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A New Essay Collection From the Forum
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
In setting out the words of the First Amendment to the Constitution, America’s founders also laid a milestone in the history of democracy. These rights are now embedded in the international human rights system, reflected in the constitutions of other nations, and invoked by citizens in repressive societies during their own struggles for freedom.
Around the world, these freedoms are central to the story of representative government. Together, they carve out space safe from state interference for people to form their views, contest ideas, and work alone and with others to keep government accountable. They make elections meaningful sites of competition. In short, they make democracy possible.
This September, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the American founding, the International Forum for Democratic Studies is launching a new series that examines what these freedoms mean for people around the world today—and the challenges they face on the frontlines of repression. As we move deeper into the “AI era,” the contours of the struggle to exercise democracy’s fundamental freedoms are shifting. Yet its outcome remains key to the future of government by the people.
Written by leading scholars and practitioners, these essays will survey the tactics used by authoritarian regimes to suppress the fundamental freedoms. They will also explore emerging opportunities to strengthen these pillars of civic life, and consider what the democracy community can do to support the brave civil society actors confronting repression on the ground. On September 10, in tandem with NED’s 2026 Democracy Awards honoring frontline defenders who are advancing these freedoms in their own communities, we are releasing our first two essays on the freedoms of religion and speech. Subscribe to our list to receive updates on future installments in this series.
Essays
◊ Coercing Faith Violates Human Dignity, Both 250 Years Ago and Now
Knox Thames | Executive Director — Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom, Dallas Baptist University
Despite international human rights commitments, coercion of faith continues where autocrats fear the independence fostered by free belief. Collaborations among democratic governments, activists, faith communities, and diaspora groups can move the needle toward protecting the fundamental freedom of religion.
◊ What Autocrats’ Assault on Civil Society Means for Free Speech
Jacob Mchangama | Founder and Executive Director — The Future of Free Speech
Free expression is a bedrock that undergirds a wider set of civic freedoms—and in so doing, makes it possible to hold power to account. Through laws branding outspoken individuals and civil society groups as “foreign agents” or “extremists,” repressive governments seek to dismantle this machinery of accountability.
