National Endowment for Democracy

📆 October 8 EVENT | What are the mechanisms of malign authoritarian influence in Montenegro? How can civil society address foreign authoritarian influence on democratic institutions?  Register for a virtual event featuring the International Forum’s report, “The Struggle Against Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans: Montenegro as a Test Case.” During this event, author, Vanja Calovic, will share key findings from the report.  Martin Hála and Martin Vladimirov will provide comments and share further analysis on how lessons learned from these influence experiments can be applied by authoritarian powers globally. NED vice president for studies and analysis, Christopher Walker, will offer opening remarks. The event will be moderated by Kevin Sheives.    "The Struggle Against Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans” will take place on October 8 at 10:00 am EDT on Zoom Webinar. A recording of the event will be available on the National Endowment for Democracy’s YouTube channel. RSVP below: https://lnkd.in/edv35bws 

NED's Penn Kemble Forum on Democracy is pleased to announce its 2024-2025 cohort of fellows. The Penn Kemble Forum engages emerging foreign policy and national security leaders in bipartisan conversations with leading decision makers. https://lnkd.in/e8eRiSvS

Are you a mid-career professional with substantial experience working to advance democracy and human rights? The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is now accepting applications for fellowships in 2025–2026. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2024! Our program offers five-month fellowships to leading democracy activists, scholars, and practitioners from around the world to undertake independent research, analysis, and international exchange on the defining issues of democracy in our time. Find out more about our fellowships and how to apply at:

Yesterday, we honored the late Ambassador Francisco Villagrán, a true champion for Guatemala's democracy. Thank you to our speakers, including Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, Ambassadors Hugo Beteta, Claudia Escobar, and Stephen McFarland, former Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela, and Arturo Villagrán. Watch the event cohosted by @BeJust_org here: https://lnkd.in/eivaE8pn

AI is “reducing the cost, time, and effort required by authoritarian actors to both mass-produce and disseminate manipulative content with the aim of smearing opponents and promoting allies, exacerbating divisions in democratic societies.” The International Forum for Democratic Studies report "Manufacturing Deceit: How Generative AI Supercharges Information Manipulation" by Beatriz Saab was quoted by The Washington Post Editorial Board. https://lnkd.in/gbNpuAh6

Contrary to popular belief, autocrats in the Western Balkans are "leaders with their own agency," rather than being proxies of the West or Russia and China. "Their only objective is to tighten their authoritarian grip, and they will use any tool" at their disposal to pursue that agenda. In the latest Power 3.0 episode, Donika Emini Ph.D. joins John K. Glenn to discuss how local enablers amplify authoritarian influence activities in Kosovo and the Western Balkans. Listen to the episode today and join in the conversation below: https://lnkd.in/eW6fNGqs

Authoritarian powers - China first among them - are focused on undermining democratic institutions and ideas at global scale. Manipulation of the information domain is central to such authoritarian ambitions. This new International Forum for Democratic Studies report - "Manufacturing Deceit" - dissects how the emergence of faster and potentially more potent “generative AI” technologies may create new risks National Endowment for Democracy https://lnkd.in/eZKVeZCA

The "full-spectrum influence and engagement campaign that the Chinese Communist party-state is waging around the world requires an equally comprehensive response from civil societies, governments, and economic actors that back democracy" - see this excellent Journal of Democracy article by Kevin Sheives International Forum for Democratic Studies and Caitlin Dearing Scott International Republican Institute https://lnkd.in/enbqBGGr

NED welcomes with great joy and relief the release of 16 American, Russian, and German political prisoners held by the Russian government. Those released today include some of the leading voices for a vision of a free, democratic, peaceful Russia. “We join with families and friends to celebrate all those released from Russian prisons today. For those Russians imprisoned for their political and human rights activities, we honor them as heroes of their homeland and as champions of the cause of freedom. We also extend our deepest gratitude to those who made today possible through their tireless advocacy efforts and painstaking diplomacy on behalf of Vladimir Kara-Murza, Oleg Orlov, Ilya Yashin, Evan Gershkovich, and others unjustly held by the Russian regime,” says NED President and CEO Damon Wilson. “We remain painfully conscious of the fact that those released today represent only a small proportion of the more than 700 political prisoners held in Russia. We call on the Russian regime to immediately release all remaining political prisoners. NED will continue our support for their cause until every one of them is free.”  https://lnkd.in/ev5mqVMA

On Monday, July 22, NED, the Republic of Korea Ministry of Unification and Human Asia will host visionary young North Korean defectors who are leading the fight for the fundamental rights and freedoms of North Korean citizens. RSVP here: