Project lead: Bernadett Sebály
Project team: Cristina Corduneanu-Huci, Bernadett Sebály, Violetta Zentai
Duration: November 2025 – October 2027
Across the world, communities have accumulated hard-earned experience in resisting authoritarianism and the harm it can inflict on the health and well-being of vulnerable communities. Authoritarian playbooks that undermine norms related to democracy and human rights have been identified in various research. Research has also pointed to potentially effective strategies to protect and restore democratic institutions, health, and equity. Yet this knowledge remains fragmented and is not readily accessible or usable by practitioners.
The purpose of our project is to complement the efforts of social and racial justice organizations in the U.S. to identify and address authoritarian political and cultural dynamics by facilitating a structured international learning process comprising participatory webinars and study trips. The learning program combines hands-on, online, and offline exchanges with academics as well as peer organizations that have faced authoritarianism, creating a space for dialogue, reflection, and collaboration across borders. The Central European University is co-leading the project with Faith in Action, a global network supporting grassroots faith-based community transformation in the U.S. and 14 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Support for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.