Yesterday, EED held its December Board of Governors meeting, which saw David McAllister re-elected as Chair of the Board of Governors. Board Members pointed to the key role of EED in the external dimension of the #DemocracyShield and EU Civil Society Strategy.

EED was honoured to welcome human rights defender, journalist, and former POW, Maksym Butkevych, to our office. His dedication to freeing political prisoners held by Russia shows how hope, solidarity, and courage endure in dark times and how collective action makes a difference.

In Kamza, a stigmatised city on Tirana's edge, young activists and journalists are giving voice to a population that has traditionally been marginalised. Read more: democracyendowment.eu/stories/nyje

Congratulations to EED partner GwaraMedia, for receiving the Free Media Award from Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT Stiftung Bucerius. The prize recognises their investigative journalism under exceedingly difficult circumstances Read more about the prize ceremony: gwaramedia.com/en/kharkiv-n...

Khazaaen is a Palestinian digital community archive. It collects, digitises, and shares fragments of Palestinian life: photographs, love letters, diplomas, protest leaflets, family stories, even poetry. democracyendowment.eu/stories/khaz...

On 14 November, EED and Internews Ukraine gathered 40 grantees from across the country to discuss how cross-sector collaboration helps create a resilient development ecosystem, brings in new stakeholders and empowers communities. This event was possible thanks to support from the EU.

This week, EED co-organised the event ‘Social media: friend and foe’ panel at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg. Activists from Turkey, Serbia, South Africa and Netherlands shared their experiences. You can watch the recording here: www.coe.int/en/web/world...

Людмила Янкіна ніколи не планувала ставати правозахисницею. Але сьогодні, як засновниця та лідерка Civis Fortis, вона захищає права громадських активістів, журналістів та правозахисників, які щодня борються за демократичне майбутнє України. democracyendowment.eu/stories/civi...

Liudmyla Yankina never planned on becoming a human rights defender. But today, as founder and leader of Civis Fortis, she is protecting the rights of civic activists, journalists and human rights defenders, who are fighting every day for Ukraine's democratic future tinyurl.com/bp54k2ed

In Gaza, Rawan Fayad and Ajyal Association for Creativity and Development turn data collection into civic action. Despite the devastation of war, Ajyal remains one of the few organisations that continue to operate, offering vital support to its community democracyendowment.eu/stories/ajya...

Despite ongoing pressures, Ukraine continues to demonstrate remarkable democratic resilience according to discussions at a recent event co-hosted by EED and @WFD_Democracy. WFD’s public opinion research (tinyurl.com/5kscx8wk) confirms this. Read more: democracyendowment.eu/news/eed-wfd...

Bujar Ejupi has faced professional attacks, retaliation and intimidation for exposing corruption. Now, as founder of the Whistleblowers Support Initiative, he has become an advocate for others brave enough to tell the truth. democracyendowment.eu/stories/buja...

On 16 October 2025, EED, together with the DEJURE Foundation, co-organised an event on rule of law in Ukraine. Prominent Ukrainian civil society organisations presented their second independent Shadow Report covering Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU negotiations.

The 'Madiniya' documenatry centres around the stories of three ordinary people, everyday Sudanese who were the backbone of the 2019 uprising that led to the toppling of Omar Al-Bashir’s 30-year rule in Sudan in April 2019. Read more: democracyendowment.eu/stories/madi...

Congratulations to EED partner, Khalid Albaih, Sudanese independent political cartoonist, for his nomination in the Arts category of the Freedom of Expression Awards. Read more about Khalid's work: democracyendowment.eu/stories/khal...

Today at #Forum 2000, EED's Executive Chair @lisbethpilegaard.bsky.social moderated a panel co-organised by EED on technology and democracy, featuring Artsiom Katnsavy of Dev.by, Pavel Liber of Society22, and Daria Minksy of the Thomason Reuters Foundation.

The 2026 parliamentary elections will be an important test of the Armenia's democracy. In this moment of flux, independent media and civil society are playing a crucial role in safeguarding democratic values. Read the latest EED Country Brief on Armenia: tinyurl.com/mr2mxsdv

At #Forum2000 @pomianowski.bsky.social stated that democracy support today is both a moral necessity and a strategic necessity for Europe's long-term stability as we face interconnected crises of trust, values and capacity.

Since its founding in 2023, Maqoor, which means ‘clean’ in Armenian, has had significant impact at home and abroad, spearheading initiatives in Armenia which have mobilised hundreds of young people on environmental issues. democracyendowment.eu/stories/gevo...

EED ExDir @pomianowski.bsky.social was honoured to meet HR Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman in Zagreb, where we signed a contribution agreement for Croatia’s support to EED. This partnership reflects Croatia's commitment to supporting and strengthening democracy in Ukraine and beyond.

Located just 30 kilometres of Ukraine’s border with Russia, Kharkiv’s Nafta Theatre is still rehearsing and staging performances. Known for physical theatre and socially engaged work, it has adapted operations to a city under constant threat. democracyendowment.eu/stories/naft...

Fatoş Kaytan founded Romani Godi (Roma Memory Studies Association) to challenge stereotypes. She wanted to stand up for the the largest Roma community of the world and the most impoverished and stigmatised group in Turkey, who are not officially recognised as a minority. bit.ly/4pQFsKn

Congratulations to Maksym Butkevych, co-founder of EED partner Hromadske Radio, for receiving the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize! The two runners-up are journalists Mzia Amaghlobeli and Ulvi Hasanli. Read more about the prize ceremony and nominees: www.coe.int/en/web/porta...

On 25 Sept, EED and WFD co-hosted “What do Ukrainians think about democracy & recovery?” in Brussels. The event brought together policymakers, experts and civil society representatives, and focused on the firsthand experiences and challenges of Ukrainian activists. Read more: bit.ly/4mxLDA7

During #IDDBrussels, EED organised a panel discussion on the intersection between security, democracy, and values. Our speakers shared their experiences and perspectives on the topic.

📌Democracy matters: values need to be our strategy. "When we have a democratic system, democracy does not aim at conflict and war - it aims at solving conflicts in other ways - it is as simple as this" 🖊️ Jerzy Pomianowski, @eedemocracy.bsky.social

We are ready to start the second day of #IDDBrussels! A full agenda today, beginning with discussions on civic movements and innovation in democracy support. Stay tuned for the EED session this afternoon, Democracy Matters Values as Strategy, Security as Outcome."

Day 1 of #IDDBrussels included engaging panels on democracy and inclusion, featuring speakers from around the world. Day 2 will include sessions on civic movements, innovation, finance. Don't miss the panel: 'Democracy Matters: Values as Strategy, Security as Outcome'

Meet the speakers for the #IDDBrussels session "Democracy Matters Values as Strategy, Security as Outcome." Liudmyla Yankina is a human rights advocate recognised for defending Ukrainian civil society and supporting at-risk activists in the country, including occupied regions.

Democracy takes center stage as #IDDBrussels approaches! We would like to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of our partners' powerful stories over the past few months. ARMCDH uses cinema to bridge divides and build civic dialogue. democracyendowment.eu/stories/armcdh

Meet the speakers for the #IDDBrussels session "Democracy Matters Values as Strategy, Security as Outcome" Sara Ajlyakin, Syrian sociologist and political theorist, is currently serving as Deputy Executive Director of Al-Jumhuriya Collective, an independent Syrian media platform.

Meet the speakers for the #IDDBrussels session "Democracy Matters Values as Strategy, Security as Outcome" Federica D’Alessandra is a leading expert in law, policy, and geopolitics, focusing on international security, multilateral institutions, NATO, and transatlantic relations.

Democracy takes center stage as #IDDBrussels approaches! We would like to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of our partners' powerful stories over the past few months Gender Zed redefines visibility in Ukraine’s embattled south. democracyendowment.eu/stories/gend...

Inspired and honoured by meeting Syrian activists and civil society actors in Damascus. Their voices, ideas and collective energy bring hope for Syria's democratic future. Important field mission by EED team, @pomianowski.bsky.social , @lisbethpilegaard.bsky.social

In Moldova’s crowded feeds of fakes and fabrications, Malenkaya Strana has carved out a name for itself, one of the only Russian-language digital platforms amidst a sea of disinformation. You can read more about their work: democracyendowment.eu/stories/male...

Democracy takes center stage as #IDDBrussels approaches! We would like to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of our partners' powerful stories over the past few months. Nehna gives voice to the marginalised Antiochian Orthodox community democracyendowment.eu/stories/nehna

This International Democracy Day, only 45% of the world's population live in democratic societies. We support civil society, activists and independent media build plural democracies. Discover how EED can help you deliver the change your community needs: democracyendowment.eu

Democracy is as much a process as a goal. Today, let's celebrate the voices, choices, and participation of people in shaping our societies, and honour the resilience of those fighting for democracy all around the world.

Democracy around the world has weakened, with most countries declining in their performance while #PressFreedom suffered its most far-reaching fall in 50 years, according to @internationalidea.bsky.social's #GlobalStateOfDemocracy Report #OutNow. Read the #GSod2025 report ➡️ www.idea.int/gsod/2025

When Moldova shut down Russian language TV, disinformation moved online. One journalist's answer: create Malenkaya Strana. They now break major stories and reach an audience with millions of views in Russian sharing pro-European content. democracyendowment.eu/stories/male...

Moldova's Malenkaya Strana proves size doesn't matter in the fight against disinformation. 65K subscribers, 4M+ views, breaking major stories - all while countering Kremlin propaganda in Russian. Small country, big impact. democracyendowment.eu/stories/male...

Social media algorithms and politics silence Palestinian voices online. Sada Social helps challenge the system while users switch codes and words in “algorithmic resistance” just to tell the truth. democracyendowment.eu/stories/sada...

Sada Social works to uphold Palestinians' digital rights. They track and document deleted posts, gathering evidence of erasure, turning silencing into visibility through relentless monitoring. democracyendowment.eu/stories/sada...

Female Chimeras shifts the gaze: Palestinian women narrate their own lives, not as victims, but as individuals rebuilding, resisting, and persisting. democracyendowment.eu/stories/fema...

Eco Misto grew from grassroots cleanups to organise over 500 eco-events. When war struck, they rethought their purpose, rallied volunteers, and kept community-driven action alive in their city. democracyendowment.eu/stories/eco-...

Merkezkaç is Diyarbakır’s independent art collective. Their work fosters diversity, hosting feminist, ecological, migration‑themed art. Independent, inclusive, boundary‑pushing. democracyendowment.eu/stories/merk...

In Tangier, Association des Rencontres Méditerranéennes du Cinéma et des Droits de l’Homme turns film into a civic forum. Public screenings spark conversation on migration, gender, justice, and memory; cinema that connects. democracyendowment.eu/stories/armcdh

Boon TV launched in 2022 as a platform blending civic education with culture. Their stories on volunteering, culture, and marginalised communities now reach almost every Armenian household. democracyendowment.eu/stories/boon...

In Lutsk, Seven Storey Mountain turns urbanism into democratic engagement: youth, heritage, green city design; all through civic participation. democracyendowment.eu/stories/seve...

When no outlet would publish her investigation, Lindita Çela built her own. Shteg Investigativ follows facts, fighting corruption. In a landscape of silence and influence, it’s a voice built on truth, not consent. democracyendowment.eu/stories/li