Democracy Is Ours to Defend

At Partnerships for Integrity (P4I), we are working alongside courageous civic actors, reformers, and institutions to defend democratic systems and cultures, and to strengthen integrity in some of the world's most challenging environments. Across regions and sectors, our work focuses on supporting local leadership, strengthening accountability, and amplifying voices that are too often marginalized. In June, our work took us from Brussels to Kathmandu; in July, we announced our Local Democracy, Community Impact Grants. Below are highlights from our most recent work.

Brussels: Co-Founders Convene to Shape P4I's Future

June marked a milestone moment for P4I. Our six co-founders — Meredith Applegate, Melika Atić, Katherine Ellena, Eva Gil, Pascaline Krone, and Typhaine Roblot — converged on Brussels from six different countries for our first in-person strategic retreat since founding the organization in 2025. The gathering provided an opportunity to reflect on a remarkable first nine months, align on priorities for the next phase of growth, and strengthen the bonds that hold our women-led, multi-continent organization together. It was a powerful reminder that behind every program, partnership, and publication is a team that believes deeply in this work and in each other. 

Youth Democracy Network: Beyond Elections

P4I's Meredith Applegate joined Manjula Gajanayake of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) in Sri Lanka for the Global Youth Democracy Network's (YDN) Monthly Thematic Call on 8 June, "What Elections Don't Tell Us About Democracy." Countries with regular, competitive elections are often labeled democratic, but elections alone do not guarantee it. The conversation explored the gap between electoral processes and democratic reality — from media freedom and civic participation to institutional integrity — and how youth movements are pushing for meaningful engagement and accountability between election cycles.

P4I's Meredith Applegate and Eva Gil also contributed case studies and research to complement YDN's forthcoming research paper on youth movements and multilateral engagement in closing civic spaces, drawing on P4I's youth networks in Serbia and Myanmar. The research will be released this summer.

Online Exchange Series: Data Privacy, Sexism, and Democracy

We hosted the second installment of our Online Exchange Series, Data Privacy, Sexism, and Democracy: Global Lessons from an Increasingly Authoritarian World, on 18 June. Our democratic rights increasingly reside in the digital space, and while many people use technology to improve access, community, and connection, autocrats and bad actors use it to further their own goals, with women and marginalized communities often the most affected. The panel brought together Saijai Liangpunsakul of Stop Online Harm, Chipo Karwi of the Digital Society of Africa (Safe Sisters), Rebecca Williams of the American Civil Liberties Union, and P4I's Meredith Applegate, who moderated, for a wide-ranging conversation on how authoritarian actors are weaponizing data privacy violations and gendered disinformation to silence women in public life. The discussion underscored a theme we keep returning to: digital harms against women are not a side issue in democratic backsliding, they are central to it. We are incredibly grateful to our panelists for participating, and even more grateful for the work they are doing to further human rights, provide digital protections, and defend democracy every day. Together, we are exploring how we can further unpack the tactics and risks women are exposed to online, and work to design institutional mechanisms to better protect them, inside the EU as well as globally.   

TED Annual Event: Accountability for Electoral Manipulation and Corruption

As newly welcomed members of the Team Europe Democracy (TED) Initiative, P4I co-founders headed to Brussels for the TED annual event, where we were trusted to lead a workshop on accountability for electoral manipulation and political corruption. This session examined how political corruption and digital interference are colliding to reshape elections, and the urgent challenges this creates for judges, election bodies, and public institutions. P4I and partners highlighted real-world cases from Romania, Moldova, France and elsewhere that exposed the hurdles of securing digital evidence, assessing electoral impact under strict timelines, and closing gaps in political finance regulation and prosecution. The session also shared innovative responses from courts, public bodies, and civil society, and explored how electoral rights can be protected in practice, including through new EU regulations and policies, and new international norms on political finance and anti-corruption.

EU High-Level Event on Democracy

P4I (represented by co-founders Typhaine Roblot and Pascaline Krone) was invited to the EU High-Level Event on Democracy in Brussels in mid-June, which focused on taking the European Democracy Shield from communication to action. A key component of the Shield addresses safety in politics, particularly for women, and P4I has been actively contributing input to new EU guidelines on this topic. As Stephanie Ngongo put it at the event, "attacking women is attacking democracy, so countering the backlash has to be everyone's priority."

Council of Europe: New Democratic Pact and Foresight 2040

P4I took part in discussions at the Council of Europe, alongside member state representatives and implementing partners, on "Anticipating Democracy Security." We explored emerging findings from the Council of Europe's consultations on the New Democratic Pact for Europe, and shared P4I's approach to facing today's and future challenges through a strategic foresight exercise focused on 2040. Strengthening democratic resilience requires us to anticipate emerging threats and opportunities, invest now in stronger institutions to counter those threats, and build bridges across sectors to better protect democracy.

Nepal: CivicCode 2026, Building Technology for Democracy

P4I was proud to partner with Think Big on CivicCode 2026, a 12-hour civic tech hackathon held on 26 June to inspire young innovators to build technology that serves society. In just 12 hours, teams transformed ambitious ideas into working prototypes that tackled real civic challenges, proving that Nepal's youth are ready to shape the future through innovation. First-place winners HamroVote tackled an important question: how can the millions of the Nepali diaspora, who contribute so much to Nepal's economy, also have a stronger voice in its democracy? Their vision explored how secure digital voting — powered by biometric verification, zero-knowledge proofs, and blockchain technology — could one day make democratic participation more accessible, transparent, and secure for Nepalis living abroad. Thank you to the participants, mentors, judges, and volunteers who made CivicCode more than a hackathon: a reminder that when young people are given the opportunity, they create solutions that strengthen communities, improve governance, and shape a better future.

P4I at the I Encuentro de Derechos Digitales

Represented by co-founder Eva Gil, P4I joined discussions at the I Encuentro de Derechos Digitales. The role of technology in elections is a given: it is shaping participation, accountability, and public trust — or the lack thereof — in real time. Our focus there was twofold: pushing back against increasingly negative narratives about democracy, and identifying practical responses to emerging risks online. It was encouraging to see dedicated space for AI and women's rights, and we share the cautious optimism expressed by several panelists on recent EU efforts to strengthen protections in the online sphere. At the same time, we cannot ignore the downsides: AI is deepening global digital divides and reinforcing extractive dynamics between regions, and if left unchecked, these trends will widen inequalities in political participation and access to information. As implementers, P4I is looking to build partnerships that move beyond principles and toward practical engagement, so that the benefits of technology are more evenly distributed across regions.

South Asia: Second Meeting of the Political Finance Community of Practice

From global to local norms: P4I continues its support, alongside partners, to advance implementation of UNCAC Resolution 11/7 on political finance transparency, adopted at the 2025 Conference of the States Parties (CoSP). The South Asia Political Finance Community of Practice held its first meeting on 1 June with Accountability Lab Nepal, Youth in Federal Discourse, the Sustainable Social Development Organization, the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies, and the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. The CoP aims to provide a space for experts and practitioners tackling political finance challenges across South Asia to share insights on innovation, collaborate on solutions, and drive reform together. Members presented their ongoing work, the challenges they face, and entry points for reform. They agreed to adopt terms of reference and to explore initial ideas for a collaborative initiative on political finance transparency. Later in June, the Community of Practice welcomed an additional member, the University of Dhaka — a sign the community is already growing.

Article: The Role of Lawyers in Defending Electoral Justice in Africa

Lawyers serve not only as interpreters of the law but also as guardians of electoral justice, ensuring that democratic processes remain transparent, inclusive, and accountable — and they play this role despite potential reprisals and threats. Across Africa, elections are shaped by dense layers of constitutional rules, electoral laws, regulations, and court precedents, and political actors increasingly approach elections with parallel legal strategies, recognizing that outcomes may ultimately be shaped not only at the ballot box but also in the courtroom. This month, Africa Legal published a thought leadership piece co-authored by P4I's Katherine Ellena and Typhaine Roblot, together with Esther Wanjiru Muigai-Mnaro of the Pan African Lawyers Union, Oluwafemi Adebayo and Bukola Idowu of Kimpact Development Initiative, and retired Justice Robert Vincent Makaramba, arguing that lawyers and bar associations across the continent should embrace this role — both individually and institutionally — in safeguarding democratic institutions.

Thank You for Standing with Us

At P4I, we remain committed to integrity, inclusion, and democratic courage, and we are deeply grateful to our partners and supporters who make this work possible. We are a registered charitable organization in Germany. Donations made in Germany are tax deductible and can be made via our website.

We also have cooperation agreements with registered non-profits that allow us to have tax-deductible donations in the United States and France. For US-tax deductible donations, we have an agreement with Myriad USA. Donations can be made via the instructions here, placing “Maecenata US Fund, TG25173 Partnerships for Integrity (P4I)” as the beneficiary in the method you choose; or you can donate via our every.org fundraiser here.

For France-tax deductible donations, we have a partnership with the Fondation de France; please contact us at info@p4iglobal.org to receive the instructions.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation and your country is not listed above, please reach out to us at info@p4iglobal.org.

Most importantly, your solidarity, your partnership, and your everyday actions to choose democracy remain essential to us and to everyone choosing democracy, accountability, peace, and community right now. Thank you.

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