New Books in Political Science Democracy and Freedom: The Role of Philanthropy and Education
Nov 23, 2025
Dr. Alvaro Salas-Castro, President and CEO of the Reynolds Foundation, discusses the rising tide of authoritarianism and how philanthropic funding for democracy remains minimal. He highlights innovative civic education initiatives like Freedom Academies aimed at empowering future leaders. Salas-Castro addresses the need for better research and technological tools to aid activists and emphasizes the importance of building trust in communities through collaborative efforts, providing a hopeful vision for youth activists and philanthropic partnerships.
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Authoritarians Gain By Coordination
- Authoritarian regimes coordinate and share tactics, making them more effective despite not being stronger individually.
- Philanthropic funding for freedom and democracy is tiny, so measuring and reallocating that supply is urgent.
Fear Is A Central Weapon
- Dictators dismantle resilience through fear, division, and repression, targeting activists and diasporas alike.
- Battling fear and protecting activists is a core, unresolved challenge for democracy supporters.
Build Civic Education And Freedom Tech
- Invest in civic education and capacity building like Freedom Academies to strengthen democratic citizenship from the ground up.
- Support freedom tech labs and rapid hackathon-style pilots so activists can iterate tools with real-time feedback.