(C) Freedom House
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The Road Ahead: Defending Democracy and Freedom Together [1]
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Date: 2025-09
Freedom House’s co-founder, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, said that “a democratic government represents the sum total of the courage and the integrity of its individuals.” Today, her vision is carried forward by courageous people around the world who are working tirelessly to defend truth, justice, and freedom.
We witnessed the impact of this work firsthand at our recent 2025 Freedom Awards. This year’s honorees exemplify the spirit and mission of Freedom House:
María Corina Machado , the recipient of the Freedom Award, continues to lead Venezuela’s democratic movement despite persistent threats and repression. Her courage has inspired Venezuelans and others around the world.
US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger F. Wicker (R-MS) , recipients of the Leadership Award, are unshakable champions of bipartisan US support for democratic movements across the globe.
The government and civil society of Taiwan , honored with our inaugural Beacon Award, demonstrate the strength and unity it takes to defend freedom under attack by the Chinese Communist Party.
Server Mustafayev, unjustly imprisoned for fighting political persecution in Russian-occupied Crimea, and recipient of the inaugural Alfred Moses Liberty Award, reminds us of the personal cost of resistance and the courage it takes to keep fighting.
Their stories are inspirational because they remind us that the fight for freedom is not abstract or insurmountable. It is instead deeply personal and rooted in actions that each of us, in democracies and autocracies alike, can take—speaking out, standing up for others, and promoting democratic values.
This is an urgent fight. Freedom House’s latest research has shown that the world is in the midst of a nearly two-decade decline in global freedom. Deepening challenges have emerged amid this backsliding: the Chinese Communist Party’s transnational repression, the Kremlin’s ongoing, illegal war against Ukraine, rising tensions in the Middle East, civil war, violence, and famine in Sudan, and authoritarian resurgence in Latin America. It’s a moment in which autocrats are increasingly collaborating, while some democracies are asking questions about their role in the world or even taking steps that undermine long-held norms and the rule of law. In the United States, the unexpected freeze on foreign aid funding resulted in the hasty termination of Freedom House programs providing lifesaving aid, countering authoritarian expansion, safeguarding and upholding fundamental rights, and helping to strengthen security and prosperity, both in the United States and abroad. These terminations also forced major organizational restructuring and adapting.
As a result, Freedom House is at an inflection point. In the face of rising authoritarianism around the world, the need for our work has never been greater. While difficult, we are choosing to seize these shifts as a rare and important opportunity to reimagine our future. Freedom House is becoming a nimbler and more strategically focused organization, well-positioned to meet this urgent moment and innovate to stem the tide of the global democratic recession.
Standing Up, Together
In this challenging moment for democracy, we have been deeply encouraged by a powerful recommitment from our community. At our Annual Awards, champions of our mission pledged more than $1 million to help us expand and defend freedom around the world. Their generosity exceeded our expectations and sends a clear message: commitment to human rights and democratic values runs deep and strong—and we are not alone.
Now, we invite you to stand with us. Join Freedom House as a Democracy Defender and be part of a growing community committed to confronting authoritarianism and advancing freedom. Your support will help accelerate our work, inspire others to act, and ensure we meet this pivotal moment with strength, courage, pragmatism, and purpose.
A Future of Action
As we approach our 85th anniversary next year, Freedom House is writing a bold new chapter. Our work has realized many successes: our programs have offered lifesaving assistance to those at greatest risk. Our research has informed policymakers about emerging threats and shaped international action. Our advocacy has helped expose and counter authoritarian expansion while promoting democratic values. As we look at the myriad challenges around the world, the looming threats to freedom are as serious as they were at our founding, and there is much hard work ahead. But, we are proud of what we have accomplished throughout our history, and more determined than ever to rise to whatever challenges are to come.
In the months ahead, Freedom House is gearing up to take action on combatting transnational repression, supporting human rights defenders, freeing political prisoners, advancing internet freedom, protecting political rights and civil liberties, and working with a diverse set of policymakers and other stakeholders to help realize our vision of a world where all people are free.
As long as democracy and human rights are tested around the world, Freedom House will stand to defend them. As long as rights advocates are being silenced by authoritarians, Freedom House will speak out for them. The recession in freedom is not a permanent trendline but an ebb before a new rise. Together, we will shape a freer future for all.
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https://freedomhouse.org/article/road-ahead-defending-democracy-and-freedom-together
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