Freedom Matters: A Narrative Initiative to Advance Democracy
The assault on democratic principles and institutions — both here in the United States and around the world — is not just a threat to freedom, it also threatens the successful advancement of every social issue. From health care, education, and religious liberty to economic opportunity, environmental justice, and racial equity, authoritarian narratives and actions are actively undermining and threatening to erase hard-won progress. No sector of society is safe from the coordinated authoritarian playbook. Authoritarians know that the upstream narratives (or meta-stories) people believe impact social norms, create fertile ground for mis/dis/malinformation, and legitimize autocratic action while decreasing trust in democratic principles and institutions. But champions for democratic principles from every sector and from across the political spectrum can change the narrative and advance support for democracy.
To help advance a proactive democracy narrative and to better counter threats, the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook’s partners have conducted extensive multi-methodology scans, and analysis of the most dominant and salient pro-democracy and pro-authoritarian narratives in 12 countries on five continents, including the United States.
Based on this formative research, we developed, tested, and refined a set of effective pro-democracy narratives, grounded in core values and complete with supporting message frameworks. We are openly sharing the research findings, narratives, and resources to help advocates across all sectors shift hearts, minds, and norms in support of democratic values.
Now is the time to both defend democratic institutions and proactively champion a compelling vision of democracy grounded in freedom, fairness, and fearlessness.
About the Initiative
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U.S. Pro-Democracy Narrative and Message Guide
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Research and Resources
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Events and News
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Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook Partners
Coordinating Partner
Core Partners
