Artistic Freedom
In closed societies and fragile states, the fundamental human right of free expression is often curtailed or limited. Arts and music that expresses controversial or critical views of society and government has a long history of drawing attention to issues that have no other public outlet. It resonates among listeners and inspires them to reexamine and challenge previously held ideas and societal values and can spur into action for positive change.
DCC’s artistic freedom initiatives help outspoken musicians in these contexts by providing them with technical resources and capacity building assistance to help them more effectively exercise their right to free expression, increase exposure to their audiences, and amplify their social messages allowing for more transparency and information flow on issues of critical importance.
Voices of Abraham
Voices of Abraham: A Musical Celebration of Peace and Coexistence (Voices) is a unique artist-led celebration breaking down national, social, and religious-based barriers and prejudices that divide Arabs and Israelis and Muslim, Christian, and Jewish women and men worldwide. Leveraging the unique power of music as a social change agent, transcending borders, and going beyond diplomatic announcements, Voices would be the first public collaboration between Arabs, Iranians, and Israelis. Amplifying the coexistence message through song and educational curriculum from legitimate, influential voices would resonate with tens of millions of youth, generating media and debate.
Combating Malign Influence and Information
DCC’s Combatting Malign Influence & Information practice is supports the design development and delivery of unique programs that turn today’s information space theories into difference-making action for tomorrow. Authoritarian regime firewalls are choking the free flow of knowledge to their own citizens. At the same time, these regimes and their proxies are exploiting Information Technologies to pollute the information space.
Democratic societies are combatting revisionist histories, age-old grievances, and conspiracy theories that are undermining their institutions and values. Regimes hostile to democracy such as Russia, China, and Iran have been engaging in state-level coordinated malign influence and information operations for decades, each year with increasing sophistication.
Continuing its efforts to support local Independent Media, Civil Society Organizations, and Creative Communities DCC’s services include:
-
Education to support media literacy, research, analysis, fact-checking, and reporting about malign influence & information operations for a variety of stakeholders and audiences.
-
Consulting for content and programming creation (from music to the gaming space) for unique television, radio, and online initiative to combat malign influence & information operations.
-
Support civil-society organizations and think tanks researching, writing, and doing advocacy work, to combat malign influence in areas such as elite capture, and lawfare.
If we include this bullet point list here, we should include one for all practice areas.
Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom
A critical foundation of stable and peaceful societies is the right of people to access information without incrimination, censorship, or retribution freely. Such access to information and debate helps citizens hold their governments to be more accountable and transparent. Increased connectivity and online privacy also spur creativity, productivity, and democratic advocacy. The same technology that can be used to empower individuals and communities is being perverted by repressive regimes to enforce minority rule and extremist policies.
DCC’s work in this increasingly critical area includes secure information transfer, improving local area access, and ensuring access to information in closed societies.
Government Accountability and Transparency
A well-functioning democracy requires strong safeguards against official corruption, which erodes public services as well as public faith in the democratic system. Corruption can also give unfair advantages to incumbent politicians and create pathways for malign interference by foreign powers.
Government accountability and transparency ensure that malfeasance is exposed—and that failed or harmful policies are swiftly corrected.
Freedom House research, including Freedom in the World, has documented the global decline in government accountability, transparency, and rule of law, as authoritarian leaders ignore the most basic elements of due process, misuse the justice system to persecute their critics, and perpetuate impunity for corruption and abuses of power. Freedom House supports local efforts to strengthen the rule of law, including to end torture, hold human rights abusers to account, and promote judicial reforms.
Independent Media
With this ease of accessibility of the information age comes an influx of misleading facts and disinformation meant to sway public opinion and policy. Through tools such as false reporting and misguided facts on social media, malicious actors work to alter the reality to fortify their agendas. Dedicated programming prevents such nefarious intervention and provides citizens with access to facts-based information to better help them hold their governments accountable.
DCC supports and incubates independent media projects within closed societies. By working in tandem with local journalists and media managers, we provide critical support to press freedom worldwide, thereby enhancing prospects for democratic institution-building.
We have successfully nurtured local media outlets provided technical expertise to facilitate the production and availability of independent news in post-conflict situations and in states that are transitioning to become open societies, creating spaces for information and idea sharing where they had not existed before.
Political Participation
Robust democracies depend on strong, competitive, and well-developed political institutions to provide ideas and rhetoric that feed the healthy debate of public policy, the rule of law, and honest governance. Local stakeholders are often the best placed to understand the needs of their communities and to develop solutions that are tailored to local conditions. Working with local stakeholders is essential for building strong and sustainable political parties and institutions.
DCC works with local and national stakeholders to develop stronger political parties, better election governance, and effective public opinion research to encourage greater political participation across the spectrum.
Civil Society
Civil society organizations (CSOs) are the bedrock of fair and free democracies as they are the key to fighting corruption, monitoring governments, and denouncing human rights abuses. Especially in transitioning states, civic engagement and education, public testimony, and partnerships with CSOs are paramount to nurturing societies that respect all people's rights and the promotion of public participation in an accountable and productive manner are priorities.
DCC’s CSO programs focus on promoting civic engagement and participation in all societies, especially in closed and authoritarian countries. We build CSOs’ capacities in organizing, planning, and networking to improve their impact to represent the will of the people.
Private Sector Development & Sustainable Business Practices
Civil Society
Civil society organizations (CSOs) are the bedrock of fair and free democracies as they are the key to fighting corruption, monitoring governments, and denouncing human rights abuses. Especially in transitioning states, civic engagement and education, public testimony, and partnerships with CSOs are paramount to nurturing societies that respect all people's rights and the promotion of public participation in an accountable and productive manner are priorities.
DCC’s CSO programs focus on promoting civic engagement and participation in all societies, especially in closed and authoritarian countries. We build CSOs’ capacities in organizing, planning, and networking to improve their impact to represent the will of the people.
Since its inception, DCC has developed projects designed to build and strengthen environments in which economic opportunity and the private sector thrive. Where a vibrant and open entrepreneurial spirit is supported, businesses and stakeholders can work together toward innovative and creative solutions for sustainable economic development.
Our programs include support for young entrepreneurs in the Middle East, promotion of free movement of people and to facilitate cross border trade goods and access to business training materials for Latin American small business proprietors. We also work with local partners to promote fair and responsible laws and regulations governing trade and economic opportunity in emerging societies.
Religious Freedom
Freedom of worship—of belief and non-belief—is an important element of democracy, contributing to social peace, encouraging full political participation, and strengthening pluralism more broadly. Free religious communities can make important contributions to society, and individual conscience can serve as a last bastion of liberty and a source of great resolve in highly repressive settings.
Freedom House provides emergency assistance to religious freedom defenders, civil society organizations, and survivors of religious persecution in dozens of countries. This assistance has benefited individuals from more than a dozen different faiths. It covers medical treatment, legal representation, prison visits, trial monitoring, dependent support, and temporary relocation. We also support local initiatives to promote tolerance and proactively address hostility toward religious minority groups and ongoing tensions between different faith communities.