Welcome to our November Newsletter!

I spent a good deal of the three months which preceded Donald Trump’s re-election to the United States’ Presidency, listening to Americans who are working to protect and promote democracy, both at home and abroad.

The message from the scholars, donors, activists and organisers I spoke to was resoundingly clear: strategic collaboration between pro-democracy forces on both sides of the Atlantic is vital to combat the rise of anti-democratic forces.

In the US, Europe and elsewhere, autocrats, their billionaire backers and their enablers in big tech and the media are sowing division, undermining trust in democratic institutions, and pushing false narratives—from the ‘great replacement theory’ to climate denial.

To counter this, my US interlocutors agreed, the bonds of trans-Atlantic partnership between pro-democracy advocates must be strengthened. The more we connect, coordinate and learn from each other’s work—not just in the US and Europe, but in embattled democracies in other parts of the world—the greater our chances of success.

Yet while populist authoritarians use similar playbooks in different places, the contexts they operate in vary. So the strategies to counter them and to foster liberal democracy, should be adapted accordingly.

An example of these divergent realities are the US and Europe’s tech regulations: an illustration, perhaps, of what’s called the “splinternet”, the idea that the global internet splinters into fragmented networks.

A political decision

On November 14, evidence of this arose when Google announced it was leaving the EU’s political advertising market, claiming that the bloc’s upcoming Regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) “unfortunately introduces significant new operational challenges and legal uncertainties for political advertisers and platforms.”

Our grantee partner, Who Targets Me, who are dedicated to transparency in political advertising, responded swiftly: “This should be seen as an obviously political decision by Google, rather than a practical one… The chances of them being fined on day one of the new rules was nil.”
Who Targets Me also noted that much of the detail of the new legislation still needs to be filled in, and the new European Commission faces real pressure managing it in time for the legislation’s planned full implementation, due to take place in October 2025.

Rest, recuperation and resilience

It is just one of the many challenges lying in wait for the new Commission, which started on December 1.
What the Commission, and the European Parliament’s changed composition, means for civil society in the EU, is incisively analysed in this month’s newsletter by Carl Dolan, a senior advisor at the European Policy Centre.

He believes that civil society organisations need to become more resilient if they’re going to stay the course, and that the high-levels of burnout among staff must be tackled: “We need people to rest, recuperate and come back into the fight.”

The theme of resilience recurs through this newsletter.

As climate breakdown intensifies, deadly events such as Storm DANA, which struck the Valencia region with such tragic consequences, will become more frequent. Our grantee partner Civio showed the crucial role civil society can play in holding the authorities to account for their failures, and in providing the public with in-depth information.

Support for such organisations—performing an indispensable function for society—is essential.

So it was very welcome on November 20, when Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway launched a new fund of more than €300 million through its EEA and Norway Grants to strengthen democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe. Anna Striethorst, Senior Sector Officer for Civil Society at the EEA and Norway Grants secretariat, explains where the grants will be focused and other details surrounding them, here.

In solidarity,

ELISA PETER

Director, Civitates

What does the new Commission mean for Europe’s civil society?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s second term in office will unfold within a political landscape that’s dramatically shifted since she was first elected in 2019. Carl Dolan, senior adviser on ethics and transparency at the European Policy Centre, analyses what the new Commission is likely to mean for civil society in Europe, and in particular their role in defending democracy, civic space and the rule of law. Read the article now.

Last month, the European Cultural Foundation hosted a three-day festival in Lisbon imagining Europe through the arts, exploring how to nurture alternative structures for a more sustainable and fair Europe. The European Pavilion 2024: Liquid Becomings was a multidisciplinary programme, which featured concerts, exhibitions, DJ sets and more, bringing communities and artists together and for meaningful dialogue and reflections.

The Democratic Mosaic Festival lit up Slaveykov Square in Sofia on 18-19 October, showcasing Bulgarian civil society’s strength. The event, which was organised by our grantee partner Citizen Participation Forum and National Youth Forum, brought together more than 50 organisations for exhibitions, interactive workshops, and discussions. Hundreds of citizens engaged in debates on civic education, community building, and the future of civil society, highlighting the power of collective action for a better Bulgaria.

This autumn, Hungarian civic groups supported by Ökotárs Foundation’s Civil Map programme promoted community engagement through various events. In Diósd, (a small town around 20 kms from Budapest) Diósd People for Diósd hosted a Civic Walk and workshop, fostering collaboration between Central Hungary and organisations based in Eger, in northern Hungary. Meanwhile in Üllő, a town just south-east of Budapest, Üllő Te Vagy Association led a groundbreaking consultation tackling pollution in the town’s canal. The event united residents, experts, and mayors, and resulted in a plan for ecological restoration.

A coalition of civil society organisations, including Civitates’ grantee partners AlgorithmWatch, Access Now, EPD, Liberties, Panoptykon, and CDT Europe, issued a joint statement urging meaningful transparency in risk assessments under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The statement emphasises the need for robust reporting to ensure accountability and protect fundamental rights in the digital space. Read the statement here.

In Spain, Civitates grantee partner Civio is shedding light on the real impact of the DANA (the Isolated Depression at High Levels weather phenomenon) that caused deadly floods in Spain. Civio’s in-depth reports reveal the social and environmental impact of this devastating climate event, while holding public institutions accountable for their slow response and poor preparedness. Explore the articles here.

Our grantee partner the NeoN coalition, a network of civil society organisations in the Czech Republic led by Glopis, reflects on the positive impacts of their collaborations over the past five years, and how the network has helped cultivate a democratic civic space.

Our Fund Director, Elisa Peter, spent the months before the recent US election soliciting the views of American scholars, donors, activists and organisers, all of whom are working to protect and promote democracy. She expands on the themes which emerged from this listening exercise — in particular the need for strategic collaboration between pro-democracy forces on both sides of the Atlantic. Read the artile now.

04 / 12

EURACTIV will host the in-person event in Brussels, “A Principled Approach: How Can We Help Young People to Thrive and Be Safer Online?”. Policymakers, experts and stakeholders will discuss strategies for fostering safer online environments while empowering young people to thrive in the digital age. Get the details.

10 / 12

WINGS and The Partnering Initiative (TPI) will host the webinar ‘Turning rhetoric into reality: Empowering philanthropy as catalytic partners for systems change’. The event will explore the power of partnerships in philanthropy. Get the details.

12 / 12

Join POLITICO’s live event as experts unpack the US election results and discuss its implications for America and the world. Don’t miss this timely analysis, happening in Brussels and online. Get the details.

Calls:

• The Digital Freedom Fund is accepting applications for grants to support legal and advocacy efforts protecting and promoting digital rights. The Fund supports strategic litigation in Europe that advances human rights in the digital context and the use of technology. If your organisation is working on projects related to freedom of expression, privacy, data protection, or other critical digital freedoms, you can apply for funding before February 17th, 2025.

• Journalismfund Europe, which is dedicated to advancing independent and investigative journalism serving the public interest, is listing various application calls for grants which will serve those exact purposes.

• More from Journalismfund Europe: its grant programme, Pluralistic Media for Democracy, is open to applications until 13 February 2025 (first deadline). The grants will support local and regional outlets, community media, investigative journalism, and public interest news organisations which operate in ‘news deserts’ or in areas where media pluralism is limited.

• The OECD is inviting applications for its Anti-corruption Research Challenge until January 5th, 2025. They want proposals which address critical issues in transparency, governance, and anti-corruption, with a focus on creating actionable, evidence-based strategies. The winning submission will receive a prize and the opportunity to present their findings at a high-profile OECD event.

• Amnesty International is looking for a Participatory Approaches Consultant (‘an expert on community participation and organisational partnerships’), to review the work of Amnesty Tech and its Big Tech Accountability (BTA) team. The consultant can be based globally. It’s a 25-day assignment which starts on January 10th, 2025 – but applications close soon (4th December). More details here.

We Recommend:

• The Berlin-based research and advocacy organisation Superr, which challenges existing power dynamics in the tech sector, has produced a thought-provoking study on the challenges and opportunities of funding in the social impact sector. “Walking the Talk: Funding” uses practical examples to give valuable insights into the principles that guide them when applying for or accepting funds. “I think as feminists, we should talk more openly about funding and money, because this is ultimately about power,” they write.

• Preparing for the Next (US) Administration: Five Steps Funders Can Take Now is essential reading for philanthropic organisations in Europe. The article—written in the context of the upcoming new US administration—outlines five key steps funders can take to adapt to the shifting political landscape and align their strategies with emerging policy priorities.

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