Power 3.0 | Authoritarian Resurgence, Democratic Resilience International Forum for Democratic Studies

In recent years, international institutions have become an increasingly critical arena of contestation between autocracies and democracies. China, in particular, has leveraged its participation in those institutions and relationships with autocratic regimes to proffer narratives that support authoritarian models of governance and hide its human rights abuses.



Sophie Richardson, visiting scholar at Stanford's Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law and former China Director at Human Rights Watch, joined John K. Glenn, senior director for the International Forum for Democratic Studies, to discuss how the Communist Party of China, among other authoritarian actors, seeks to undermine human rights bodies within the UN system. Together, they unpack the importance of these institutions for civil society organizations and explored how democracy practitioners can shore up the global human rights system. 







For further insights on modern authoritarian influence, check out the International Forum’s companion blog, “Power 3.0 Understanding Modern Authoritarian Influence,” and the report, “Defending the Global Human Rights System from Authoritarian Assault: How Democracies Can Retake the Initiative,” by Dr. Rana Siu Inboden. You can find additional resources on the NED website and join the conversation with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 



The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: [hxdbzxy/Shutterstock]

February 2024 marks two years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the midst of this crisis, the world has learned much from Ukrainians about countering authoritarian information operations. The Forum highlighted Ukrainian civil society’s resilience in a 2023 report, “Shielding Democracy: Civil Society Adaptations to Kremlin Disinformation about Ukraine.” Yet, a new and more complex threat has emerged to Ukraine’s information environment from Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered tools. Whether in Ukraine or across many other regions facing these threats, pro-democratic civil society actors have the opportunity to leverage these types of tools to level the playing field against authoritarian actors.



Ksenia Iliuk, co-founder of LetsData in Ukraine, sat down with John Glenn, director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, and Adam Fivenson, Senior Program Officer for Information Space Integrity at the Forum, to discuss the state of Russia’s information operations and the Ukrainian response with a focus on the use of artificial intelligence and cross-sectoral collaboration.







For further insights on modern authoritarian influence, check out the International Forum’s companion blog, “Power 3.0 Understanding Modern Authoritarian Influence.” You can find additional resources on the Forum’s website at the National Endowment for Democracy and join the conversation with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.



The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: [Iliuk Nazar/Shutterstock].

Authoritarian influence in multilateral institutions is growing rapidly and poses a serious threat to democratic and human rights principles. Repressive governments have worked to undermine mechanisms that are meant to ensure accountability for human rights abuses and to transform the United Nations, its related bodies, and other international institutions into fora for mutual praise. Both the Chinese Communist Party and the Kremlin are working to subvert human rights norms, peddle favorable narratives, and oppose resolutions examining their poor human rights records. Democratic societies must rally behind the global human rights system and ensure that it remains capable of assisting activists and victims around the world.   



International Forum report author and senior fellow with the Robert S. Strauss Center at The University of Texas at Austin, Rana Siu Inboden, and China Director at Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson, sat down with Christopher Walker, vice president for studies and analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy, for a discussion on this crucial challenge to global democratic integrity. This episode highlights key moments from this conversation. 







This podcast was adapted from a launch event for Dr. Inboden’s excellent report, “Defending the Human Rights System from Authoritarian Assault: How Democracies Can Retake the Initiative,” published by the Forum. To watch the full event, visit the National Endowment for Democracy’s YouTube channel. 



For further insights on modern authoritarian influence, check out the International Forum’s companion blog, “Power 3.0 Understanding Modern Authoritarian Influence.” You can find additional research on the NED website and join the conversation with us on Facebook and Twitter. 



The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: [Ana Maria Serrano/Getty Images]. 

As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has become more authoritarian and closed to the world in recent years, its global influence has risen even more rapidly. Civil society and other democratic institutions around the world must grapple with the PRC’s malign influence in many domains, including the information, technology, economic, and political spheres. Key democratic institutions often operate with significant knowledge deficits regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s opaque political system, Chinese language skills, and the ways in which the PRC’s outward-facing engagement is adapting and evolving. How should democracies fill these crucial knowledge gaps? What role can key diaspora, academic institutions, and civil society organizations play at a global level to shrink such deficits?  



Journal of Democracy author and Professor at Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology John Fitzgerald, Hong Kong native and Advisor at Central Asia’s OSCE Academy Niva Yau, and CEO of Taiwan’s Doublethink Lab TtCat discussed how their societies have leveraged expertise on China to address democratic vulnerabilities, and how others might be able to do the same. Christopher Walker, vice president for studies and analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy, and Kevin Sheives, deputy director at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, co-hosted the conversations.







For further insights on modern authoritarian influence, check out the International Forum’s companion blog, “Power 3.0 Understanding Modern Authoritarian Influence.” You can find additional resources on the NED website and join the conversation with us on Facebook and Twitter. 



The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: Ran Sinee/Shutterstock.com. 

In 2016, Mauritius announced the launch of a “safe city” project—a public-security initiative deploying cameras and other advanced digital technologies from the controversial PRC-based vendor Huawei. Shrouded in opacity and set up outside standard oversight mechanisms, the project raises the specter of surveillance and digital control in the country.



In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Roukaya Kasenally discusses how the Mauritius Safe City Project could worsen backsliding in one of Africa’s most stable democracies. Drawing on her essay for the International Forum for Democratic Studies’ recent report Smart Cities and Democratic Vulnerabilities, Kasenally will explain what the Mauritian experience tells us about responding to China’s smart city exports, and the broader dangers of digital development in the absence of democratic guardrails.



Roukaya Kasenally is an associate professor at the University of Mauritius and an alumna of the National Endowment for Democracy’s Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program. Christopher Walker, vice president for studies and analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy, and Beth Kerley, a program officer at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, cohost the conversation.



 







 



For further insights on emerging technologies and democracy, check out the International Forum’s companion blog, “Power 3.0 Understanding Modern Authoritarian Influence,” and tune into our upcoming virtual discussion on Tuesday, February 7, from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm EST to learn more about the digital risks of smart cities in an era of democratic backsliding. You can find additional resources on the NED website and join the conversation with us on Facebook and Twitter.



The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: Agilard/Shutterstock.com.

Angola has long been ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world. Although many hoped the Southern African country would improve its good governance and human rights record when long-time autocrat Jose dos Santos stepped down, deep kleptocratic networks persist. In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Rafael Marques discusses the state of kleptocracy in Angola, the role of Portugal in facilitating and enabling kleptocracy, and the country’s unrelenting attempts to silence courageous activists working to bring about democratic change.



Rafael Marques is an anti-corruption activist and founder of the investigative outlet Maka Angola. John Glenn, senior director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, and Melissa Aten, a senior program officer focusing on transnational kleptocracy, cohost the conversation.



 







 



For further insights on transnational kleptocracy, check out the International Forum’s companion blog, “Power 3.0 Understanding Modern Authoritarian Influence,” and tune into the launch event for our forthcoming report, Kleptocratic Adaptation: Next Steps in the Battle Against Kleptocracy. You can find additional resources on the NED website and join the conversation with us on Facebook and Twitter.



 



The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: Spixel/Shutterstock.com.