Defend Democracy: What?
Defend Democracy is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit civil society organisation. Our mission is to defend and strengthen democracy against foreign, domestic and technological threats. Defend Democracy is registered as a nonprofit foundation in The Hague, the international city of peace, justice and security. We work transatlantically: most of our day-to-day work is done in Brussels and (virtually) in Washington DC.
Defend Democracy: How?
Defend Democracy works at the intersection of freedom, security and technology. To achieve our mission, we operate on the front-line: building awareness, shaping advocacy and taking action. In particular, we help build societal resilience to hybrid and technological threats for a whole-of-society defence of democracies.
Our activities range from community and capacity building for democracy defenders to convening high-level democracy stakeholders for influential working sessions; advocating for whole-of-society resilience to hybrid threats to democracy, for the regulation of Big Tech and fixing the information disorder; and from exposing organised information manipulation to training practitioners on handling disinformation and other harmful information activities.
Defend Democracy: Why?
The need for an organisation like Defend Democracy has never been more evident. Democracy is under pressure worldwide, even in countries where we took it for granted. For years, there has been:
1) foreign interference in our democracies, also known as hybrid threats to democracy
2) democratic backsliding, affective polarisation, domestic extremism and terrorism
3) technological threats to democracy
Unfortunately, many governments and other stakeholders are doing too little to defend our democracies against foreign interference, to prevent further polarisation and erosion of democracy “at home”, and to protect our democracies from technological threats. Worse, few are grasping that these threats are interconnected and are reinforcing each other. The future of our democracies depends on building resilience to this triple threat to democracy as of now.
Because countries fail in their duty to defend democracy against foreign, domestic and technological threats to democracy, Defend Democracy steps into the breach. Not by publishing reports but as a do-tank that gets to work. Defend Democracy proposes a Zeitenwende for democracy. We encourage citizens, democratic governments and their international alliances (EU, NATO) to build whole-of-society resilience against the triple threat to democracy. And as civil society actor we help them do it.
“Defend Democracy!” is a call to action to governments, lawmakers and institutions, and a name that invites everyone to join us in being active citizens.
Defend Democracy: Who?
Team
Founder and Executive Director Alice Stollmeyer has a solid background in ‘Science, technology and society’. After her PhD research Alice specialised in EU public affairs, strategic communications and digital advocacy. Alice now leads Defend Democracy and works on issues related to democracy, security, technology and geopolitics. She is a leading voice on defending democracy in an age of ‘sharp power’ and is a trailblazer for societal resilience to hybrid and technological threats to democracy.
Senior Advisor Chris Kremidas-Courtney is a globally recognized thought leader, futurist, and policy influencer with 34 years’ experience in building consensus and developing policy approaches to protect and support democracy, equality, and the rule of law in a fast-changing world. Chris advises and conducts research for Defend Democracy on emerging tech threats and disinformation as well as training and exercise support.
Senior Advisor Jonathan Hill has 25 years’ experience in political communications. He was speech-writer to the President of the European Commission, and Chief of Staff to the Commissioner for Education and Culture. Jonathan advises Defend Democracy on communications strategy.
Advisor Suzanne Nam is a lawyer turned journalist who has worked in the US and Asia and is now based in the EU. She uses her legal and communications expertise to support Defend Democracy, and others that focus on social justice, community building and inclusion.
Board
Honorary Ambassador (Rtd.) Jana Zikmundova has acquired personal experience of today’s world challenges during her full career in the Belgian diplomatic service. After multilateral posts to the UN and the EU, she served as Ambassador in Ukraine and Colombia. Throughout her career, she has supported freedom and democracy around the world.
Dr. Paul Tang was a Member of European Parliament (2014-2024) and the Dutch national parliament (2007-2010). After his doctorate in economic sciences, he headed research at the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In his political career, Paul has specialised in anti-corruption, fair taxation, sustainable finance, digital tax and data protection.
Elizabeth Kuiper is Associate Director at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based thinktank. Previously, she worked at the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU and as a political advisor at the national level. Throughout her career, she focused on social policies and societal resilience.
Advisory Board
Hon. Chris Alexander is a distinguished fellow with the Canadian International Council and the Macdonald Laurier Institute. He was Canada’s minister of citizenship and immigration (2013-15), Canadian MP (2011-15), deputy special representative of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan (2005-09) and Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan (2003-05). Throughout his career, he has worked on issues related to democracy and countering disinformation.
Dr. Benedetta Berti is Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the Secretary General at NATO. She is also Associate Researcher at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy at Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Visiting Professor at the College of Europe and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Throughout her career, she has specialised in foreign policy and security.
Ambassador (Rtd.) Kees Klompenhouwer is former Ambassador of the Netherlands in Czechia, Ukraine and Serbia and former EU Civilian Operations Commander. Currently member of the Netherlands’ Helsinki Committee and member of the Advisory Board of Open Door Ukraine. Throughout his career he was involved in programs supporting free media, free elections and democracy under the rule of law, and in policies to counter threats to peace in Europe.
Molly McKew is a writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare. Her insights are informed by years spent working in Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic states. Throughout her career, she has specialised in Russian doctrine, hybrid warfare and defence.
Liubov Tsybulska is a leading Ukrainian expert on hybrid warfare, an advisor to the government of Ukraine, and founder of the The Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Throughout her career, she has worked on issues relating to hybrid threats, security and geopolitics.
Goodwill Ambassador
Sander Schimmelpenninck is a Dutch journalist, writer, documentary maker and entrepreneur. He has made a documentary for Netherlands’ public television about the threat social media poses to our democracies (Sander vs de Socials) and is vocal about the topic in Dutch media. As ambassador for Defend Democracy, Sander wants to help shape public opinion on matters concerning digitalisation and democracy.
Governance
Defend Democracy has a three-tier governance structure: Management, Board, and Advisory Board. The roles and tasks of each of its bodies are laid out in the organisation’s statutes. Management is in charge of the day to day governance and management of the nonprofit organisation. It also has the responsibility for directing and implementing its programs. Management is monitored and supported by an independent Board and assisted on long-term policies and strategy by the Advisory Board.
The Board and Advisory Board are generously offering their time in a personal capacity.
The day to day work of Defend Democracy is led by its founder and Executive Director, Alice Stollmeyer. She is currently the only Management member, in accordance with Dutch law and the ‘Code Goed Bestuur voor Goede Doelen‘ (Code of Good Management for Charities, also known as the ‘Code-Wijffels’). The Executive Director is tasked to represent and manage the nonprofit organisation; develop, implement and report on its annual and multi-annual plans and report on financial management; prepare the annual state of accounts and ensure its sustainability. The execution of the Executive Director’s tasks is monitored by the independent Board.
Defend Democracy is a nonprofit foundation registered as Stichting Defend Democracy under Dutch law in The Netherlands.
- Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 77749901
- Dutch fiscal number (RSIN): 8611.25.605
- EU Transparency Register: 656334937846-80