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.
