The Digital Democracy Initiative
The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) is a programme aimed at safeguarding inclusive democracy and human rights in the digital age. The DDI focuses on support to local civil society in the Global South, particularly in countries undergoing democratic regression and where civic space is under pressure.
Digital space has become a central arena in the efforts to expand and protect democratic rights. Digital technologies hold great potential for strengthening pluralist democracy, encouraging civic participation, and for giving a voice to marginalised groups. At the same time, digitalisation exposes human rights and democratic processes to new risks, including censorship, digital surveillance, mis- and disinformation, cyper-attacks, persecution, and harassment.
The Digital Democracy Initiative was launched during the 2023 Summit for Democracy by the Danish Government and the EU Commission as a TeamEurope initiative, with the aim of supporting local organisations and activists in the Global South in their fight for democracy and human rights in the digital age. The programme focuses on organisations representing women, youth, and marginalised groups as well as informal actors and social movements with limited access to funding and other resources.
The Digital Democracy Initiative works closely with trusted civil society partners CIVICUS, Global Focus, Digital Defenders Partnership, Access Now and WITNESS.
News from the DDI
Welcome to the new projects!
The winning projects of our recent Call for Proposals have been found, with focus on three thematic areas:
- Combatting Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
- Leveraging digital technologies for climate activism
- Strengthening youth engagement in the digital democratic space
The DDI is pleased to welcome the following new initiatives to the programme.
Fondo de Mujeres del Sur will be leading a consortium of feminist funds collaborating on the initiative: “Women’s and Feminist Funds Solutions for a Life Free of TFGBV in Latin America”.
IWGIA will lead a consortium implementing the initiative: “Amplifying Indigenous Activists Voices: Countering Climate Disinformation” across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Finally, the initiative “Digitalise Youth” focussed mainly on West Africa and the Horn of Africa and will be run by a consortium with European Partnership for Democracy in the lead.
Read more about our three new projects here.
Open Call for Consultants: Addressing Digital Threats Against Human Rights Defenders
As part of the DDI, Global Focus is seeking consultants for two assignments aimed at addressing digital threats to Human Rights Defenders.
This call invites applications for consultancy work that focuses on filling knowledge gaps in understanding and responding to digital attacks on HRDs, particularly in the Majority World.
The two open consultancy assignments are as follows:
- Mapping of support mechanisms to mitigate digital attacks on Human Rights Defenders in the Majority World (Terms of Reference available here)
- Research assignment: Forms of digital attacks on Human Rights Defenders in the Majority World (Terms of Reference available here)
Please seek more information at Global Focus' website.
Call for proposals: Digital Advocacy Grants
With the Digitalise Youth Project, the European Partnership for Democracy is launching a call for proposals for advocacy grants. Organisations in the Sahel, West and Horn of Africa regions can apply for €25,000 grants to support digital advocacy.
These grants aim to foster open, safe, and inclusive digital spaces where young people can engage in multi-stakeholder dialogues with national governments to advocate for their rights.
Projects should focus on achieving policy reforms or institutional changes at the local or national level.
Selected organisations will receive funding for a nine-month project (June 2025-March 2026), covering project activities, human resources, and office costs. Additionally, they will benefit from technical support in areas such as project design, financial management, and data protection.
The DDI Team is always open to dialogue with potential new partners and donors. Please get in touch at: [email protected]