Promotion of Democracy

Democracy is not a matter of course. Democracy must be achieved, filled with life and renewed. All over the world, people are campaigning for democracy, for political, economic and cultural rights, for a democratically organized community. Supporting democracy and democratic engagement worldwide is one of the core concerns of the international work of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. The triad of human rights, democracy and sustainability is at the center of our work. Together with our partners, we try to expand the scope for social participation and political emancipation, and to support civil society participation.

Recent articles

Misinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation

E-Paper

Disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation pollute the information space worldwide and the trend of manipulating facts continues to disrupt public communication and, consequently, democratic processes in societies. The aim of this paper is to investigate the phenomena of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, as well as their impact on the political sphere. In addition, the paper attempts to explain the harmful influence of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation on public debates, democratic processes, and civil society engagement.

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Reflections on the European Democracy Action Plan: An Easily-Overlooked Concern

Analysis

If Europe’s elections are to remain contests of campaigns’ political ideas and not of their digital strategies, the systemic challenges to democracy must not be overlooked by the fires of the present moment.

By Varoon Bashyakarla

Hände mit Aufschrift: Our lives in your hands

The price of courage is often death

Commentary

Environmental and human rights activists fight to protect nature, biodiversity and the climate. They champion sustainable development. They defend land and resources from exploitation and destruction. They uncover corruption and abuses of power. And that is precisely what makes their work so dangerous.

By Claudia Rolf

All articles on Promotion of Democracy

Main Topics

Responses to Populism - The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Focus: Populism

Node is lost

Dossier: Squeezed – Spaces for Civil Society

Dossier: For Democracy

All the news about our work on Promotion of Democracy is also available on Twitter (German only).

Podcast

Governments and business are ruthlessly asserting their interests in an unprecedented global run on resources. Meanwhile citizens' basic rights are denied and civil society's scope for action massively curtailed. These are no longer isolated incidents in authoritarian countries, we are witnessing a broad and systematic suppression of local participation and protest.

Publications

Misinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation

E-Paper

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Populism, Nationalism and Illiberalism

E-Paper

A decline in democratic quality can be observed worldwide. The terms populism, nationalism, illiberalism, and authoritarianism are omnipresent in attempts to explain and describe this development. The e-paper examines overlaps, differences and their relationship to one another, highlights global and regional trends of autocratization and highlights the consequences of this development for civil society in the affected countries.

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Cover of the E-Paper "The Nexus Between Human Rights and Democracy"

To be Equal and Free: The Nexus Between Human Rights and Democracy

Is the delivery of human rights a consequential outcome of liberal democracy? This paper explores the role of human rights in democracy, and specifically whether human rights is a necessary ingredient for its sustenance.

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Tricky Business: Space for Civil Society in Natural Resource Struggles

study

Governments and corporations are driving the demand for water, land and organic resources. Previously intact ecosystems are being sacrificed, thousands of people are losing their livelihoods. This study provides insights on how we can better address and monitor resource and environmental policy projects.

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Supporting civil society under pressure – lessons from natural resource exploitation

Civil society is under pressure worldwide. This e-paper focuses on dynamics and patterns of shrinking spaces and repressions on civil society with regard to natural resource struggles and takes a closer look into consultation processes and the role of the economy.

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Prevention and peacebuilding in the context of shrinking space

Civil society acitivists and organisations are under a lot of pressure in many countries. But whether civil society can develop its potential for peace and development and shape its political participation is closely linked to the framework conditions for civil society action. The FriEnt briefing "Prevention and Peacebuilding in Times of Shrinking Space" explains the growing challenges for peace promoters in times of shrinking space.

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Civic Charter

Repression of civil society is on the rise all over the world. The charter aims to support civil society organizations as activists throughout the world, to advocate for their rights and freedom of action, and to demand government guarantees.