At George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the fundamental freedoms that helped define the American experiment came alive through the stories of people defending them around the world today.
Held during the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the National Endowment for Democracy’s (NED) 2026 Democracy Awards honored individuals and organizations from Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Ethiopia, Russia, and Syria. Many have faced imprisonment, censorship, exile, or violence. Still, they push back against repression so others can speak, worship, report, and assemble freely.
NED also presented a Champion of Freedom Democracy Award to Senator Chris Coons and a Democracy Service Medal to Belarusian human rights defender and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.
The 2026 Democracy Awards recognized Ethiopia’s Addis Standard for freedom of the press; the pro-democracy organizers of Burma’s Spring Revolution for freedom of assembly; the antiwar Peace Unto All/Mir Vsem of Russia for freedom of religion; and Cuban pro-democracy activists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez, and Félix Navarro for freedom of speech.
Watch the 2026 Democracy Awards
A Celebration of Fundamental Freedoms
The evening drew inspiration from the First Amendment’s protections of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition—freedoms essential to democratic life in the United States and vital to people seeking a democratic future.
Welcoming guests to Mount Vernon, NED Board Chairman Peter Roskam reflected on the enduring reach of the principles at the heart of America’s founding, drawing a connection between the determination of the nation’s founders to fight for their fundamental freedoms and the courage of honorees standing for the same rights today.
“We’re at George Washington’s home, who didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence. Why didn’t he sign it? Because he was out fighting for it. Why was he fighting for it? Because his co-founders were provocative. These were people who didn’t litigate their rights. They didn’t suggest their rights, they didn’t imply their rights, they didn’t pose about their rights. They declared their rights.”
NED Vice Chair Kenneth Wollack spoke about Congress’ longstanding role in supporting people seeking to secure freedom in their own countries. NED President and Chief Executive Officer Damon Wilson reflected on what America’s founding promise means for the country’s role in the world 250 years later—and why supporting people who seek freedom reflects American values and strengthens the country today.
“Over generations, standing with others pursuing freedom themselves became one of our finest traditions,” said Wilson. “So the Endowment is one way Americans put that tradition of solidarity into practice. We don’t give people freedom. We stand with people already claiming it for themselves. We back courageous people with ideas for their own countries, taking prudent risks on people others may overlook, and connecting them to resources, capabilities, and one another.”
Tributes to Ukraine and Afghanistan
The program opened with a tribute to Ukrainians defending their freedom and democratic future against Russia’s full-scale war. NED Board Vice Chair Ambassador Eileen Donahoe reflected on Ukraine’s resilience and the importance of sustained support.
“It is important to recognize that people across every sector of Ukrainian society are responding to destruction and brutality with extraordinary courage and ingenuity,” said Donahoe. “Ukrainians are finding novel ways to use technology to document abuses, counter Russian propaganda, and build platforms for citizens to organize and participate. Their ingenuity is a perfect manifestation of what we aim to support at NED.”
A powerful video from a recent NED Board visit offered a look at Ukraine’s democratic resilience, capturing civic leaders, journalists, volunteers, and local communities working to sustain democratic institutions amid the devastation of war. During the reception, Ukrainian bandura music brought Ukraine’s cultural heritage to Mount Vernon.
The reception also marked five years of Afghan democratic resilience through a live art demonstration by ArtLords, a collective founded in Kabul in 2014. ArtLords became known for transforming Kabul’s blast walls into murals expressing hope for a more peaceful and democratic Afghanistan. The Taliban painted over many of those images after returning to power in 2021. The artists have continued creating art inside Afghanistan and in exile, preserving a democratic vision that repression has failed to erase.
Senator Chris Coons: 2026 Champion of Freedom Democracy Award
From formative experiences in Kenya and South Africa to his leadership in the U.S. Senate, Senator Chris Coons has made democracy and human rights a defining priority of his public service.
Senator Tim Kaine, an honorary member of NED’s Board, introduced Coons and presented him with the Champion of Freedom Democracy Award.
Through his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Senator Coons has focused attention on democratic decline and rights abuses around the world. He has championed people working under difficult conditions and supported rising leaders advancing accountable government and the rule of law in their own communities.
“The folks who began the fight for freedom here in the United States 250 years ago did literally put it all on the line,” said Senator Coons. “Let us rededicate ourselves to the ferocity, the determination, the passion of the fight for freedom that we see today in Burma, in Ethiopia, in Cuba, and Ukraine.”
Ales Bialiatski: 2026 Democracy Service Medal
For nearly four decades, Ales Bialiatski has confronted repression in Belarus—building a human rights movement, defending political prisoners, and continuing his mission even from behind bars.
Bialiatski founded the Human Rights Center Viasna, which has documented state abuses, maintained records of political prisoners, and assisted detainees and their families. Belarusian authorities imprisoned him in 2011 and again in 2021. He received the Nobel Peace Prize while behind bars in 2022 and was released in 2025.
U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale introduced Bialiatski and presented him with the 2026 Democracy Service Medal, honoring his lifetime of courage and service to the cause of freedom.
“This repression must be stopped once and for all,” said Bialiatski. “The prospect of restoring peace, freedom, and justice in our region depends on the strength of the Ukrainian spirit, the unity of the free world, and the future of Belarus. Belarus must not become a prize for Putin.”
Addis Standard: 2026 Democracy Award: Freedom of the Press
When conflict and repression made independent reporting both dangerous and difficult, Addis Standard continued to pursue the truth—bringing vital coverage from Ethiopia to readers at home and around the world.
Founded in 2011, the digital news outlet reports in English, Amharic, and Afaan Oromo on conflict, governance, and human rights. Its journalists have documented humanitarian crises, mass displacement, corruption, and abuses connected to the war in Tigray. They continued reporting through license revocations, office raids, legal action, harassment, and the arrests of colleagues.
Founder and journalist Tsedale Lemma accepted the 2026 Democracy Award for Freedom of the Press on behalf of Addis Standard. Alice Albright, a board member of the National Democratic Institute, presented the honor, recognizing a newsroom whose work gives Ethiopians the information they need to understand events shaping their country and seek accountability for abuses.
“They tried to silence us. They tried to exhaust us. They tried to dismantle our institution,” said Lemma. “But they could not dismantle the need for our journalism because you can destroy a newsroom, you can seize the cameras, you can revoke the licenses, but you can never revoke the public’s right to know. As long as there are people whose stories need to be told, Addis Standard will continue to tell them.”
The Pro-Democracy Organizers of Burma’s Spring Revolution: 2026 Democracy Award: Freedom of Assembly
When Burma’s military tried to crush the Spring Revolution through mass arrests, killings, and torture, pro-democracy organizers found new ways to keep the movement alive.
Following the February 2021 coup, people across Burma launched the country’s largest and most pluralistic campaign of public protest and civil disobedience. As public demonstrations became increasingly dangerous, organizers built underground networks, delivered humanitarian assistance, documented abuses, and developed new forms of peaceful protest.
Senator Todd Young, an honorary member of NED’s Board, introduced the honorees virtually and presented the 2026 Democracy Award for Freedom of Assembly.
Youth activist Nan Lin accepted the award on behalf of the movement in a prerecorded message from an undisclosed location in Burma because of continuing threats to his safety. He and other organizers have built youth networks across the country and pioneered small, fast-moving demonstrations designed to reduce the risk of mass arrests.
“Even after five years, we continue to protest and campaign for freedom. We do so creatively and underground in our cities despite surveillance. We circumvent internet blockades and censorship to spread messages of hope and democracy,” Lin noted in his address. “Our networks remain rooted at the community level even under threat of air strikes by the military regime. The military has not been able to destroy the determination of the Burmese people.”
Peace Unto All/Mir Vsem: 2026 Democracy Award: Freedom of Religion
As the Kremlin uses religious institutions to justify its war against Ukraine, Peace Unto All defends the freedom to practice one’s faith according to conscience, free from political coercion.
Also known as Mir Vsem, the antiwar civic organization supports clergy facing persecution for refusing to bless the war or accept the political weaponization of their faith. It provides material assistance and connects clergy with independent media and international audiences, ensuring that their voices can still be heard.
Russian Orthodox priests Father Andrey Kordochkin and Father Valerian Dunin-Barkovsky founded Peace Unto All in 2023 after facing pressure from the Russian Orthodox Church for opposing the war while serving congregations in Spain and Germany.
The two priests accepted the 2026 Democracy Award for Freedom of Religion from Ambassador Sam Brownback, an NED Board member and former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.
“We can also think of Václav Havel, who was speaking of the power of the powerless. He showed, not only by his writings but by his life, that when people act in truth, they trigger change,” said Father Kordochkin. “And we believe that those people we’re trying to help are not simply victims; they are actors of future changes. And the changes will come because they always do. The changes will come because we have already seen them happen in our country.”
Cuban Pro-Democracy Activists: 2026 Democracy Award: Freedom of Speech
For decades, Cubans have faced imprisonment and persecution for speaking freely and calling for change. Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez, and Félix Navarro have each paid a heavy price for refusing to remain silent.
Otero Alcántara and Castillo Pérez, co-founders of the San Isidro Movement, used performance art and music to challenge censorship and express the frustrations that helped animate Cuba’s historic July 2021 protests. Otero Alcántara was released from prison and forced into exile just weeks earlier, while Castillo Pérez remains in prison. Navarro, a former teacher and longtime democracy advocate, spent eight years in prison following the 2003 Black Spring crackdown. Cuban authorities imprisoned him again after the 2021 protests.
Otero Alcántara and leading Cuban activist José Daniel Ferrer accepted the award on behalf of the honorees. Both men were forced into exile in the United States after years of imprisonment and repeated arrests in Cuba.
Mel Martínez, a former U.S. senator, cabinet secretary, and member of NED’s Board, presented the 2026 Democracy Award for Freedom of Speech.
“Just less than two months ago I was in a jail cell not knowing what my future would be,” said Otero Alcántara. “Thanks to the work of many institutions, friends, family, and many people across the world working to ensure the Cuban dictatorship would not kill me, we are here today to raise our voices for the millions of Cubans who are still captive and for the thousands that are still behind bars.”
“Patria y Vida” Closes the Evening
The program concluded with a live performance of “Patria y Vida,” the song that became an anthem of Cuba’s historic 2021 protest movement.
Former U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a board member of the International Republican Institute, introduced the performance. During the 2021 protests, Cubans sang “Patria y Vida” as they called for an end to repression and demanded freedoms long denied to them.
The performance brought together two of the artists behind “Patria y Vida”: Yotuel, the Latin Grammy Award-winning lead singer of the internationally acclaimed Cuban hip hop group Orishas, and El Funky, a rapper and human rights activist who recorded his verses for the song inside Cuba despite great risks.
More to Come
Next month, NED leadership will present a 2026 Champion of Freedom Democracy Award to U.S. Representative Mario Díaz-Balartin Miami for his principled efforts supporting freedom and democracy programs around the world.
Later this fall, NED leadership will travel to Damascus, Syria, to honor the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression with the 2026 Democracy Award for Freedom of Petition.
