Civil Society Archives

Everything you need to know about Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi and his death sentence

New Atlanticist Mar 13, 2024

Venezuela’s opposition is challenging Maduro in the next election. The only question is how.

By Geoff Ramsey

With leading candidate María Corina Machado barred from Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election, who will the opposition to Nicolás Maduro support?

Civil Society Elections

UkraineAlert Feb 27, 2024

No opposition candidates allowed in Belarus dictator’s “sham” elections

By Hanna Liubakova

Sunday’s parliamentary and local elections in Belarus were among the most flawed in the thirty-year reign of the country’s authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus Civil Society

New Atlanticist Feb 16, 2024

Russia’s democracy movement will survive the death of Navalny

By Dylan Myles-Primakoff

The strategies and messages that the late opposition leader developed for fighting the Putin regime have spread to a diverse group of Russian pro-democracy actors.

Civil Society Corruption

Content

IranSource

Apr 26, 2024

Everything you need to know about Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi and his death sentence

By Khosro Kalbasi Isfahani and Andrea Alice Richardson

On April 24, a revolutionary court in Iran sentenced dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi to death on charges of “spreading corruption on the Earth.”

Civil Society Human Rights

In the News

Apr 18, 2024

Thomas Warrick mentioned in The Cipher Brief about an open letter to the Senate on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

On April 18, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Thomas S. Warrick was mentioned in a Cipher Brief article releasing an open letter to the Senate. Signed by a group of former senior national security officials, this letter urged the reform of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, adopting The Reforming Intelligence and Securing […]

Civil Society Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Apr 18, 2024

Grassroots diplomacy can help unlock international support for Ukraine

By Benton Coblentz

Washington State’s ambitious new Sister State Agreement with Kyiv Oblast offers an attractive model that others can follow, both in the US and beyond, writes Benton Coblentz.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 11, 2024

Ukraine’s veterans can transform the country’s postwar political landscape

By Kateryna Odarchenko

While the Russian invasion of Ukraine is still far from over, it already looks likely that Ukrainian military veterans will play a key role in their country's postwar politics, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 9, 2024

Russian Orthodox Church declares “Holy War” against Ukraine and West

By Brian Mefford

The Russian Orthodox Church has approved a remarkable new document that declares a holy war against Ukraine and the wider Western world, writes Brian Mefford.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 9, 2024

Georgia launches new push to adopt Russian-style foreign agent law

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Georgia’s ruling party has revived plans to pass legislation tightening restrictions on civil society, despite the fact that the same draft law sparked mass protests just one year ago, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Civil Society Conflict

In the News

Apr 5, 2024

Taylor interviewed by Notre Dame Magazine, reflecting upon his experience as a black student and how it prepared him to become a military officer

On April 4, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Francis X. Taylor was interviewed by his alma mater’s magazine about his experiences as a black student, the difficulties he overcame at Notre Dame, and how it prepared him for a career as a brigadier general and commander of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations.

Civil Society Security & Defense

In the News

Apr 4, 2024

Polymeropoulos interviewed on MSNBC about Israeli air strikes and aid worker casualties

On April 4, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Marc Polymeropoulous was interviewed on MSNBC about the Israeli airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers and provided insight into what may have gone wrong.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 3, 2024

Ukraine’s Belarusian volunteers create headaches for Putin ally Lukashenka

By Alesia Rudnik

Thousands of Belarusians are currently fighting for Ukraine and make no secret of their ambitions to eventually topple pro-Kremlin Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka, writes Alesia Rudnik.

Belarus Civil Society

Event Recap

Mar 29, 2024

Launching the Syria Strategy Project

By JP Reppeto and Charles Johnson

On March 18, 2024, the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project, the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program, the European Institute of Peace, and Madaniya Civil Society Network launched the Syria Strategy, an intensive process of engagement with subject matter experts and policymakers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to […]

Civil Society Conflict