Division 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.

Main Topics

Dossier: Squeezed – Spaces for Civil Society

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Cover

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.
Cover Companion to Democracy #2

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.

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.