I had the honor of attending the launch of Democracy Hub’s Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit in San José, Costa Rica, as someone who lives and works on building bridges among progressive forces in Serbia. It was inspiring to work alongside other think tank groups and democracy defenders worldwide on cross-border solidarity, civic resilience, and regional and worldwide cooperation.
Today, elected authoritarians are threatening many of the world’s democracies. They claim to speak for “the real people” against corrupt elites. But behind the slogans, they usually deepen inequalities and undermine the quality of life for ordinary people.
AATK compiles the “greatest hits” of democratic defense against electoral authoritarianism.
Defending democracy today demands bold, creative, people-powered strategies – not just rational arguments. It embraces imaginative tactics (storytelling, humor, grassroots action) to strengthen our communities and resilience.
This launch reaffirmed that our strength lies in unity. Hope we will continue to learn from each other and with each other, this is a longer-term battle for values that just a decade ago were perceived as unbreakable ground stones of traditional democratic countries.
Tamara Tripić
President of the board, Democratic Dialogue Network
