Digital Democracy Initiative - an Innovative Approach to Protect Democracy in Digital Age

After more than a decade of global decline in democracy, the number of people living in non-democratic countries today is over 70 percent. Across the globe, the average citizen now enjoys a level of democratic rights as low as it was in 1989. Meanwhile, the number of liberal democracies in the world has decreased to 34, the lowest since 1995. The rise of digital technology presents opportunities, but also innumerous challenges to democracy around the world. It is against this background and with the purpose of addressing these challenges that the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) was created. DDI is an ambitious development programme funded by Denmark and the European Union.

“The initiative is an innovative approach to protect democracy and human rights in digital age”, explained Dan Jørgensen, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, in his video statement during the launch of the programme on 28 March.

DDI derives from the Danish-led multi-stakeholder initiative Tech for Democracy, and will complement the efforts of the Team Europe Democracy Initiative. It provides a strategic funding framework for civil society partnerships focused on the promotion and protection of inclusive democracy in the digital age. The programme will prioritise assistance and support to local civil society organisations (CSOs) to strengthen the use and awareness of digital technologies in their work. Many of these organisations, including the ones representing women, youth, and marginalised groups as well as informal actors and social movements, lack the means, tools and capacity to access and utilise digital technologies to promote and protect inclusive democracy and human rights. Many of them are unprotected from digital threats.

In her opening remarks, Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, emphasized how the initiative will contribute to building the resilience of local CSOs, and helping to fight disinformation and fake news. “The European Union wants to see an internet that promotes accountability and empowers individuals.”, said Mrs. Urpilainen.

How to achieve this concretely was at the center of the discussions of a panel of experts and activists who work for DDI implementing partners: CIVICUS, Global Focus, Access Now and Digital Defenders Partnership.

According to Brian Malika, Founder of One More Percent and Partner of Global Focus, among the threats that human rights defenders face nowadays are the tracking of their digital footprints by authoritarian regimes, as well as the loss of sensitive data or hardware which often occurs concurrently with physical harm.

Mouna Ben Garga, Innovation Lead at CIVICUS, pointed out that these threats are likely to continue escalating and even evolve. “That is why is so important to build the power of civil society groups and protect the civic space, which is essential for democracy,” Mrs. Ben Garga said.

“One way to empower CSOs is to provide them with proper tools, capacity building and skills, so that they can protect themselves against the digital and physical threats. Funding is extremely important. Besides that, we must hold accountable all actors who restrict civil space and amplify the threats.”, explained Xeenahr Mohammed, Regional Project Manager for Africa at Digital Defenders Partnership.

In closing the event, Chiara Adamo, Acting Director on Human Development, Migration, Governance and Peace at DG INTPA, emphasized that the DDI will support CSOs to strengthen democracy at local level through a coordinated European approach. Ms. Adamo encouraged other EU Member States to join the initiative.

Link to the DDI website: Frontpage - Tech for Democracy