European Endowment for Democracy (EED)

EED’s 2023 Annual Report is out! Read all about the incredible work done by our partners in civil society and independent media across the European Neighbourhood and beyond: https://bit.ly/3Vr2pXU

Last chance  to participate in the 15th Civil Society Prize!    This year the focus is on non-for-profit EU initiatives which tackle the harmful issue of polarisation in European society.    Applications close on 7 November at 10AM (CET).     Register your initiative here: europa.eu/!n4ryb9   #CivilSocietyPrize #EUCivilSociety

For its 25 years of existence, the Consiliul Național al Tineretului din Moldova has advocated for youth policies, economic empowerment and environmental protection. This year, they have added a new priority: EU integration. Many young people in the country have little incentive to participate in politics. The Youth Council and its member organisations are changing that. In 2023, they implemented a project encouraging youth political participation with EED support. Now, as Moldova goes through a crucial electoral cycle, they are working to fight disinformation and ensure that young people turn out to vote for their future. Read our #FirstPersonStory about the National Youth Council of Moldova at https://bit.ly/3NJuqom  

Stand in solidarity with Venezuela and support its democratic forces was Leopoldo Lopez's main call for this year's International Democracy Day Brussels.   People voted for change and democracy in the last election in Venezuela and international collaboration is needed to make them prevail against Maduro's regime. He warned of a global authoritarian wave around the world. To face it, he called for deeper cooperation among democratic states and pro-democracy movements, noting how more democracy is vital to address global social or economic inequalities. 

🎬 The film ‘Voices of Democracy: Ukraine's Women Leaders’ is out! Meet these 7 remarkable EED partners, civil society leaders and independent journalists dedicated to defending human rights and promoting freedom of expression in Ukraine. They are Kateryna Pereverzeva of Lyuk Media, Leyla Djaksim of the Crimean Tatar Cultural and Sports Centre, Liubov Halan, Head of 'Human Rights Center “Pryncyp”', Mariia Nikitina of Zahyst, Nataliya Drozd of the Dobrochyn Center, Olga Reshetylova of the Media Initiative for Human Rights and Sofiia Skyba of Pershyi Kryvorizkyi. This initiative was supported thanks to the contributions of the European Commission and of the Government of Canada to EED. https://bit.ly/4hoADUy

How to counter disinformation in times of war? That's the question we asked our panelists at International Democracy Day Brussels 2024: For Khalid Albaih, his cartoons are an instrument to bring attention to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. He spoke of the difficulties of his job, from journalists being targeted in Sudan to encountering an indifferent audience in Europe. Establishing and reporting on the facts amid a war is a daunting challenge, as Riham Abu Aita shared. Among the obstacles she faces are fighting mass disinformation, a lack of interest among media outlets and shadow banning of the content they produce. During war social media is a double-edged sword, as Fedoriv Iryna cautioned. Telegram is used by Ukrainians to stay in touch, but also by Russia to spread disinformation. Building resilient state structures & communication channels is essential for democracy. 

EED is delighted to learn that Maksym Butkevych, Ukrainian human rights defender and co-founder of our partner Hromadske Radio was freed after more than two years in Russian captivity. At the same time, many others are still illegally detained by Russia.

Iana Stantieru started the work of the Femeile Moldovei platform by organising meetings with women living in Moldova's rural areas. She and her co-founders listened to their needs and challenges and set out to provide them with the tools to address them, such as training and mentorship. Femeile Moldovei now has a network of experts who deliver training in areas such as project management, local governance, leadership, communication skills or public speaking. Networking and community building are core to the success of the project, which Iana hopes will become sustainable in the long-term as women themselves take ownership of the initiative. Read our #FirstPersonStory to learn more about Femeile Moldovei: https://bit.ly/3UosENh  

After 10 years of International Democracy Day Brussels, European Endowment for Democracy (EED) director Jerzy Pomianowski noted in this year's edition how the space for civil society continues to shrink as autocratic regimes limit CSO's activities. The right to extend and to receive solidarity is a human right that needs to be protected. 

📣 EED is looking for consultants to support the EED Secretariat in assessing financial reports from EED grant beneficiaries. 📆 Apply by 9 November https://lnkd.in/dcu563wd