News & Alerts - World Movement for Democracy

Announcing the 12th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy

WASHINGTON, DC – The World Movement for Democracy will hold its 12th Global Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 20-22, 2024, to commemorate 30 years of South Africa’s democracy, celebrate democratic resilience and innovation while building greater unity of effort to counter the challenges facing democracy around the world today. At the 12th Global […]
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November 3, 2024

#SetThemFree: Day of Political Prisoners

“When I was sitting in that 2×3 cell in solitary confinement in Siberia, I cannot tell you how important it was to receive letters every day – they carry so much hope. It can make the difference between surviving or not. Please write to political prisoners.” – Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian opposition leader and former political […]

November 3, 2024

The World Movement for Democracy Announces the 2024 Democracy Courage Tribute Recipients

On October 17, the World Movement for Democracy held a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, to announce the 2024 Democracy Courage Tributes, which will be presented at the 12th Global Assembly of the World Movement, to take place from November 20-22. This year’s tributes will honor the courageous work of Ukrainian civil society, the […]

November 3, 2024

Human Rights Abuses Overshadow COP29 Conference in Azerbaijan

“As COP29 approaches, the world should not ignore the plight of Azerbaijani political prisoners. Instead, it should use this moment to demand freedom, justice, and democratic reforms for the people of Azerbaijan,” writes Andrea Prasow of Freedom Now. This November Azerbaijan will host the UN COP 29 in Baku. International media and rights groups have […]

November 3, 2024

New Report: Patterns of Military Oppression in Burma 2023-2024

On February 1, 2021, the Burmese military toppled an elected government, sparking a people-led uprising for human rights and democracy across the country. Nearly three years since then, in an attempt to destroy the pro-democracy movement, the military continues to commit atrocities against civilians and civilian infrastructure. This report by the Assistance Association for Political […]

November 3, 2024

New Report Freedom on the Net 2024: The Struggle for Trust Online

In 2024, internet freedom declined globally for the 14th consecutive year, as censorship, unreliable information, and restricted transparency posed severe challenges to voters during election cycles. According to the 2024 Freedom on the Net (FOTN) report, in at least 25 of the 41 FOTN countries that held elections censorship tactics were used to constrain the […]

October 18, 2024

500+ Democracy Advocates from 100 Countries Gather in South Africa for the 12th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy

Johannesburg – The World Movement for Democracy will host its 12th Global Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 20-22, 2024, marking the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy. Under the theme “Revitalizing Democracy: Reflection, Resilience, and Innovation,” the Global Assembly will bring together over 500 civil society, political, labor, and business leaders along with […]

October 15, 2024

#SetThemFree: Marking the Day of Political Prisoners Panel

October 30 marks the Day of Political Prisoners. Today, there are over one million political prisoners worldwide. This number is only growing as authoritarian leaders are increasingly arresting and detaining activists and other voices of dissent to suppress opposition. Join “#SetThemFree: Day of Political Prisoners,” a panel discussion dedicated to recognizing those who have been […]

October 15, 2024

NDI Launches Rapid Online Support for Women in Politics

The problem of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is a global challenge that threatens women’s full participation in politics. Women political leaders don’t have a centralized platform to report the abuse they face or receive the necessary support to keep them safe and able to continue their work. In response to this challenge, the National Democratic […]

October 15, 2024

ECNL: Strategies for Civil Society to Counter Biometric Surveillance Practices

In recent years, there has been a surge in the development and deployment of algorithmic-driven biometric surveillance, specifically facial and emotion recognition. Governments around the world have used these new technologies to crack down on independent and dissident voices. These control mechanisms are fundamentally incompatible with democracy and human rights, threatening the civic freedoms of […]

October 15, 2024

“From Book Bans to Political Prisoners” New Report on Tunisia’s Struggle Against Authoritarianism

On October 6, Tunisia held elections, which resulted in President Kais Saied’s reelection. Since his self-coup in July 2021, President Saied has systematically undermined the system of checks and balances, taking control of the legislative and judicial bodies, while shutting down other important democratic institutions in the country. In this report, Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC) […]