthen inclusive democratic governance by empowering leaders committed to democratic principles. As part of this effort, the World Movement facilitates effective partnerships between civil society, government, and the private sector and explores constructive ways to enhance political participation to influence policy making and institutional reform.

In 2019, the World Movement launched the Crossover Initiative, focused on providing greater support to civil society activists who assume government positions during and after political transitions. The Crossover Initiative kicked off by surveying over 100 World Movement participants who had or were considering crossing over into government about their experiences and expectations. Results of the survey, resources collected, and dozens of personal stories about crossover experiences are available here.

Strengthening Democratic Leadership: The next generation of democratic leadership plays a crucial role in sustaining and advancing democracy. The World Movement seeks to enhance inter-generational engagement by helping establish spaces for youth to network and learn from each other.

Throughout the year, the World Movement worked closely with African Movement for Democracy (AMD) members, in particular the Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GENCED), Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), and Democracy Tech Squad, to engage youth in political discussions in new and innovative ways. The AMD conducted the Breaking Barriers West Africa Campaign to enhance young women’s political leadership by connecting  young women in West Africa with political aspirations with veteran political actors.  The campaign has empowered 2,300 young women who are now interested in running for office. The AMD launched a civic-tech competition to assist five promising young civic-tech experts to develop digital tools and mobile apps to support democracy.  Finally, AMD established a working group of musicians and civil society leaders to facilitate cooperation and address challenges to democracy in the region. The working group produced a music album, Music as a Messenger of Democracy, with themes related to democracy to spark public dialogue on these issues.

Photo: The homes of eight members of the #yovotono(#IVoteNo) campaign in Cuba were raided by government officials on February 11, 2019. The World Movement for Democracy supports democratic movements all over the world like #yovotono that reject authoritarian efforts to legitimize their regimes through referendums.

Join the Network: World Movement participants engage with peers facing challenges to human rights and democracy, build solidarity within regional and global networks, and collaborate on innovative approaches to preserving freedom. Learn more about the many ways you can get involved by visiting the World Movement website.