What better way to celebrate International Democracy Day than together with fellow democracy defenders?

Join our #DemocracyDrinks for an informal exchange with Simona Constantin, Cabinet member EU Commissioner McGrath (Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law).

Day: Monday 15 September, 17:00-19:00
Venue: BELvue Museum
Fee: please support Defend Democracy's work

On 5 July, Defend Democracy spoke about 'Security and new technologies: facing AI and disinformation'.

This happened at the most amazing place to discuss 'Security, Safety and Resilience': Białowieża Forest, which during WW2 was a refuge for Polish and Soviet partisans (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

On 29 July, Defend Democracy director Alice Stollmeyer joined Visegrad Insight for an exchange about building resilience against disinformation in the deepfake era.

'The idea that AI is objective, rational or transparent is a complete illusion. Stollmeyer explained that AI can only be a copy of who we already are and therefore our inequalities, stereotypes, bias – and the foreign disinformation we adopt. The more data we give it, the more we reinforce the pollution of our manipulation space.'

In late June, Defend Democracy joined fellow democracy organisations in calling on Europe to put democracy at the heart of its new security agenda.

OpenAI was founded to benefit all of humanity. As they restructure, we need reassurance about whether that mission will survive. In August, Defend Democracy signed this letter asking for transparency about their plans.

Don’t give up on tech regulation, a group of 50 civil society organisations told the EU Commission on 2 September.

Defend Democracy and others are urging the EU to take a firm stance against escalating attempts by the Trump administration to undermine Europe’s sovereign right to regulate its digital space.

“European democracy and the rights and freedoms of European citizens are not for sale, at any price.”

Did you know that Timothy Snyder's lessons 'On Tyranny' are also available as short video clips? This month, you can either binge watch his 20 lessons, or watch one per day.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia.