Belarusian Songs of Freedom
The National Endowment for Democracy will host legendary Belarusian rock musician and activist Lavon Volski in conversation with Hungarian Ambassador András Simonyi on the role of independent art and culture… Read more »
Search Results for: authoritarian
What’s the state of China’s dissidents and non-state actors ?
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher Yu Jianrong, a rural sociologist known for his social commentary and vocal advocacy for political reform, recently adopted the tone found in central Party edicts… Read more »
Ethiopia rebuked over arrest of opposition figure
The European Commission issued a stinging rebuke to one of its lead partners on the African continent today (2 December), telling the Ethiopian government to “start addressing the legitimate grievances… Read more »
Illiberalism’s appeal in Europe and Eurasia
In the West, the rise of illiberalism is taking place within a democratic framework. In most Eurasian states, on the other hand, authoritarianism is the dominant political system, thus enabling… Read more »
Why risk-averse Putin must take ever greater risks
Why do Russian agencies want to undermine foreign elections? The answer begins with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s survival instinct, notes Paul Musgrave, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts… Read more »
‘Tyrant is dead, tyranny continues’: Cuban dissidents fear post-Castro crackdown
While Cuban-Americans partied in the streets of Miami after Fidel Castro died, dissidents in Cuba stayed home, fearing more repression though some hope his brother Raul will enact reforms, AFP… Read more »
Taking liberal democracy for granted?
Acceptance of liberty as the foundation of legitimate government, and of an international system built on liberal ideas — is under greater threat than at any point since the fall… Read more »
Governance, stability are interdependent in Arab world, says report
The optimism experienced at popular prodemocracy mobilization in 2011 has turned to dismay and worry at the metastasizing violence that characterizes today’s Middle East and North Africa, according to Real… Read more »
Do Africans still want democracy?
A decade-long upward trend in African citizens’ demand for democracy has ended with a downward turn since 2012, according to a new Afrobarometer analysis. But despite these warning signs of… Read more »
From Arab Spring to Arab crisis: a future for democracy in MENA?
A recent news item on the BBC’s English website neatly captured the sharp contrast in how, five years later, various Arab rulers, citizens and non-Arab observers view the popular uprisings… Read more »