NEDemocracy

The National Endowment for Democracy is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world.

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

In case you missed it, NED’s 2025 Democracy Awards honored defenders of faith, speech, and freedom.

The stories of @CDT, @CUyghurs, Pastor Wang Yi, and the 11th Panchen Lama remind us: freedom may be suppressed, but can never be extinguished.

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

NED will honor Congressman @MarioDB with a Democracy Champion Award this fall to recognize decades of leadership in Congress advancing freedom and democracy around the world.

This award celebrates his efforts to rally critical support for those seeking fundamental freedoms globally, especially across the Western Hemisphere in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

Throughout his career, Congressman Díaz-Balart has been a vital ally to those living under brutal authoritarian regimes. We are proud to honor and recognize his steadfast commitment to freedom.

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Five years after Cuba's largest protests in decades, the conditions that drove hundreds of thousands into the streets remain unchanged.

The average Cuban is struggling to survive on $15 a month while the regime siphons off billions to finance repression.

In a new op-ed for @NEWSMAX, NED VP Eddy Acevedo and @IRIGlobal former Congresswoman @RosLehtinen discuss the importance for supporting the people of #Cuba pushing for a #democratic change and #freedom.

Read more: https://t.co/LHu8zs9lxS

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Free speech is not a luxury to be enjoyed after freedom is secured. It is one of the conditions that makes freedom possible in the first place.

Authoritarian regimes censor independent voices, criminalize speech, and seek to control the flow of information because free expression threatens their grip on power.

Read "Free Speech Is the First Freedom" to learn why defending free expression is essential to democracy and how NED supports free speech around the world.🔗https://t.co/CHKTYpWk1V

[Damon M. Wilson @DamonMacWilson]

Daniel Ortega’s announcement that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections is an extraordinary admission.

For years, the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship manipulated elections to manufacture legitimacy. Now it has laid bare the political bankruptcy of a regime that no longer even pretends to govern with the consent of the people.

Nicaragua belongs to its people, not to a ruling family determined to silence them. Nicaraguans have repeatedly demanded the right to speak freely, organize peacefully, practice their faith, and shape their country’s future.

This is also a direct assault on a fundamental democratic principle that the countries of the Americas have collectively committed to uphold: that governments derive their legitimacy from the freely expressed will of their citizens. No decree can extinguish that principle. And no dictatorship can erase the aspirations of a people determined to live in freedom.

@NEDemocracy will continue supporting those who peacefully defend fundamental freedoms and the right of every Nicaraguan to choose their own leaders and determine their country’s future.

The Ortega-Murillo regime may seek to abolish elections, but it cannot abolish the Nicaraguan people’s desire for democracy. We will stand with them until that right is restored.

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Religious freedom is a cornerstone of human dignity and democratic society. For more than four decades, @NEDemocracy has stood with partners around the world defending the right to worship and live by one’s conscience.

This week, NED Board Member Ambassador Sam Brownback and NED Vice President Eddy Acevedo joined policymakers, democracy advocates, and faith leaders at the inaugural #IRFSummitNorthAfrica in Casablanca, #Morocco.

Their conversations focused on new forms of collaboration to protect faith-based communities and the role of law and civil society in strengthening democratic resilience across the region. Learn more about this event here: https://t.co/EaVld42Y0P

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Democracy endures not because it is inevitable, but because people choose to defend it. Ukraine is a powerful reminder of this truth.

Last month, a NED Board delegation visited civic leaders, journalists, elected officials, youth activists, and partners working every day to protect civic life and strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.

The visit reaffirmed NED's longstanding support for the Ukrainian people and their democratic future.

Learn more: https://t.co/JVEpQQSW67

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Today marks the start of #CaptiveNationsWeek, a reminder that billions of people around the world continue to live under authoritarian rule, deprived of fundamental freedoms and the right to determine their own futures.

Since its founding in 1983, NED has supported those working to advance freedom—from Communist regimes to today’s most repressive governments.

Learn more about #CaptiveNationsWeek: https://t.co/qjKKdpevWZ

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Billions of people around the world today are silenced and denied basic rights under brutal authoritarian regimes. This #CaptiveNationsWeek, @NEDemocracy honors the courage of those pushing for their right to shape their own future.

NED was founded more than 40 years ago on the conviction that freedom belongs to everyone and that those living under dictatorship should have friends in the democratic world. We are proud to continue our support for brave partners working in the world's most repressive environments to build a better future for themselves and their communities.

Read our statement: https://t.co/qjKKdpdY7r

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

🆕Democracies are facing new and evolving challenges as China and Russia seek to exploit a rapidly changing global landscape. Testing the Limits, a new report from NED's International Forum for Democratic Studies, analyzes these emerging threats and offers recommendations to strengthen democratic resilience.

Access the full report here: https://t.co/vVEstHP0w5

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

@NEDemocracy mourns the passing of @LindseyGrahamSC, one of Congress' most steadfast champions of freedom around the world. Throughout his career, Senator Graham used his platform to defend those resisting tyranny and promoting democratic values in their own communities.

"Senator Graham understood that America's leadership in support of freedom is both a moral responsibility and in our nation’s national and strategic interests," said Peter Roskam, NED Board Chairman. "His unwavering commitment to those fighting for liberty and human dignity around the world leaves an enduring legacy, and we honor his memory by continuing that vital work."

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues.

Read our statement: https://t.co/JGjc2dWj7X

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Hace casi cinco años, el 11 de julio, el pueblo de #Cuba salió a las calles para exigir pacíficamente libertad, en las mayores protestas del país en décadas.

Escuche las palabras del miembro de la Junta Directiva de @NEDemocracy y primer senador cubano-estadounidense en la historia de Estados Unidos, Mel Martínez, reflexionar sobre su propia trayectoria y la importancia de las protestas del #11J.

Este año, NED rendirá homenaje al valor de quienes marcharon en estas manifestaciones al presentar los Premios a la Democracia 2026 a Félix Navarro, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara y Maykel Castillo Pérez.

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Almost five years ago, on July 11, the people of #Cuba took to the streets to peacefully demand freedom in the country’s largest protest movement in decades.

Listen as @NEDemocracy Board Member and America’s first Cuban-American Senator Mel Martinez reflects on his own journey and the significance of the #11J protests.

This year, NED will be honoring the courage of those who marched in these demonstrations by presenting the 2026 Democracy Awards to Félix Navarro, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, and Maykel Castillo Pérez.

[Forum @ NED @ThinkDemocracy]

📆 July 16 | 🕤 9:30am ET

Join us for the launch of our latest report, “Testing the Limits.” Written by authors from civil society and academia, the report analyzes how Russia and China are taking advantage of growing digital tools and an eroding international system to export their models of authoritarianism abroad.

Panelists will explore how this influence is evolving and what democracy actors can do to respond.

Register here ➡️ https://t.co/E1eE7GJ3t9

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

UPDATE: We are excited to announce that Nan Lin, a prominent youth activist, will accept this year’s Democracy Award on behalf of the pro-democracy community organizers of Burma’s Spring Revolution.

For years, Nan Lin and his colleagues have organized peaceful, decentralized protests in Burma, keeping civic engagement alive under extreme repression.

Despite arrests, surveillance, and intimidation, they continue to defend the right to assemble and push for a more democratic and free future for their communities.

Learn more here: https://t.co/StUVgrPnAf

[Damon M. Wilson @DamonMacWilson]

NED welcomes the release of Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, and his reunion with his daughter @GraceJDrexel and the rest of his family after months of unjust imprisonment by the CCP. Chinese authorities arrested him along with 30 members of his congregation for exercising their fundamental right to worship freely.

Pastor Jin’s release is a positive step forward, but many people of faith remain imprisoned in China simply for gathering, praying, and living according to their conscience. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to them and call for their immediate release.

Thank you to the Trump administration for prioritizing the release of political prisoners.

On May 20, before the @HouseForeignGOP , I spoke about the CCP’s repression of religious freedom, including the imprisonment of Pastor Ezra Jin. Watch my previous remarks below.

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

As America marks its 250th anniversary, @NEDemocracy celebrates the enduring promise of freedom and stands with people around the world working to secure their fundamental rights.

Read our 4th of July statement #A250: https://t.co/mnkm4HrszG

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

America's greatest strength has always been the enduring appeal of the ideals at the heart of its founding.

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, listen to @DamonMacWilson on why @NEDemocracy’s work supporting those championing these values in their own communities reflects who we are as Americans and advances U.S. strategic interests in a competitive world.