Our Coalition Partner, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has announced the recipients of their 2026 Democracy Awards, which honors individuals and organizations from Russia, Cuba, Syria, Ethiopia, and Burma for their courage and leadership in advancing democratic freedoms in their communities. To mark America’s 250th anniversary, NED’s Board of Directors selected winners championing the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment —freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition—which shaped the founding of the United States and continue to inspire freedom movements around the world today.
The Democracy Award is presented annually by NED’s Board of Directors to individuals and organizations whose courage and commitment have advanced human freedom, strengthened democratic institutions, and defended fundamental rights in the face of repression around the world. The award is a replica of the Goddess of Democracy erected during China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.