Europe and Eurasia Programs
Freedom House worked in Europe and Eurasia to educate policy makers about critical threats to fundamental rights and freedoms in individual countries, across the region, and beyond. Through a robust portfolio of projects on the ground, emergency assistance, international advocacy, and special research, Freedom House supported citizens and civic groups across the region to actively participate in reforms, seek accountability for injustice, and implement meaningful ways to engage citizens as allies and supporters.
Freedom House worked in Europe to educate policy makers about critical threats to fundamental rights and freedoms in individual countries, across the region, and beyond; to protect activists, journalists, academics and other defenders of freedom; and to bolster the resilience and advocacy capacity of civil society organizations.
Across the Eurasia region, Freedom House supported human rights defenders and civil society organizations in their quest for resilience and sustainability at the time of the most brutal assault on democracy and human rights values. Through targeted support, technical assistance, and empirical research, Freedom House and its local partners identified ways to galvanize citizens to actively defend and advance their freedoms, make informed choices about their livelihoods, support civic initiatives, and regularly contribute to the well-being and development of their communities and countries. Freedom House directly implemented activities and supported partners’ work to bolster public demand for the rule of law and to strengthen civil society engagement in reform and public oversight. Freedom House also implemented cross-border initiatives that provided a critical opportunity for civic groups and professionals across the region to learn from each other and jointly develop new approaches to shared challenges.
Working in concert with its local partners, Freedom House engaged decision makers at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Parliament, the UN bodies, and the U.S. Congress to seek international accountability for impunity for rights violations across the Eurasia region.
Armenia
Freedom House worked in Armenia to create spaces for dialogue among civil society, the government, policymakers, journalists, and the public to combat disinformation and defend democracy and fundamental freedoms. Entitled Advancing Democratic Culture in Armenia, the Freedom House project created spaces for dialogue among civil society, the government, policymakers, journalists, and the public. Through research and analysis, support for grassroots initiatives, media literacy activities, advocacy, and convenings, Freedom House and partners aimed to identify best practices to address disinformation in order to defend democracy and human rights in Armenia.
Belarus
Freedom House’s programmatic work in Belarus aimed to support democratic governance, human rights, civil society development, and independent media. Freedom House was engaged in Belarus for more than a decade through its advocacy, small grant and training programs, targeted assistance, and research and monitoring initiatives.
Moldova
Freedom House strengthened democratic development in Moldova, with a focus on promoting the rule of law, improving media freedom, and supporting civil society’s engagement in national reform efforts. We worked with local partners, including NGOs, independent media, lawyers, and youth activists, to foster greater public demand for the rule of law and respect for freedom of expression. Freedom House and partners advocated for democratic reform through direct engagement with government and international institutions, public awareness-raising initiatives and grassroots campaigning, high-level policy discussions, policy briefs and special reports, and legal analysis.
- Past Programs
Local Partners
- ASIST
- INVENTO
- Lawyers for Human Rights
- Newsmaker
- Cu Sens
- NGO “Prospect”
- Piligrim-Demo
- Sud-Est Junior
- The Center for Investigative Journalism in Moldova
- The Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption
- The Press Council of Moldova
- Ziarul de Garda
Ukraine
Democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in Ukraine are seriously challenged by the grinding military conflict in the country’s east (Donbas), Russia’s occupation and de facto control of Crimea, widespread impunity for human rights abuses, and slow reform in key areas, such as the security and justice sectors. At the same time, the flourishing of civil society, major reforms since the Euromaidan revolution, and a vibrant media demonstrate Ukraine’s promise as an open and pluralistic democracy. As Ukraine struggles with the challenge of building its democracy in the face of significant threats, Freedom House worked with an array of partners to mobilize their efforts to resist censorship, advocate in support of human rights and good governance, conduct public oversight over the law-enforcement and security sector, and protect activists and journalists from persecution and violence. Freedom House provided needed support to civic advocates, including LGBT+ people, human-rights defenders, citizen journalists, and religious and ethnic minorities.
Turkey
Turkey remains one of most challenging places in the European region to exercise fundamental freedoms. In this challenging environment, Freedom House sought to empower civil society to contribute to the improvement of fundamental freedoms in Turkey and to advocate with national and international decision makers to uphold the country’s human rights commitments.
Our project aimed to create a common ground for different civil society actors to address human rights issues in the country. Freedom House and its partners responded to threats to fundamental freedoms by providing litigation support, research and analysis, support for grassroots initiatives, and advocacy.
- Partner organizations
- Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)
- Freedom Research Association (FRA)
- Civic Space Studies Association (CSSA)
- Past Programs in Turkey
Strengthening Protection of Freedom of Expression in Turkey (2019-2020)
Freedom House worked to strengthen respect for freedom of expression in Turkey in partnership with a local organization, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA). These joint efforts sought to bolster the number of qualified, practicing lawyers who can defend citizens’ fundamental right to free expression, produced research and policy analysis, and raised greater awareness among the international community on the crisis facing free speech in Turkey.
Key Initiative: Perceptions towards Freedom of Expression in Turkey
In July 2020, Freedom House, together with RIWI Corp, released a new report on freedom of expression and the media in Turkey. On the surface, the presence of a vibrant landscape for free expression seems contradictory, given that Turkey regularly tops global charts for the number of journalists jailed, and is ranked as Not Free in Freedom in the World. This report reveals opportunities for freedom of expression among Turkey's dynamic population, where preferences are shifting from traditional outlets to online platforms. From these contradictions rise not only a clearer picture of the contours of expression, but also hope that this fundamental right can still be exercised.
Current programs
Armenia: Advancing Democratic Culture
Freedom House worked in Armenia to create spaces for dialogue among civil society, the government, policymakers, journalists, and the public to combat disinformation and defend fundamental freedoms.
Belarus: Eye to Eye
Freedom House’s project “Belarus: Eye to Eye” sought to bolster civil society in Belarus through collaborative engagement across ideological, generational and professional lines.
Moldova: Citizens Speak
Freedom House and its partners worked to mobilize civil society in support of democratic reforms, fundamental freedoms, and government accountability in Moldova.
Moldova: Media-M
Freedom House was a proud partner of Internews in implementing the multi-year MEDIA-M project, which aimed to improve the legal and regulatory environment for independent media in Moldova.
Moldova: Supporting Judicial Integrity
Freedom House implemented the multi-year Mobilizing Civil Society to Support Judicial Integrity in the Republic of Moldova project, which promoted the rule of law in Moldova.
Ukraine: Championing Free Expression
Freedom House supported civil society activists, media, and citizens in advocating for expansive freedom of expression in Ukraine.
Ukraine: Confronting Hate-Motivated Violence
Freedom House worked to improve Ukraine’s response to hate-motivated violence and ultimately to decrease its incidence.
Ukraine: Civic Oversight on Security Services
Freedom House supported Ukrainian civil society in providing effective public oversight of the activities of the Ukrainian government law-enforcement and security services.
