Whistleblower protection in 2026: the gap between law and reality
People around the world risk their careers, finances and personal wellbeing to expose corruption, fraud, environmental harm and other wrongdoing.…
Theme: Freedom
Civil society declaration warns UN goals are off track, urges reforms
The Sustainable Development Goals are falling behind, civil society groups warned in a declaration presented in New York ahead of the UN’s 2026 SDG16…
When censorship becomes a crime: Free expression in systems of gender persecution and apartheid
Freedom of expression violations – including through surveillance, exclusion from public life, restrictions on access to areas of public, social,…
Orbán’s Defeat Marks Democratic Renewal in Hungary, Signalling New Possibilities for Europe and the U.S.
Viktor Orbán’s defeat marks a defining turning point not only for Hungary but for democracy around the world. After years…
Freedom in the World Report 2026
The Freedom in the World report is composed of numerical ratings and supporting descriptive texts for 195 countries and 13…
Deliberative democracy in Africa: Outcomes and takeaways from our 2025 convening in Banjul, The Gambia
In October 2025, DemocracyNext hosted a convening in Banjul, The Gambia, with a group of facilitators, academics, civil society actors,…
Voices of Change – Gen Z protests from the YDC lens
Across the world, the new generation is taking a stand. From Burkina Faso to Bangladesh, Peru to Morocco, young people…
Democracy on the Line: LGBTQ+ Movements as Critical to Democracy
In recent years, LGBTQ+ people and rights have been increasingly targeted as part of a wave of authoritarian illiberal politics, promoting a…
Why Is There Silence in Caracas?
The January 3, 2026, capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro by the United States marked a decisive moment in Venezuela’s recent…
Freedom on the Net 2025: An Uncertain Future for the Global Internet
Global internet freedom declined for the 15th consecutive year. Of the 72 countries assessed in Freedom on the Net 2025,…