Defending sovereignty vs. promoting democracy?
There was an echo of George W. Bush’s democracy promotion agenda in President Donald Trump’s address to the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly. But unlike Mr. Bush, this… Read more »
Category: Democracy Assistance and Promotion
Corruption: the last hurdle for Ukraine’s recovery
Ukraine has made remarkable progress, positioning the economy for strong growth. But, as is so often the case in post-Soviet states, old-school clientelism could quickly smother the promise of… Read more »
Kleptocracy a corrosive threat to democracy, forum told
Former Malaysian strongman Mahathir Mohamad says the opposition alliance campaigning to topple the country’s corruption-tainted leader can win the next general elections and pull Malaysia back from a slide into… Read more »
Why foreign propaganda is more dangerous now
A new nonpartisan group launched on Tuesday aims to inform Americans about the “grave” national security threat posed by Russia’s ongoing interference in U.S. affairs, The Hill reports: The Committee to… Read more »
Hun Sen tightens hold on power as Cambodia pivots to Beijing
Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia has been in power for more than 30 years. He recently vowed to stay in power and resist foreign interference. Authorities in the country arrested… Read more »
‘Like-minded’ dictatorships show solidarity at U.N.
Why can’t the UN get more done to promote freedom? Council on Foreign Relations analyst Elliott Abrams asks. The answer is clear: so many member states are themselves dictatorships… Read more »
Did the democratic world ‘fail Syria’?
The democratic world failed Syria, argues Fadi Azzam, a Syrian writer and the author of the novel Sarmada. “I don’t mean the West’s politicians, foreign ministers and generals. I mean… Read more »
Beijing is exporting Great Firewall in effort to ‘tame’ Internet
Chinese authorities have detained a software developer for selling computer services that allow internet users to evade China’s “Great Firewall,” which blocks access to thousands of websites, from Facebook to… Read more »
UN General Assembly a crucial opportunity to reassert democracy-based soft power
This week’s United Nations General Assembly is a crucial opportunity to reassure the world that U.S. foreign policy is based primarily on the soft power of diplomacy rather than military… Read more »
How (not) to wage information warfare: Russia ‘using democracy to undermine democracy’
Like many media experts in Europe, Tetiana Popova worries that Russia is turning free speech against the West and using democratic information tools such as Twitter as weapons in a… Read more »